Grandpa didn’t say anything on the walk back to his apartment, which was very unusual for him.
He didn’t say very much once they got there either. Just one word.
“So?”
It was enough for Ben to tell him what he’d seen the aliens do and what he believed they had been talking about.
“We still don’t know what they’re planning to do inside the shul,” said Ben. “But whatever it is, they really don’t want anyone else to get in. They might eventually have hundreds of guards stationed outside. Thousands, even.”
“Have you tried talking to them, Benny?” asked Grandpa.
Ben looked at his grandfather. For a moment Ben thought he might be joking, but he wasn’t.
“You know,” continued Grandpa, “maybe a nice chat with them could sort everything out.”
“Erm, I don’t think so,” Ben replied. “They’ve probably travelled millions and millions of miles to get here. They’re planning on taking over our planet because theirs doesn’t have long left. Even if I could speak their language, I’m not sure they would tell us everything and call it off just because we asked them.”
“No, no, I’m sorry, Benny,” said Grandpa. “I’m just a silly old man who’s had quite a shock tonight.”
“That’s okay, Grandpa,” said Ben.
“So what are we going to do?” Grandpa asked.
“Well, I think first I should try and persuade Mom and Dad to cancel my bar mitzvah. There are going to be a lot of people in shul on Saturday morning and somehow I don’t think the aliens will be coming along just to daven. Those people could be in terrible danger.”
“Do you think your parents will agree to cancel your bar mitzvah?” asked Grandpa.
“I would say the chances are about four percent,” said Ben. “But I’m going to try. The thing is, even if they do believe me and call everything off, the aliens are still going to be inside the shul doing whatever it is they’re going to be doing.”
“Which is taking over the world, somehow,” said Grandpa.
“Exactly,” said Ben.
He started pacing up and down Grandpa’s front room. His mind was racing. He needed a plan and he needed one quickly.
“Got it!” he shouted eventually. “Grandpa, you know sometimes we watch action movies.”
“Yes, I love them, my favorite kind of movie,” said Grandpa.
“Well, in some of them there is a situation like this. The hero needs to get in somewhere that is heavily guarded. So what do they do?”
“You tell me, Benny,” said Grandpa.
“They create a diversion. You know, they do something like throw some stones or smash a window, and then, when the guards go and investigate, the hero sneaks inside.”
“It’s a good idea, Benny, a very good idea, but what are you going to do?”
“Grandpa,” said Ben. “With your help, I think I have an idea for the perfect diversion.”