CHAPTER 13
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
Later that day, Larryboy rose from his chair as Pruneman strolled into the room, carrying a photo album.
What an afternoon it had been. After three rip-roaring games of Superhero Bingo, Larryboy and Pruneman spent the rest of the afternoon scaling walls and trying out a new supercharged wheelchair. It was the only wheelchair in the world with a jet engine, helicopter blades, a smoke screen, and a laser-guided Slushie-tossing slingshot.
Larryboy didn’t know that an old guy could be so much fun.
When the afternoon of action was over, Pruneman invited Larryboy to the retirement home’s Clock Room for a glass of iced tea—and a peek at an old photo album.
“This Clock Room is an amazing place,” Larryboy said, glancing around at the hundreds of clocks lining every wall. There were grandfather clocks, water clocks, cuckoo clocks, and an entire shelf-load of hourglasses filled with sand.
“The fellow who built our retirement home was really fascinated by time,” Pruneman noted. “Maybe that’s why he was so interested in us old folks. We’ve all seen a lot of time go by.”
Pruneman opened up the photo album and spread it out on a coffee table. “Speaking of time, here’s the photo I wanted to show you. It’s from a long time ago.”
The black and white photo showed a much younger Pruneman blasting a volley of prune pits at a supervillain perched high atop the Clock Tower.
“WOW!” exclaimed Larryboy. “Is that you fighting the Evil Squashinator?”
“Sure is.”
“I heard all about the Squashinator—a giant robotic squash that had been programmed to squash all the buildings in Bumblyburg by sitting on them. Was it you who defeated the Squashinator?”
Pruneman blushed. “Yes, it was. But that’s not why I wanted to show you this photo.”
Larryboy’s eyes lit up. Who would have thought that an old guy like Pruneman had once been a young hero capable of defeating the Squashinator? Why, if it hadn’t been for Pruneman, Bumblyburg wouldn’t even exist today!
“I wanted to show you this photo because it might shed some light on what Outback Jack is up to.”
“Really?”
“Maybe. You said that Outback Jack stole a file and then he stole the town clock, right?”
Larryboy nodded, eager for Pruneman to go on.
“Well, there’s an old legend that the town clock originally belonged to Sir Lester Bumbly and Sir Mortimer Burg.”
“Bumblyburg’s founding fathers!” Larryboy gasped. “Bob was going to do an article about them before Outback stole his research file.”
“Legend has it that they hid their family fortune to keep it away from attacking pirates. There’s even a story that says they painted a secret map to the treasure on the face of the town clock.”
Pruneman held a magnifying glass over the photo of the Clock Tower, while Larryboy took a close look. On the clock face were lots of fancy pictures surrounding the numbers. At the very top, above the number twelve, was a drawing of three hills—with a rock structure built upon the one in the middle. A stream of sunlight passed straight through a hole in the center of it.
“Those are the three hills on the edge of Bumblyburg,” Larryboy said, whistling. “And I recognize that rock structure—it’s the Rock of Time. Do you think this is the treasure map?”
Pruneman nodded solemnly.
“But how do you know all this?”
“You live. You listen. You learn,” Pruneman explained, solemnly.
Larryboy stood up straight and looked very heroic. “Well, if Outback Jack is using that clock map to steal the Treasure of Bumblyburg, then it’s my job to foil his evil plan!”
As Larryboy made a move to leap through the nearest window, Pruneman tried to stop him. “But wait, Larryboy! There’s one other important thing you need to know!”
“No time for that, Pruneman! I AM THAT HERO!”
“But Larryboy … You need to know …”
Too late. Larryboy was already out the window and leaping into his Larrymobile. Time does not wait for a superhero on the move.
