by Brett Lee
‘Wow, a hammering!’ Jay said.
‘A pasting!’
‘A shellacking!’
‘Yes. As I said, a comfortable win. One piece of news though—the Scorpions’ opening bowler has broken down and won’t be playing for the rest of the season.’
There were a few low whistles at that little bombshell. I’d heard that one of their bowlers was playing senior cricket in the afternoons. Maybe he was bowling too much.
‘And our nearest rival, Motherwell State, beat TCC. I’m not sure of the scores, I just know the result.’
A few kids started chatting, but Mr Pasquali broke it up. We were soon toiling away in the nets. I noticed Mr Pasquali take Scott into the far net for some batting coaching. Scott was lunging forwards and blocking each ball thrown at him by Mr Pasquali, who was standing about five metres away from him. Maybe he was teaching him about defensive strokes.
Jay and I were bowling to Jimbo. He was being very polite, gently stroking our deliveries back to us or just occasionally letting them go through.
‘He should be smacking us all over the place,’ Jay said as he walked back to his mark. Jay was a good player, but he didn’t really star as a batter or a bowler. He wasn’t as passionate about it as a few of us were.
‘Anyway, when’s it my turn?’ he asked me. He ran past and bowled a full toss at Jimbo, who punched it gently back to him. Jay fumbled the ball and I picked it up.
‘Your turn for what?’
‘You know. The Wisden thing. I reckon everyone else has been, haven’t they?’
Jay was right. He had a right to go, especially as he was one of the group, and now Georgie, as well as Rahul and Jimbo, had gone.
‘I thought you didn’t believe in all that stuff,’ I said, running in to bowl. It wasn’t a bad delivery, moving away, but just a little wide and Jimbo let it go.
‘Nice, Toby!’ he called, scooping the ball up and tossing it back.
‘Jimbo, have a dip!’ I yelled to him.
‘You reckon?’
‘I reckon.’
Jimbo smashed and crashed the ball into and over the nets for the next five minutes until Mr Pasquali put a stop to it by calling time.
‘Was that fun?’ I grinned at him as he strolled past a moment later.
‘Heck, yeah,’ he replied, taking off his helmet.
Jay and I threw a few low catches to each other while we waited for Cameron to face.
‘Well, I’ve thought about it a bit and I’m willing to give it a go,’ Jay said, scooping up a neat one-hander centimetres from the grass.
‘Jay, that’s hardly the point. I’m the one who’ll decide whether or not I take you. Or anyone else,’ I added. ‘You haven’t said anything to anyone, have you?’
‘Course not,’ he said indignantly, throwing the ball hard at my shins. I caught it in the ends of my fingers. ‘Trust me.’
We worked for an hour and a half in the nets, but the Esky of cold drinks Mr P had organised for us afterwards made up for it. Meanwhile, an idea had been forming in my head. There was a catch, but I thought we could overcome it. I kept the plan to myself for now.
By six o’clock everyone had arrived for my birthday. We played a bit of backyard cricket, with Dad insisting that any shots into the studio building site were out, no questions asked. It cut down on offside play, but we adapted well enough.
After dinner we went upstairs to my room—Rahul, Georgie, Jay, Jimbo and me. Nat followed us.
‘Hey, Nat. We’re gonna come back down soon. Can you set up for corridor cricket? We’re going to play a Test match,’ I explained.
‘Me too?’
‘Of course. You’re opening the bowling!’
‘Cool.’ But she kept on following us.
‘Nat?’
‘I’m coming in to get all your socks.’
She gathered up an armful, dropped a few, which Jimbo picked up for her, and finally left us.
‘I’ve got a plan, but first I want to tell you something,’ I said to the others.
I spent the next 10 minutes explaining everything I could about Jim, the Wisdens, the weird hooded figure and the guy with glasses Georgie and I had encountered the day before at the MCG. No one interrupted. Although I’d told them some of it before, in the library with Jim, I didn’t think anyone knew just how monumental this whole time travel thing was.
‘I just reckoned it was time for all of you to know everything. That way you might be able to help me out.’
‘The gift mightn’t last forever, Toby. We’ve got to take advantage of it now,’ Rahul insisted.
