The Island of Dr. Libris (16 page)

He handed Billy a brand-new iPhone.

“Your mom told me what happened to your old one. Ouch.”

“That’s an early birthday gift, Billy,” said his mother.

“That’s right,” said his dad. “Your mom and I talked about it. We both agreed.”

Billy took the iPhone. His birthday wasn’t till September.

Did this mean his mom and dad weren’t getting back together after the summer?

His dad had the queasy look on his face that he always got right before he had to say something grown-up-ish instead of silly.

“Well, I better, um, go inside and charge it,” said Billy.

“Your dad wants to talk to you,” said his mom, sounding even sadder than she had at breakfast. Guess this story wasn’t turning out the way she wanted it to, either.

“Yeah,” said his father. “We need to talk.”

“Okay. But right now I want to, you know …” He waggled the iPhone.

“Sure,” said his dad. “We’ll talk later. We’re putting together a little cookout.”

“I saw. I’ll be upstairs in my room.”

Billy went into the cabin, ran up the steps, and flopped down face-first onto his bed. He didn’t even plug in his shiny new iPhone.

He just wished he could head back to the island, where, sooner or later, stories seemed to find their happy endings.

Billy spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding his parents.

He figured if they couldn’t sit him down for “the talk,” they couldn’t tell him their news. From the look on his mother’s face, he could guess it wasn’t anything good.

He decided he’d try to sneak downstairs. Hide over at Walter’s place.

But his dad caught him at the back door.

“Hey, Billy,” his dad said, gesturing toward two lawn chairs. “Got a minute?”

“Well, I really wanted to run next door. Show my friend Walter my new iPhone.”

“Okay,” said his mom, coming down from the cabin with a small cooler filled with drinks. “But dinner is at six.”

“Can Walter come?”

“Not tonight, hon. Family only. Okay?”

Billy nodded.

And he ran over to Walter’s house.

Walter’s bedroom was under the upside-down boat section of the Hodgepodge Lodge.

Billy plugged his new iPhone into the wall so he and Walter could load it up with apps.

“This house is so awesome,” said Billy.

“Yeah,” said Walter. “Dr. Libris liked it, too. He’d always say my dad had an amazing imagination. Then he’d say something like ‘too bad you’re not Walter’s age,’ and they’d both laugh.”

“Why?”

Walter shrugged. “They’re grown-ups. Who knows why grown-ups laugh at anything?”

His mom came into the boat bedroom with a plate of homemade cookies.

“Thanks for taking Alyssa out to the island,” she said. “That was sweet of you boys.”

“You’re welcome,” said Billy.

The instant Mrs. Andrews was gone, Walter took in a deep breath. “You know, Billy, I’ve been thinking. And you were right. It
was
my fault. I shouldn’t’ve let Alyssa go out to the island with
Jack and the Beanstalk.
”

“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow. I promise.”

Walter sniffed the air. “Are you guys grilling burgers?”

“Yeah. And hot dogs.”

“Can I come over?”

“Sorry. I asked. They said it’s family-only tonight.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“This sounds bad, Billy. Way bad.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

“You want another burger?” Billy’s dad asked.

“Sure,” said Billy.

“That’s your third one!”

Billy was still stalling. He burped to make enough room for his next burger.

“Billy?” his mom whispered when his dad was back at the grill. “I know this is hard, but you really need to talk with your father.”

“I don’t want to.”

“But you need to.” She took a breath and looked Billy square in the eyes. “He’s going to L.A.”

“To film more commercials?”

“No. He sold one of his screenplays.”

Billy brightened. He and Walter might not need to find that treasure after all. “That means he’ll make a ton of money, right?”

“Yes,” she answered carefully. “It also means he wants to live out there. Permanently.”

Billy refused to meet her gaze. “Cool,” he said casually. “I could learn how to surf.”

“Billy? You and I will be staying here. Well, not
here.
We’d keep the apartment in the city while your dad …”

Billy wanted to jab his fingers in his ears and scream, “NAH, NAH, NAH, NAH!” so he wouldn’t have to hear any more of this. Instead, he blurted, “How about marshmallows?”

“Billy? Did you hear what I just said?”

“One burger, coming up!” his dad called from the grill.

“I changed my mind,” Billy called back, standing up from the picnic table. “I’m ready for dessert. I’m going to gather up some green sticks so we can toast those marshmallows.”

Billy rushed over to the stand of trees bordering Walter’s backyard.

“Hi, Billy.”

It was Alyssa.

“What’re you guys doing?”

Billy wasn’t sure what to tell her, exactly. “Uh, getting ready to toast some marshmallows.”

“How come you’re not camping with Walter?”

“What?”

“Walter told Mom that you guys were spending the night out on the island. He packed up his sleeping bag and everything.”

Billy looked toward the island.

What was Walter trying to do?

