Prologue

In the last adventure, Poison at the Pump, Patrick and Beth learned more about the Imagination Station. The Model T car has a bubbling mixture in its engine. The bubbling mixture is a blend of three liquids.

The liquid is in a glass container. But the container was only half full.

Mr. Whittaker, the Imagination Station’s inventor, wanted to fill up the container.

The cousins would go on an adventure to search for the liquids.

Whit gave the cousins a pocket-sized black box with a wand. On the top of the box was a light that looked like a button.

Whit told the cousins to dip the wand in liquids. The right liquid for the Imagination Station would turn the button green.

The cousins stepped into the Imagination Station.

But Whit noticed the container with the liquid was cracked. Drops were trickling out.

Whit said that a trip in the Imagination Station was too dangerous.

Patrick started to get out. But his elbow accidentally hit the red button on the steering wheel.

Beth and Patrick’s adventure began.

The Imagination Station took the cousins to London during a time of great sickness in 1854. Here is how that adventure ended.

Patrick stuck the wand into a gray-blue oil. The button on Whit’s gadget turned green.

“This is it!” Beth said.

Patrick whooped. He heard the hum of the Imagination Station. It was a welcome sound. The Model T appeared.

“I’m so glad to see the Imagination Station,” Patrick said. “I thought we might be stuck here. I was afraid too much of its power source had leaked.”

“Me too,” Beth said. “But now we can go home.”

Patrick hopped into the passenger seat.

Beth slid into the driver’s seat.

Patrick found the compartment on the passenger side. He placed the oil inside. Then he noticed a keyhole next to the compartment.

Patrick took the small key out of his pocket. It fit the lock perfectly. Patrick turned the key.

A sliding panel moved to cover the compartment. Then the panel opened. The container full of oil was no longer there. The oil was now inside the Imagination Station.

Beth put on her seat belt. “Ready?” she asked.

Patrick left the key in the lock. He buckled his seat belt. Patrick thought he might have the great sickness. He couldn’t wait for the Imagination Station to cure him. He couldn’t wait to go home.

Beth hit the big red button.

The Model T sprayed them with a fine mist.

“What’s happening?” Beth asked.

Patrick laughed. “Maybe it found the cholera germ on me. No germs are leaving with us,” he said.

The Imagination Station made a loud squeak. Then metal scraped against metal.

Something didn’t feel right to Patrick. He heard the sound of glass shattering and looked at Beth.

“There’s that smell again,” Beth said.

Patrick smelled it too. There was the scent of apricots, lemons, pears, and oranges.

The fine mist grew into a heavier spray. Drops of water began to rain on the inside of the Model T.

Then everything went black.