‘I mightn’t last forever, you mean! There’s a disgusting creepy figure after me and now the guy in the library with the glasses—’
‘We don’t know about him,’ interrupted Georgie. ‘He’s probably harmless enough.’
‘How do you know that?’ I asked.
‘Well, he hasn’t pulled a knife on us or anything, has he? Anyway, what’s your plan?’
They all looked at me eagerly.
‘Hang on.’ I raced out and came back a moment later with the 2001 Wisden, which Dad had left on his bedside table.
‘Beauty,’ Jimbo breathed as I settled down on the carpet. The others quickly joined me, Jay looking expectantly at me.
‘All of us?’ Rahul asked.
‘Why not?’
‘Toby, isn’t that a bit risky?’ said Georgie.
‘Well, I could just take Jay and you guys could cover for me.’
Rahul looked at Georgie and smiled. ‘Let’s give it a shot, eh?’ he suggested.
‘Ten or 15 minutes, tops. No more!’ Jimbo added.
‘Let’s do it!’ Georgie said, grabbing my hand. Jimbo raised his eyebrows.
‘Travel, you idiot!’ she retorted.
I got up and closed the door.
We linked arms in a circle on the floor. I laid the book open in front of me.
‘What does it say, Jimbo?’ I asked. ‘Just read a few words.’
‘Hobart, November 18, 19—’
‘Yep. Get to the bit about Langer and Gilchrist. Their partnership.’
‘Okay, got it. They had been on the ropes at 126 for five, but Langer and Gilchrist—’
‘Okay. Where does it say 126?’ I asked. ‘Point at it.’ This help was making it all happen much quicker. I followed Jimbo’s finger into the swirl. It was on the left-hand side. The top of the page was a mess. I’d never seen anything like it. I stayed focused on the writing.
‘What’s up the top?’ I whispered as the number ‘1’ appeared.
‘A picture of them both. Gilchrist pumping the air with his fist.’
‘Can’t he see it?’ Jay said. But their voices were like echoes now as the letters and numbers gathered and finally settled.
‘Got it,’ I breathed. I concentrated on the score. The whooshing sound rose up from nowhere and spread over me. I tried to keep my eyes open but I saw nothing but blackness.
‘Toby?’
‘Nat!’ I swung around. Nat was standing at the door, looking shocked.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Um, we’re—’
‘Playing truth or dare,’ said Georgie. ‘You want to play?’
‘No way. What about corridor cricket? It’s all ready.’
‘Yep, 15 minutes, okay?’ My head was thumping.
‘Yeah, and don’t come back ’cos Rahul might have his pants down,’ Jay called out for good measure.
‘You okay, Toby?’ Jimbo asked.
I rubbed the side of my head. ‘Yep. You guys?’ I asked, looking around. Everyone nodded. Maybe they hadn’t been pulled back halfway through.
‘Okay, point again, Jimbo.’
It didn’t take long at all. One moment we were sitting there in my bedroom, the next we were bundled into two rows of white seats in a big stand off to one side of the ground. A few people sat scattered about but it wasn’t a big crowd.
‘Oh, my God,’ Jay gasped, picking himself up. He�
��d landed on his back and tumbled into the back of the seat below him.
‘Oh, my God!’ he said again, looking around. I grinned at Georgie. She was still holding my hand.
‘Toby, you are the best, man. The best!’
‘Let’s just watch the cricket a bit, hey?’ Jimbo said, settling himself in. Australia were 5 for 312 and a spin bowler was about to bowl to Gilchrist. He pushed it out to mid-on. He did the same with the next ball, and then he drove the next through the off side for four.
‘Nice!’ I said, turning to look at the others. Except for Jay, they were all concentrating on the cricket. Jay just sat there with his jaw slack and his eyes bulging. I guessed he would settle soon.
There was another burst of applause as Gilchrist belted another four through the off side.
‘How many do they need?’ Jimbo asked.
‘I think it was 369,’ I said.
‘Geez, not far to go then.’
Gilchrist hit a single off the last ball of the over.
‘Nope. Forty-eight’ll do it.’
I turned around to see what Jay was doing.
