With three alien guards at the front of the shul, Ben decided not to go back out onto the road. Instead he climbed over into the next front yard and then the next and the next, until eventually he popped out at the end of the road.
He slipped around the corner and found Grandpa where he had left him.
“Nu, Benny?” asked Grandpa. “What’s happening?”
Ben told Grandpa what he’d seen.
“I don’t know what they’re doing in there,” said Ben. “We may already be too late, but I’ve got to get in and find out. Are you ready, Grandpa?”
“Of course I am,” he said.
He bent down and took the sacks out of the bag. One of them was painted green, the other was painted orange. The end of one sack had been cut open and stapled to the other, so that it was one long sack. The rubber tubing that was attached to it wobbled as he held it up.
“This had better work,” said Ben.
“It will, it will,” said Grandpa. “Now, come on, help me put it on.”
Ben took the open end of the costume and pulled it down over Grandpa’s head.
“How does it feel to be an alien, Grandpa?” asked Ben.
“A bit hot and smelly,” said Grandpa from inside the sacks. He was holding the walking stick next to his legs to give the impression that he now had three legs.
Ben smiled and moved the costume around a little so that the two holes that had been cut in the top sack were over Grandpa’s eyes.
The truth was that, close up, he didn’t really look that much like the aliens. From a distance, though, it was possible that Grandpa looked enough like an alien to fool the real ones. Ben really had to hope that was the case.
“Come on, Alien Grandpa,” said Ben. “Let’s go.”
Grandpa gave Ben a thumbs-up and the two of them crept to the corner of the road.
“Okay,” said Ben. “I’m going back to the hedge. I’ll be there in three minutes. You sure you know what to do, Grandpa?”
“I know what to do, Benny. Go, go.”
Ben took a deep breath and slid around the corner and into the first yard. He didn’t have long, so he made his way over the walls and across the lawns and flowerbeds as quickly as he could.
He made it to the hedge with seconds to spare. The three alien guards were still there outside the front of the shul. There was nothing he could do now but wait and hope that the plan worked.
Moments later he heard Grandpa’s voice.
“Come quickly, come quickly, over here!”
Ben glanced to his left. He could just see Grandpa in his costume on the corner of the street. He definitely didn’t look human, but did he look enough like an alien to convince the real ones?
Ben could see the alien guards outside the shul looking at one another. They seemed uncertain what to do.
“You have to come now, it’s an emergency, hurry!” shouted Alien Grandpa.
That did the trick. The aliens all rushed off in the direction of Grandpa. A relieved Ben started to carefully make his way out of the hedge, when suddenly the aliens stopped.
Ben shrank back. Two of the aliens then continued toward Grandpa, but one of them returned to the front of the shul!
Ben had to think fast.
He grabbed a pile of dirt and stones in each hand and, keeping as low as he could, circled around to the side of the shul. The alien guard who had returned was looking toward the end of the road where Grandpa had been, so Ben could approach without being seen. He had to do it very quietly, though.
He made it to a parked car and, crouching down next to it, he hurled a handful of dirt and stones so that it landed quite a long way behind the alien, to the right side of the shul.
The alien turned suddenly as the stones hit the ground. Ben then found the biggest stone he had and threw it as hard as he could, this time aiming for the left side of the shul.
The alien turned again and ran back across the front of the shul to the other side. As the alien began to look down the path leading to the courtyard at the back, Ben seized the opportunity.
He stood up and, moving as quickly and as silently as he could, he headed for the front door. The alien was still looking down the path and seemed unsure whether to go down there or turn back. If it did the latter, Ben would be in big trouble.
Ben increased the length of his strides, while making sure to keep his steps as light as possible. Three soundless leaps later and he’d made it to the front door. He opened it a tiny bit and squeezed himself through, shutting the door carefully behind him.
He was in.
His heart was hammering away inside his chest. It had been pretty frightening making it this far, but Ben knew this was only the beginning.
Now he was on his own and the real danger was still ahead.