2-Power: the Korski Code Read online

  Then Ella wanted to have a go.

  ‘I’m not at all sure it will work for you,’ he said.

  But it did. In fact, Ella raised the rock even higher than Sam had.

  ‘You had to do it, didn’t you?’ he snarled.

  ‘Do what?’ she asked.

  ‘Show off,’ he shouted.

  Ella hated, hated, HATED it when Sam said she showed off because it was totally untrue. Yes, all right, at their old school she had been top in every subject. But that wasn’t her fault, was it? She didn’t even try especially hard. It just happened. And she did think Sam might have been pleased for her. But he wasn’t. In fact, that’s when he started ignoring her. She’d call his name and he’d just turn away. It was so stupid. But in the end she had no choice but to ignore him right back.

  She really liked being friendly with Sam again, though, so when he lifted the rock once more and declared, ‘That’s much higher than you managed,’ she didn’t argue (even though it wasn’t true).

  Back in the kitchen they had to wash up after the guests’ supper. But no one was about so Sam whispered, ‘I’ve got an idea. But we’ll need to get online first.’

  Once they were buzzing, a mad gleam danced in his eyes as he grabbed a fork. And in the blink of an eye he had bent the fork’s handle right back. ‘There’s magic in my fingers,’ he cried triumphantly. Then he seized a second fork. That was swiftly twisted right back too. ‘Twisting forks is my new hobby,’ he declared.

  ‘Very good, but you’d better stop now,’ said Ella.

  ‘Why?’ he demanded.

  He was reaching for another fork when they heard Uncle Mike boom, ‘Hope those brats have cleared everything away! I’m absolutely exhausted.’

  Ella and Sam started madly bunging plates away, just as Uncle Mike and Aunt Joy marched into the kitchen.

  ‘Haven’t you finished tidying up yet?’ demanded Uncle Mike. ‘What have you been doing?’

  ‘Well, the thing is,’ said Sam, ‘we’ve been really puzzled by something.’

  ‘What…?’ began Uncle Mike. Then he stopped and took in the two bent forks on the table. He let out a bellow, like a mad bull. This was followed by a screech of surprise from Aunt Joy.

  Ella had to look away or she knew she’d burst out laughing. But Sam managed to ask with a straight face, ‘Do you think we’ve got a phantom fork bender in the hotel?’

  Ella’s shoulders began to shake. No, she mustn’t laugh. She really mustn’t.

  ‘When I find out which guest has done this…’ roared Uncle Mike, his tiny eyes glinting with fury. ‘Well, no one makes a fool out of me.’

  He went on, ‘And you two aren’t going to bed until this kitchen is spick and span.’

  ‘And make sure everything is set up for breakfast tomorrow,’ added Aunt Joy, who was hunched right behind him.

  That took the twins another half an hour. But when they’d finished, Sam was still grinning from ear to ear. Ella couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him look so happy. She said quietly, ‘Sam, we must keep our special powers secret from Uncle Mike.’

  ‘Why?’ he demanded.

  ‘If he found out he’d probably sell us to a circus or something.’

  ‘That’s true,’ agreed Sam at once.

  ‘And actually, I think it’s best if no one knows except us.’

  ‘Yes, all right,’ said Sam, ‘it’ll be more fun if it’s just us two.’ Then he asked, ‘Are you still running away tonight then?’

  She hesitated for just a moment. ‘No, I think I’ll wait another day or two.’

  He grinned at her again. ‘Been great here tonight, hasn’t it?’

  She agreed it had. But Ella also thought they should be using their amazing new powers for better things, other than bending forks.

  And the very next day she had a brilliant idea.

  5

  Digging for Treasure

  Ella’s brilliant idea came from the local paper. Splashed right across the front page was a story about a local man who’d found a Roman coin buried in one of the cliff sides. It was a rare bronze coin with the Emperor Nero’s face on it, worth hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.

  The paper said that other Roman coins might also be out there and people were already frantically searching. Lots of them were using metal detectors.

  Ella began to get very excited. Suppose she searched for the coins too? Only, she would be online with Sam while she did this, meaning she’d be extra strong and able to dig deeper than anyone else.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Sam her plan. But he wasn’t very interested at first. ‘Who cares about some mouldy old coins?’ he asked.

