“Uh, yes… well, that is problematic,” Lefty admitted. “But it must be somewhere around here, don’t you think? It couldn’t have flown that far off when he crashed onto these rocks.”
Neil, Nibbler, and Murphy joined the search, scanning the beach for Noodles’ detached cranium. The Labradoodle pressed his snout to the earth, sniffing this way and that for clues. Within short order, his magnificently reliable nose once more came through for the task at hand. He began woofing, drawing the attention of the boys and the squirrel.
They all hustled over to where Nibbler stood, wagging his tail, barking, and pointing with his snout. He danced in excitement, drawing their attention to what was clearly a series of footprints, outlined in the sand. The footprints began very near the spot where Noodles lay, and then proceeded inland, toward the forest at the center of the island.
Neil hunkered down on one knee and rubbed at his chin in thought. “A classic clue, eh? But these are some awfully weird looking footprints… They seem to be staggered in a strange formation, and then there’s this circular indentation, which keeps repeating in the sand. The plot thickens…”
“Good work, boy!” Jack told Nibbler, scratching him behind the ears.
“Hmmm… looks like somebody was down here earlier, and then they went off that way…” Neil said, pointing toward the woods. “You don’t suppose…”
“That crazy guy!” Jack exclaimed. “The guy who calls himself the keeper! Remember, he had that sack he was hauling over one shoulder?”
“Yeah, and it looked like there was a big bowling ball inside of it,” Neil said. “But that wasn’t a bowling ball, was it? It was Noodles’ noggin!”
Jack sputtered in exasperation. “What kind of lunatic runs off with somebody’s head?”
“That’s a very good question,” Lefty said.
“I should have known something was up. Remember when I mentioned that we might be able to call for help with our robot?” asked Jack.
“Yeah, I remember. Most people would have been taken aback by that kind of declaration… I mean, who the heck sails the seas with a robot on deck? Pretty much nobody, I’d bet. But the keeper didn’t seem startled in the slightest. Because he already knew we had a robot,” Neil said. “He had already been down to the beach, seen that Noodles’ head had come flying off on impact, and scooped it up.”
“Like it was some kind of deranged treasure… What kind of lunatic runs off with somebody’s head?” Jack asked again in bewilderment. “This guy must be completely bonkers. Just our luck. One of these days, I would love to run into a reasonably sane adult.”
“He must have been driven mad by too many days - check that, too many years - on this empty island,” Neil said, sadly shaking his head. “He went out of his gourd, you might say.”
“Don’t forget, boys, that potentially makes this keeper very dangerous, as well,” Lefty pointed out. “We have no idea what’s going on inside that mind of his, nor do we have any notion of what he’s truly capable of. But one thing is for sure - we must retrieve Noodles’ head!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get his noggin back,” Jack assured his uncle.
“Without it, there’s no way I can restore Noodles, and though he won’t exactly be dead, he will be lost to us, for all intents and purposes… and I couldn’t bear the thought of being without my break-dancing friend. What’s more, we’ll have no way to call for a rescue - and we’ll be just as stranded on this island as that deranged keeper is.”
“Ahh….” Neil said, rubbing his hands together. He was utterly undaunted by the task at hand. On the contrary, he was quite looking forward to it. “An adventure is underfoot! Boy, this is great, isn’t it? Shipwrecked, beset by danger and obstacle, sent on a quest… except for Noodles losing his noggin, of course. I mean, that part’s no good. But we’ll get it back, and then Lefty can fix him right up!”
Nibbler stood on his hind legs, infected by Neil’s excitement, loosing an enthusiastic woof as he did so.
“That’s right, Nibbler, you’re coming with us,” Neil said, catching his forepaws and commencing a brief jig. “We’ll surely need the stupendous abilities of your snout, not to mention your unrivaled bravery!”
Murphy squeaked in excitement, jumping about the sand. He clearly did not want to miss out on the action. With astounding agility, he scrambled up Jack’s pant leg, climbed his torso, ran across his shoulders, and then leaped into the air.
Gauging his leap just right, he landed atop Nibbler’s back, where he grabbed fistfuls of curly fur for purchase. Nibbler glanced back, giving the flying squirrel an affectionate, slobbery kiss, which nearly sent the rodent flying.
“Would you like for one of us to stay with you, Uncle Lefty?” asked Jack.
“Not at all, m’boy. I’ll be fine, and I’ll stay here to keep an eye on Noodles. Somebody needs to watch over him, in case that crazy keeper comes back and decides he might want to steal some more parts.”
“Okay… if you’re sure you’ll be fine,” Neil said.
“Of course!” Lefty exclaimed. “You know, I was about due for a day off, anyway. What better way to spend it than relaxing on the beach, cut off from all the technology that surrounds me day and night?”
The boys lifted Lefty and arranged him so that he was lying in a comfortable position, with his head propped up on Noodles’ torso, using his life jacket for a pillow. He was facing the ocean so that he could look out toward the water and watch the soothing, rhythmic action of the waves.
Neil found a piece of an old ship’s hull, and he propped it in the sand so that it provided Lefty with ample shade. Jack, meanwhile, had spotted their cooler some distance down the beach, and he ran to retrieve it.
Miraculously, it had survived the crash intact, even as it had been flung across the rocks and sand. Within, there were several bottles of water and snacks. Jack left plenty of water with his uncle to ensure his continued hydration, since it was impossible to predict how long they would be gone for.
Meanwhile, Neil gratefully guzzled down the water, quenching his thirst and soothing his sandy throat. He carefully poured some into the mouths of Nibbler and Murphy, and the critters eagerly drank. Granola bars, mixed nuts, and apples were also distributed among the group, along with some Southpaw Snickerdoodle cookies (which were Murphy’s personal favorite, and a treasured recipe of the O’Houlihan family).
“Okay, boys, that’s enough pampering. I’ll be fine, I tell you,” Lefty said. “Now, your mission begins. I’m no good with this injured knee, so it’s up to you… There’s no time to waste, for that thieving maniac has a good head start on you. Noodles has stood by all of us in the past, and now it’s time for you to return the favor… you have to save his noggin!”
Chapter Thirteen
Into the Forest
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 12
