1
Over the next few days, Ben found it very difficult to deal with his father’s questions. While delighted to have his son back again and pleased that he seemed to have abandoned his terrible anti-social ways, Ben’s father had been troubled by the sudden disappearance of Janice and was constantly seeking explanations.
Finally, Ben said to him, ‘Dad, if you’ll sit down, I’ll tell you everything from start to finish. You’re not going to believe a word of any of it, but that doesn’t matter. I want to tell you, I need to tell you. Just to get it off my chest. Okay?’
His father looked at him for a moment or two, and then nodded.
‘Okay, Ben. Try me … Shoot!’
So Ben did. He told him of the very first Exchange and how he became the loblolly boy. He told how he had passed the loblolly boy on and had become Michael and then endured a miserable time in the Great House. He told him of how Michael had returned and how he had Exchanged again.
And then he told his father of everything that had happened since: of the Captain, the Jugglers, the Gadget Man and the Sorcerer. He told him of Mel and how he had been tricked and betrayed and how every time he thought all would be all right he’d been flipped out of the frying pan and back to the fire.
Finally he told his father of the telescope and how Janice had been turned into a rabbit, how he had been turned into a cockatoo.
At that point, his father had put his hand out.
‘Ben, this is a great story and I reckon you ought to write it all down. But I have to say you were quite right, old son … I don’t believe a word of it.’
It didn’t matter to Ben. His father had listened and he had managed to get it off his chest. He could not have expected his father to believe it; he scarcely believed it himself.
However, what telling the story meant was that he no longer had any secrets from his father. That felt really good.
Some days later, there was a knock at the door. His father went to see who it was.
When the visitor was ushered into the living room, Ben was astonished to see that it was the Sorcerer carrying a large wrapped box. He smiled as Ben looked at him apprehensively. ‘I am so pleased to see you,’ he said. ‘I always said you were a resourceful creature.’
His father looked from the tall silver-haired man to Ben with curiosity. ‘How do you know Ben?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I’ve known Ben for some time. He’ll no doubt tell you all about me one day.’
‘I have already,’ said Ben.
His father looked at him in surprise. ‘Have you?’
Ben nodded. ‘What’s in the box?’ he asked the Sorcerer.
‘Haven’t you guessed?’ asked the Sorcerer. ‘I thought it would be better to return her. For some reason she was not cooperative enough. There was no way I could get her to jump out of a hat. Or even into a hat if it comes to that.’
Ben nodded. ‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ he said.
At that the Sorcerer took his leave, leaving the box on the floor.
‘What is it?’
‘Have a look,’ said Ben.
His father stripped the paper off. Underneath was a stainless steel hutch. Janice, her nose twitching, sat inside.
‘Good grief,’ said his father. ‘It’s a white rabbit.’ He looked at Ben. ‘Who was that guy?’
‘I told you about him,’ said Ben. ‘That was the Sorcerer.’
The very next night, there was yet another visitor again with a package, but this time much smaller.
It was the Gadget Man. He did not come in. Instead he passed the package to Ben and said, ‘The Captain has asked that I return this. He said you’d left it in his safekeeping …’
Ben opened the parcel. Inside was an oilskin cloth. Ben knew what it would be. He passed it to his father. ‘Look …’
Then he turned to the Gadget Man. ‘Will you …’
He was going to ask him to come in and have a cup of tea, but the Gadget Man forestalled him. ‘No, no. Oh my dear, no. I’m very busy on a new project. The Captain wants me to work on a reverse telescope. One that undoes … you know?’
‘Do you think you’ll be able to?’ asked Ben.
The Gadget Man shrugged. ‘I may, I may. But it will be a challenge, a real challenge and I fear a long challenge. But I’m taking the long view …’
Then he made his goodbyes, and hurried off.
‘And that was?’ asked his father.
‘That was the Gadget Man,’ said Ben. ‘I told you about him too.’
His father stared thoughtfully into the deepening gloom as the figure disappeared.
‘I thought it might have been,’ he said.
2
The third visitor was much more welcome.
‘Mel!’
She looked at him carefully. ‘Which one are you?’
Ben grinned. ‘The right one!’
Mel wasn’t completely convinced. ‘You’ve changed your hair, but you still look …’
‘I look like me,’ said Ben. ‘I am me. Ben. Believe me.’
Mel shrugged but then demanded quickly, ‘Okay, but before I do, what’s the name of the Gadget Man then?’
Ben’s mind raced and then he remembered. ‘Daniel,’ he said. ‘It was Daniel Flynn. He told us when he unlocked the door.’
At that point, Mel grinned widely. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Had to do that. It’s just that you’re the spitting image of that Benjy dude. It’s a little weird.’
‘Hasn’t everything been weird?’
‘I reckon.’
‘I should have called you,’ said Ben. ‘But,’ he said, ‘I realised I didn’t know your number …’
‘So?’
‘Even your last name.’
Mel grinned again. ‘Don’t suppose you did!’
‘I mean, if it hadn’t been for you.’ Ben grinned this time. ‘I mean, I really need to thank you and thank …’ His grin faded. It sounded so lame. ‘I have looked for you …’
Mel shrugged again. ‘Yeah. I looked for you, too. I went back to the Gadget Man. He reckoned he hadn’t seen you. I did wonder about a dreadful screeching sound coming from his workshop. Thought he might have been making torture gadgets, or something.’
‘That was a cockatoo,’ said Ben.
‘A what?’
‘A big bird.’
‘How do you know?’
‘That it was a bird?’
‘No, that the Gadget Man had this cocker thing?’
Ben grinned. ‘It’s a long story, and it’s really weird.’
‘It’d have to be. Want to tell me?’
‘Sure. Shall we go to the park?’
‘Yeah. We could climb that old tree and you could tell me all about it.’