“When did he leave?”

“About an hour ago. Right after you went home. He took our canoe.”

Billy’s mind raced.

Walter could get in serious trouble all by himself on the island.

Especially at night.

Especially if the giant climbed back down the beanstalk—not to mention that an alien lizard from an extremely violent video game was hopping around spritzing everything it could find with hydrochloric acid.

“Billy?”

“What?”

“Tell Walter to bring back my library book.”

“Huh?”

“
Jack and the Beanstalk.
He took that out to the island, too.”

Billy snatched a couple of twigs off the ground.

He had to get back to the island, fast.

It was time to wrap up the family cookout, even if that meant sitting down and talking with his dad.

“You know what?” he said. “I’m stuffed. Here’s some sticks. You guys can toast marshmallows without me. What do you want to talk about, Dad?”

His mom dropped her head and walked away.

His dad got that queasy face again. He scooted two lawn chairs around on the grass so they were facing each other. Billy sat down. His father took a seat and put on his serious grown-up face.

“Son, as you may have noticed, your mom and I …”

“BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,” was all Billy heard for the next five, maybe ten, minutes.

Finally, his father finished. “We just think it’ll be best for everybody.”

“So when are you leaving?” Billy asked. “Right now?”

“No. I’m going to spend the night. Sleep in the living room.”

Billy just nodded.

“Well, I’m glad we could have this talk.”

Grown-ups always said that.

Apparently, talking made them feel better, even when the same talk made a kid feel worse.

“Can I be excused now?” Billy asked, the way he would if they were at the dinner table back home.

“Oh. Sure. Guess you need some time to think about all this, huh?”

“Yeah.”

The sun was starting to set.

Night was falling.

Walter was all alone on the island.

Well, actually, he
wasn’t
alone.

And that was the problem.

Billy hurried down to the dock.

“Where are you going, hon?” his mom called from the back porch.

“Out to the island.”

“It’s getting dark.”

“I’ll be okay. My new iPhone has a flashlight app.”

“Okay. Be sure to wear—”

Billy held up his life jacket before she could say it.

His mom hugged herself like she was cold, and headed back into the cabin.

Billy docked at the island just as the sun set.

When he reached the field on the far side of the gate, he saw Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Hercules, Tom Sawyer, and Pollyanna. All of them were sitting on logs set up
in a semicircle, and they were staring at something on the ground.

Billy flicked on his flashlight app and waved his iPhone.

“You guys? It’s me. Have any of you seen Walter?”

“Yes,” said Hercules. “As soon as Pollyanna told us that Walter was alone on the island, we came rushing back.”

“And,” said Robin, “we were most surprised to learn that thou, Sir William, were not here assisting valiant Walter in his noble quest.”

“Robin?” said Maid Marian, shaking her head. “Leave Billy be.”

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Billy. “I had this thing. With my parents. So, where is he?”

“In trouble,” said Hercules.

“Why? What’d he do?”

“He read a book,” said Tom Sawyer. “All about that beanstalk fellow, Jack.”

“It was a good story,” said Hercules. “Action. Adventure. Glory.”

“I was glad to hear it,” added Pollyanna.

“And, verily,” said Robin Hood, “Walter did read that story straight through to its conclusion, whereupon the giant did tumble from the clouds.”

“Walter proved himself to be a most courageous giant slayer,” said Maid Marian proudly. “The most courageous I e’er did see.”

Billy was relieved. “Walter slayed the giant?”

“Aye,” said Maid Marian. “Quite handily.”

Billy had to grin. Walter had finally found something he was excellent at: slaying giants.

“Jack and his mother got them that goose what lays the golden eggs,” said Tom.

“And,” said Maid Marian, “that didst upset the leaping lizard mightily.”

Billy swallowed hard. “Was this lizard dressed all in silver?”

“Aye,” said Robin.

“By and by,” said Tom, “this here silvery lizard fellow comes hopping along, hissing and spitting mad.”

“He was upset about the eggs,” said Hercules. “Blamed Walter.”

“Swore each of those golden orbs to be worth one million points, whatever a ‘point’ might be,” added Robin Hood.

“So then what happened?” Billy asked.

“He captured Walter,” said Pollyanna.

“Put him in a pointy-tipped prison on stilts with smoke pouring out of its bottom,” added Hercules.

“I reckon it was a rocket ship,” said Tom. “I seen one once in a book by that feller Jules Verne.”

“We strove to free young Walter from the clutches of the beast,” said Maid Marian. “But alas, the demon didst pour forth from its weapon a stream of molten acid so fierce none of us dared cross it.”

“There was nothing any of us couldst do,” said Robin.

Billy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The Space Lizard had captured Walter.

He had him locked up in the Galaxy Blaster.

Billy looked at the ground and finally realized what everybody had been staring at.

Walter’s bright red asthma inhaler.