  ‘But you’re forgetting,’ cried Ella, ‘how much those coins could be worth – maybe thousands of pounds!’ Now she had his full attention all right. She went on wildly, ‘Just think what we could do with all that money! We wouldn’t need to live with our rotten relations for a start. We could move out. We’d probably have to pay someone to look in on us for half an hour now and again as we’re not adults. But the rest of the time we could do what we wanted, live where we wanted…’

  ‘Got ya,’ cried Sam eagerly. ‘Let’s go find a rare coin right now.’

  But there was no chance of getting away that day. They were kept busy by Uncle Mike and Aunt Joy every second.

  The following day was no better.

  Finally, they decided not to go back to the hotel after school finished. Instead, they made straight for the cliffs where the Roman coin had been found. At last they could start treasure seeking.

  It had rained for hours but now the air smelt wonderfully fresh and there was a brilliant blue sky. Sam scrunched up his eyes and pictured Ella in his mind. Then his nose started to itch as if he was about to sneeze. He was about to go online all right. Next came the familiar buzzing…

  ‘Hi, Sam,’ said Ella excitedly into his right ear. ‘I can’t wait to get started.’

  Two men were already digging away furiously. ‘They’re keen,’ said Sam.

  ‘Let’s find somewhere right away from them,’ cried Ella. ‘We don’t want anyone to see us digging in the magic way.’

  They discovered a secluded spot on the cliffs. ‘We’ll start here,’ declared Ella. She produced the spade she had bought from her running away money.

  ‘I’ll dig if you like,’ said Sam.

  ‘No, I’ll do it,’ said Ella firmly. Sam didn’t argue – it was her spade, after all – but he was disappointed. Still, it was a laugh seeing her dig so incredibly quickly. In fact, it was like watching a speeded-up film of someone, with soil and stones flying everywhere. All the time Ella was digging, she chatted to him online. ‘This is brilliant fun,’ she cried. ‘And I’m not tired at all.’

  Sam noticed the two men walking away from the cliffs. They looked dejected. They obviously hadn’t found anything. But then neither had Sam or Ella.

  ‘Perhaps we should try somewhere else,’ said Sam.

  But then she hissed excitedly into his right ear. ‘I think I’ve found something.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘You won’t believe this…’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘It’s a glasses case.’

  ‘What!’ he exclaimed.

  Ella handed the case to him. He took out a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. ‘They’re massive and so thick,’ he said. ‘They must belong to someone with very bad eyesight. But what on earth are they doing buried out here?’

  Ella didn’t answer. Instead she squeaked, ‘I’ve found something else.’

  ‘What is it this time, a hearing aid?’

  ‘No, it’s a coin,’ she cried excitedly, scooping it up. ‘And I think it’s a very old one.’

  ‘Let’s have a look then. Yeah, that looks dead ancient all right,’ he cried, as he took a green coin, caked in mud, from her.

  ‘Wow and double wow!’ he exclaimed. ‘Do you realize we’re probably the first people to touch this coin for thousands of years? And we’ve fou
nd it – well, you did.’

  ‘Couldn’t have done it without you,’ said Ella.

  ‘That’s true,’ he agreed.

  Back at the hotel they got a right earbashing from Uncle Mike. ‘How dare you arrive back so late from school? I had to take some cases up the stairs myself.’

  ‘And you know he’s got a bad back,’ cut in Aunt Joy, ‘just as I’ve had this nasty cold for five years.’ Her voice rose. ‘And look at your school uniforms – all filthy. Whatever have you two been doing?’

  Sam winked at Ella. To his slight surprise she winked right back.

  In the kitchen they ran some water over the coin they’d found. The green colour on the coin started dissolving away and they discovered it was actually silver. On one side there was the profile of a man with cropped hair.

  ‘That’s a Roman emperor for sure,’ said Sam. ‘And that new coin they found was only bronze; this is a silver one – it could be worth millions.’

  ‘We mustn’t let Uncle Mike or Aunt Joy find it,’ said Ella.