‘Oh, no! Jay!’ I shouted. He was talking to a kid a few rows away. ‘Jay!’ I yelled louder, racing over to him.
‘Toby, this is Jason. I’ve just been asking him who he reckons will win the Grand Final next year.’
‘Come on, Jay.’ I grabbed his arm hard and pulled him away. Jason was looking a bit bewildered.
‘Idiot!’ I hissed into Jay’s ear. ‘You can’t do that sort of stuff. You’ve just got to sit here, shut up and watch. That’s the point. This gift is for people who like cricket. Remind me to make you read the poem when we get back, okay?’
I was really angry and Jay looked shocked at my outburst.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘You can let go of me now. I’m not going to run away.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Jay, this is serious, man. Big time. If I take you, you can’t stuff up on me…’
‘What?’ Jay said.
‘Oh, God!’
‘What?’ he repeated.
‘Don’t turn round. C’mon!’ I grabbed his arm as he turned to look at what I’d just seen. I pulled him back to the others. The hooded figure stood tall and silent, only six or seven rows down from us. It wasn’t moving, which somehow made it even more sinister.
‘Grab on, quick!’ I yelled, clutching at Georgie and saying words from the poem at the same time. ‘Rahul, hurry!’ He and Jimbo both grabbed for my hand.
‘Then find yourself a quiet place…’
Now the figure was moving towards us.
‘Wh-what is it?’ Jay gasped.
‘Hold on!’ Jimbo screamed at him.
‘Where shadows lurk—’
As the last word left my lips, Georgie screamed and was yanked away from me.
‘Hold on, Georgie!’ I shouted, clutching for her hand. I leaned over, crashing my other hand down on the figure’s bony arm. There was a cracking sound, a hissing, then silence.
From miles away I heard someone clapping. Why was everyone in the crowd so oblivious to what was happening? Why weren’t they rushing towards us? I raced through the two lines as quickly as I could:
‘Then find yourself a quiet place
Where shadows lurk, to hide your trace.’
10 Surprise Visitors
WE fell in a bundle onto the carpet in my bedroom. At once we jumped up, expecting the hooded figure to be on top of us, but he wasn’t there. Four frightened faces looked at me.
‘I can explain,’ I gasped, getting up to sit on the bed.
‘Th-that was h-him?’ Jay stuttered. ‘Why didn’t anyone h-help us?’
‘No one can see him. You only see him if you are travelling.’
‘But someone must have seen us disappear?’ Rahul insisted.
‘Maybe—’
‘Toby?’ It was Mum.
‘Coming, Mum.’ I got up and opened the door.
‘Is everything all right? Where have you been?’
‘What do you mean?’ I said, pretending innocence.
‘Well, Scott Craven’s here and I told him—’
‘Scott Craven?’ I gasped.
‘Yes,’ Mum said, looking surprised. ‘I sent him up, but he said no one was in here.’ She looked at the others.
‘We were playing—um, hide and seek, Mrs Jones,’ Georgie mumbled. Rahul was looking at his feet. ‘Very cleverly too, I might add,’ Georgie said, nodding her head. ‘Right, guys?’
We all nodded.
‘You’d never have found me,’ Jay piped up.
‘Well. That’s great. Now come down and say hello. There’s a man with Scott and I think they’re doing a very nice thing.’
I had no idea what Mum was talking about, and by the look of the others, neither did they.
‘Toby?’ Nat said, tossing a sock in the air.
‘In a minute, all right!’ I snapped. It was like I’d slapped her. Her bottom lip quivered. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Nat,’ I said, holding my hand out for the sock.
‘Come here, Nat.’ Georgie grabbed her hand. ‘You and me against the boys, okay? We’ll kill ’em.’
I got the shock of my life when I walked into the living room. Scott Craven really was standing there.
‘Scott! Hi,’ I said. ‘Um, sorry we missed you upstairs. We were…’ I didn’t finish the sentence. I sensed Georgie stiffen beside me and I looked to the kitchen door.
Dad and Phillip Smale came into the room. My face must have gone white. I felt my hands become sweaty. Georgie’s hand brushed mine, but she didn’t take it.
Dad and Smale were both laughing at something Smale had said.
