Secret Inventions Of Elmswood Street

Chapter 25: Listen, Zoe

'Here goes,' said Zoe, taking a deep breath. But it was Professor Krakken's chair that flipped over. The desk slid over him.

Zoe's mouth dropped. That wasn't supposed to happen. The lantern and anti-grav fell on the floor. Zoe went after them the moment the professor got gassed.

'Gotcha,' Zoe snatched the lantern. She backed away but the professor seized her ankle.

'Got you, too.' The floor opened up, and both Zoe and the professor fell through the floor to the level below.

'Nooo!' Zoe yelled, while plummeting. Her jacket puffed up, protecting her from the fall, but the professor hit the ground hard. He was groaning when Zoe rolled away and grabbed the lantern.

'I'll take it from here, Zoe,' Mrs Wieglof appeared from behind and took the lantern from her. Only half the lights were on, and Mozart was playing slightly louder.

The professor was shaking his head when the steel alloy cage dropped. But his instincts were beast-sharp. Still lying on the ground, he spun his walking stick and fired a blast of hot air at Zoe.

The blast blew Zoe halfway across the room and at the same time pushed the professor back across the floor like he was on a wet slide. The cage slammed down but no one was there. Groggily, Zoe got to her feet. She heard Mrs Wieglof's voice.

'Nice of you to drop in, Professor,' Mrs Wieglof said, sitting comfortably on a chair. The professor stood and straightened his suit and tie.

'Fru Wieglof.' He nodded. 'Always lurking in the shadows I see. That was a nice touch, letting Zoe experience a false trap for me to pick from her mind. I fell for it. But enough chit-chat. You have something that belongs to me. I would like it back.' As he spoke enormous gorilla fists punched through the ceiling above. Then black steely shadows dropped through the ceiling and landed heavily on the cage, crushing it flat. One was the silverback. 'Now please.'

When she didn't move his jaw tensed. 'You can't hide the lantern from me. Your husband failed, and he was far smarter.'

Mrs Wieglof turned her back and rolled the lantern across the floor. At the same time she pressed a remote control button and the toy crates around her suddenly burst apart, sending waves of near-identical glassy lanterns spilling across the floor, burying the Diogenes Lantern amidst the hoard. Thousands lay scattered about. 'Oh you can get to it,' she agreed. 'But you'll need all your monkeys to help find it. They're perfect replicas. You murdered a great man. The police have been alerted, professor. Time to pay the piper.'

'Yesss!' Zoe made a fist. Mrs Wieglof winked at her.

Professor Krakken made a mimicking face. 'The police have been alerted, professor. You should be frightened, professor. You should be quivering in fear.' His eyes turned cold. 'Except, I'm not. Oh, I've made plans of my own. The police won't be getting here anytime soon - terrible weather in this area, icy roads, sudden storms. Nevertheless, I am in a hurry. So I'll use your monkeys to help instead.'

'Good luck with that,' Mrs Wieglof smiled.

The professor pulled out a pistol and shot Mrs Wieglof in the chest. Her expression changed to shock and dismay. Zoe watched her fall. Blood bloomed like red poppies from the front of her cream-white suit.

'I make my own luck,' said the professor, waving his walking stick at her. 'All right, listen up, everyone. I know some of you are in here. You have exactly 30 seconds to bring me the lantern or I will shoot Mrs Wieglof in the head. Time starts now. Thank you for your cooperation.' The professor checked his watch.