  And at that moment Uncle Mike suddenly shouted, ‘You two haven’t got time to talk, you know!’

  Ella dropped the coin in shock. Luckily Uncle Mike didn’t notice, as he stomped up and down the kitchen issuing his orders.

  ‘Phew,’ said Sam afterwards. ‘If he’d found that…’

  Later Ella happened to glance at that day’s edition of the local paper in reception. The discovery of the rare Roman coin was still front-page news. And, the paper said, Professor Forbes, the well-known local archaeologist, agreed that other valuable coins could be in the same area.

  The professor was usually a very private man. But he was so excited by what might be found that he was inviting people to contact him with their discoveries.

  Below was his email address. But, in fact, Ella knew exactly where the professor lived because a girl in her class lived in the same road.

  And on Saturday afternoon she and Sam managed to sneak off to Professor Forbes’s home. It was right at the end of the road. The garden was bright with daffodils and it looked like a happy house. Ella was sure the professor would be friendly and see them.

  6

  We’re Going to Be Rich

  Ella rang the doorbell. They both waited. ‘I can hear footsteps,’ whispered Sam.

  Bolts were drawn. A face appeared in the gap. It was a woman with huge, bulging eyes and a sharp, suspicious nose. She somehow didn’t fit such a friendly-looking house.

  ‘Hello,’ said Ella politely. ‘Sorry to disturb you, but we found something out on the cliffs and we’d like Professor Forbes to look at it.’

  ‘I’ll make sure he sees it.’ And the woman put out her hand to take it.

  ‘No,’ cried Sam at once. ‘We want to see Professor Forbes ourselves.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure he won’t have the time,’ snapped the woman, ‘he’s such a busy man – but I’ll check.’

  Then she closed the door in their faces.

  ‘She needs a lesson in manners,’ said Sam angrily.

  Ella gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. Sam gets mad so easily, she thought.

  ‘Don’t worry about her. I’m sure Professor Forbes will see us,’ said Ella. ‘He’s probably really curious about what we’ve found.’

  And Ella was right. The woman returned and announced that Professor Forbes could spare them two minutes only. ‘And make sure you wipe your feet,’ she barked at them.

  ‘I always do,’ muttered Sam. ‘I don’t need to be told by you.’

  Oh dear, thought Ella, he’s getting into one of his stroppy moods; that’s when he could say the maddest things.

  They passed through a dingy hall and were led into a large, high room. The curtains were half-drawn already and a fire crackled in the fireplace, even though it was a warm day. Sunk in a chair in front of the fire was Professor Forbes. He looked even older than his picture in the paper. He was wearing tinted dark glasses and had a small white moustache.

  ‘Good day, children,’ he said in a high, quavery voice.

  ‘Hello, mate,’ replied Sam.

  Ella blushed with embarrassment.

  But the professor just motioned to them to sit on a couch opposite him. Then he said, ‘I have some men searching for coins out on the cliffs. I think they saw you yesterday.’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Sam. ‘And we believe we’ve found something dead valuable, as well.’

  ‘But how thrilling,’ murmured the professor quietly. ‘May I see this discovery?’

  ‘Of course you can, mate,’ said Sam. He turned to Ella. She dug in her pocket, then got up and proudly handed the Roman coin over to the professor.

  He took out a magnifying glass and studied the coin. It was so gloomy in there Ella was amazed he could see it properly, although the fire did send little flickers of light over them.

  ‘Is this all you found?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ said Sam at once.

  Ella, who’d been feeling extremely shy, piped up, ‘Well, apart from some old glasses.’

  Professor Forbes’s hand shook slightly. ‘They weren’t gold-rimmed spectacles, were they?’

  ‘That’s right,’ replied Ella.

  He looked up. ‘Why, that’s marvellous news.’

  ‘You’re not telling us those specs belonged to a Roman emperor?’ cried Sam.

  The professor smiled. ‘Actually, they belong to me.’

  Sam and Ella gaped at him in amazement.

  ‘A few days ago,’ he explained, ‘we had a burglary here. Some money was taken as well as a few other things – and the burglar also ran off with my glasses.’

  ‘A short-sighted burglar then,’ grinned Sam.