Mr Smale looked over to us. ‘Hello again, Toby,’ he said. ‘And how’s your girlfriend now?’ Georgie gave him a dirty look.
‘Ah, the disappearing five return,’ Dad exclaimed heartily. ‘Where on earth did you get to?’
‘They were playing hide and seek,’ Mum said. I saw Scott snigger. Yeah, and we were too smart for you to find us, I thought.
‘Scott probably did see us,’ I said suddenly. ‘He couldn’t be that blind.’
I looked at him. He seemed about to say something, then clearly thought better of it. My heart sank. I sensed he knew something was going on. Maybe he’d seen us come back, or leave. And the open Wisden on the floor of the room—what would he make of that?
‘Well, never mind,’ Dad said. ‘Scott has some news for you all. He’s already spoken to Mr Pasquali. This is Mr Smale. He’s the manager of the Scorpions team.’
This was too much.
‘The Scorpions?’ I said, before I could stop myself. ‘But you work in the library!’ My mind was racing. ‘Scorpions!’ I said again, looking from Scott to Smale.
‘Now, steady on, young feller,’ Smale said. ‘You’ve probably heard we’ve lost our strike bowler, Greg Mackie, but I think Scott will more than adequately fill his shoes.’ He looked over at him. ‘Scott?’
‘Yeah, well…’ Scott stopped for a moment and looked at Smale, who was standing next to him. ‘Phillip reckoned I should come over and tell the team members personally, and since you were having your party here, I thought I’d get most of you in one hit.’
No one said anything, though I saw Georgie mouth the word, ‘Phillip’. Why would Scott be calling Smale Phillip?
‘It’s not till the finals. We’ve got to organise the transfer and clearance,’ Mr Smale added. He was wearing a dark blue sports jacket with his glasses tucked neatly into the top pocket. He avoided all eye contact with me, spending his time looking at Scott or Jimbo.
You’re not taking him as well, I thought, suddenly having the awful thought that he’d got his eye on Jimbo too.
‘Well, then,’ said Mr Smale. ‘We’d best go. Thanks, Peter, for allowing us to talk to the team, and I’m sorry to intrude. But I do feel it was the right thing to do, don’t you?’
I didn’t hear Dad’s reply. Mum and Nat followed them out. The rest of us sat down on the couches.
&n
bsp; ‘You look really bummed off with the news,’ Jay said to me. ‘I reckon it’s great. We don’t need him on the team.’
‘Jay, we do,’ I said.
‘We’ve got Jimbo as a newy and Martian is set to return. We’re okay,’ Jay continued cheerfully. ‘Now, what say we head back to—’
‘No!’ we all said together.
Rahul was thinking it through. ‘Okay. Down side? We lose one of our top three batters and probably our best bowler. Up side?’ He paused.
‘We’re waiting,’ said Jay.
‘Up side: we’ll be a happier team, and maybe play more as a team.’
‘I agree,’ Jimbo said. ‘That catch he dropped on Saturday from your bowling, Toby—I reckon it was spite, to stop you getting a hat trick. He never drops catches.’
The thought had crossed my mind a few times.
‘Well, it’s done now,’ Georgie muttered. ‘Come on. We owe Nat a game of corridor cricket.’
Thursday—afternoon
‘Can we talk, Toby?’
‘Hey, Rahul.’ I thought I knew what was coming.
‘I was thinking about India and my brother. I think we should maybe try once more.’
‘Rahul, no way—’
‘This time you would be in charge, totally.’
‘I was in charge last time and look what happened! You left me for dead in that whacky hospital and went looking for your family. It was a disaster!’
‘Toby, I saw my brother. How can that be a disaster?’
‘Rahul! As soon as we got to Chennai you changed. It was like some force had taken you over. You were out of control. It was crazy. We were lucky to get away with it.’ I held his gaze. ‘Listen, I know what you want to do. But the chances of getting back to the right time to save your brother are remote. There’s probably not a game in Wisden near enough in time—’
‘Ah, well, I have—’
‘Nor in space,’ I added. ‘And anyway, that’s not the main reason. You can’t change things that have happened. The poem, Rahul—remember?
‘But every word that boasts ahead