  Professor Forbes smiled back at him. ‘Of course my glasses were no good to him. But his fingerprints were all over them so he had to hide them away somewhere where they wouldn’t be found.’

  ‘So he buried them out on the cliffs,’ cried Ella.

  ‘Exactly, my dear.’ He lowered his voice a little. ‘I’m afraid my eyes give me a great deal of trouble, which is why I daren’t face the light. I have other glasses, of course, but those were my special ones. I’m so grateful to you both – do you have them with you by any chance?’

  ‘They’re in my bedroom, actually…’ began Ella.

  ‘Well, they’re safe. That’s splendid,’ he said. He called out, ‘Mrs Saunders,’ and just as if she’d been listening at the door she appeared at once. ‘We haven’t been very good hosts. I’m sure my young visitors would like some refreshment. How about some orange juice?’

  ‘You can throw in a few biscuits too if you like, Mrs Saunders,’ Sam called after her.

  She quickly returned and banged down a tray bearing two glasses of weak orange juice and two very dry biscuits.

  Professor Forbes was so thrilled at his spectacles turning up that he seemed to have forgotten all about the Roman coin, until Ella politely reminded him.

  ‘Yes, yes,’ he said, his eyes gleaming. ‘This is a most exciting discovery.’

  Ella and Sam stared at each other, their hearts pounding furiously.

  ‘But before I tell you exactly how much this find is worth I need a second opinion. Now, by chance, I have a leading expert visiting me this evening: Sir Giles Westbury. I would like him to examine it – that is, if I’m allowed to keep your coin for tonight.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Ella at once.

  ‘Just make sure you give us a receipt for it,’ cut in Sam.

  Ella blushed again. But Professor Forbes just nodded at Sam and said, ‘You will go far, young man. Of course you should have a receipt for such an important find.’

  He scribbled something on a piece of paper and gave it to Sam, who declared, ‘That’ll do nicely.’ Then Sam said, a little too casually, ‘And here’s my card.’ He’d made some cards at school featuring his name and address, and was extremely proud of them.

  Professor Forbes chatted to them for a few more minutes. He was as nice as Ella had
hoped, full of questions about what it was like living in a hotel and where their rooms actually were. It was just a shame Mrs Saunders suddenly started hoovering right outside the door. Clearly she thought it was time they left. So Ella got to her feet.

  Professor Forbes stumbled to his feet too. He wasn’t very much taller than Sam. ‘Come and see me tomorrow morning, when I should have some good news for you. And don’t worry, I shall look after your coin. If you could also remember to bring my glasses with you?’

  ‘Oh, of course we will,’ said Ella, smiling at him.

  He smiled back. ‘Exciting times lie ahead for you both.’

  *

  Back on the seafront Sam shouted to a flock of seagulls, ‘We’re going to be rich!’ and he and Ella laughed for a long time.

  Finally, Ella said, ‘I suppose we ought to go back now.’ Immediately, all the fun and excitement of the day vanished.

  ‘We’re so late,’ said Sam gloomily, ‘they’ll be going crazy.’

  Then Ella said, ‘Do you suppose if we went online we could run back really fast? Shall we find out?’

  He nodded.

  They closed their eyes and tried to concentrate. But it was just impossible on such a busy, bustling Saturday afternoon, so they walked on a bit until they came to an old footpath leading to the park. They slipped down there. It was deserted.

  ‘Peace at last,’ said Ella, and they got online very quickly.

  ‘Right, let’s see how fast we can go,’ said Sam.

  But Ella cried out, ‘No, stop!’

  ‘Don’t boss me around,’ he began sulkily.

  ‘Just listen,’ Ella shouted.

  Then Sam heard it as well.

  It was a dog whimpering.

  ‘He might be badly hurt,’ said Ella. ‘We’ve got to find him.’

  They raced about, whistling for the dog, but there was no sign of it anywhere. By now they’d walked all along the footpath.

  ‘We’ll be at the park soon,’ began Ella.

  But then Sam yelled, ‘Look!’ so loudly, he made her jump.

  And there, tied to the fence post, was a small white terrier.

  7

  Saving Patch