Hearing the Beans approach, Lefty sat up upon the beach, using his hands to prop himself into a mostly vertical position. He waved to them, exuberant in the safe return of his friends, and he whooped for joy at the top of his lungs.
Being swift of foot and determined in purpose, Nibbler was the first to reach Lefty. Without slowing in the slightest, the rambunctious dog maintained his top speed. Nibbler collided with Lefty like a furry cannonball, tumbling into what became an animated pile of scientist limbs and Labradoodle appendages.
At the impact, Murphy was thrown from his place atop Nibbler’s back. The squirrel squeaked in surprise, but he quickly extended his arms and safely glided to the sand.
Nibbler immediately began kissing Lefty, poking him with his snout, and woofing into his face at close proximity. His tail became a blur of apricot-colored fur as it wagged with force from side to side, causing his entire body to sway.
Lefty laughed in reaction, delighted with this greeting, which left no doubt as to the dog’s happiness. He ran his hands through Nibbler’s furry coat, vigorously scratching him behind the ears and telling him that he was a good dog. Murphy joined the fray, jumping up and down and patting Lefty, delighted to be back with his old friend.
A moment later, the boys caught up, joining the joyful reunion. They dropped to their knees in the sand, embracing Lefty, and the group of them formed a great, big hug consisting of humans and animals alike.
“I’m so happy you’re back! When that storm broke out on the other side of the island, I feared you might have been caught in it. I’ve never seen such lightning... but I knew if anybody could pull through, it was the four of you,” Lefty said, his voice filled with relief.
“You were wise to rely on us, sir,” Neil said. “I mean, sure, you really had no choice in the matter, but still, you had to know we wouldn’t let you down, right?”
“Of course! But tell me...” Lefty leaned closer, his eyes intent behind the sandy lenses of his glasses. “Did you really manage to find Noodles’ noggin?”
“There’s no way we were going to come back here empty handed. But you aren’t going to believe what we had to go through to get it back,” Jack told his uncle.
Neil had placed the robotic head on the sand when he had dived into the group hug. Now, he turned around and retrieved it, gingerly handing it to Lefty, who received it with gratitude. Nibbler stood back, so as not to knock the head from Lefty’s hands, panting to catch his breath. The Beans watched in silence and nervous anticipation, awaiting Lefty’s analysis.
“Ah,” Lefty murmured as he turned the metallic sphere about in his hands. “Uh-huh... I see... and this... yes, just as I thought...”
Though Noodles’ noggin didn’t look particularly bad, all things considered, the boys were terrified that Lefty would announce that some sort of critical damage had been inflicted. These moments of examination, though surely only seconds in duration, seemed to be of an unendurable length to the boys. Time passed in a slow agony. They held their breath, wringing their hands in worry.
“I think...” Lefty said slowly, “he’s going to be okay!”
Neil sighed, Jack pumped his fist, Nibbler woofed, and Murphy squeaked. So great was their relief, they felt lightheaded with joy and dizzy with happiness.
“Now to get down to the business at hand,” Lefty said.
He turned to Noodles’ body, which was lying on the sand right beside him. With a surprisingly simple series of maneuvers, Lefty reattached the robot’s head to his neck, securing it with a few twists and latches.
“I suppose I’ll have to develop a more complicated process for keeping these parts attached,” Lefty said, glancing up at the boys. “Just in case we ever find ourselves in such peril again - which seems rather likely, given our aptitude for adventure. Now, if you two would be so kind, please assist me in rolling Noodles onto his stomach so that I can reach his access panel.”
Jack and Neil were eager to help, and they quickly turned the lanky robot over. There was a rectangular access panel set into Noodles’ back, and Lefty popped it open with a well practiced motion.
Inside, the Beans could see a small, rectangular power cell, which was glowing with a blinding intensity. Lefty squinted his eyes against the light and reached inside. Murmuring to himself, he pressed a few buttons, flipped a couple of switches, closed the panel, and pronounced himself done.
“That should do it!” he exclaimed with satisfaction, leaning away from Noodles.
The Beans watched, ready to embrace the robot and welcome him back. But nothing happened. The seconds stretched out, but Noodles remained still.
“What’s wrong?” asked Jack nervously.
Lefty’s face had fallen, and his brow furrowed in concentration. “I don’t understand... I performed a hard reset, resulting in a system reboot and hardware calibration. That should have done it!”
“Not to worry, I think I know what to do,” Neil declared. “This is how my parents say they used to fix televisions in the olden days.”
Reaching forward, he gave Noodles a light tap on the back with the palm of his hand. The others watched with hopeful expectation, but nothing happened. Undiscouraged, Neil repeated the action, this time with more force. When his palm struck Noodles’ back, it made a solid sound. Thwump!
The final jostle must have done the trick, for Noodles sprang to life in a flurry of activity. Leaping from the sand, he spun about in several tight circles, beeping and booping as he did so. His noodly arms and legs went this way and that in a wild display of slinky-like appendages. Following this powerful outburst, he fell to the sand, taking a seat.
The others were delighted with the return of their robotic friend, and they were leaping for joy. Only Lefty remained seated, due to his injured knee, but he clapped his hands and cheered victoriously.
“Welcome back, Noodles, my friend! I told them you were built to last, and so you are!” Lefty exclaimed.
Noodles rotated his head to look at his gathered friends, and he waved in greeting. His eyes were bright and blue, and his antennae ears were swiveling about. He reached his hands up and carefully felt his own head, as if sensing that something was a bit different with his noggin. Overall, however, he seemed to be none the worse for wear, despite his uncanny trials.
He formed the “okay” gesture with the thumb and index finger of one hand, signaling to the others that he was all right. Then, he gave a curious beep, sat up straight, and pointed out to sea.
The others followed the direction of Noodles’ finger, and they collectively gasped at what they saw. There, bobbing among the waves, was a beautiful wooden ship.
It was headed away from the island, cutting through the water and pointed toward the open sea. Its black sails were raised, and upon them there was a curious crest: The outline of a giant crab, embroidered in white for high contrast.
“I don’t believe it,” Jack whispered.
“He made it out of the cavern! I thought he was a goner for sure!” Neil exclaimed.
“Who?” Lefty asked.
“That’s the ship of Hickory Stick Bill - but you know him as the keeper of the island,” Jack explained.
“Hmm... Hickory Stick Bill, you say?” Lefty asked, tapping his chin. “I’d imagine I have a lot of catching up to do, don’t I?”
“Oh, that’s for sure. But I have to warn you, Uncle Lefty... some of the stuff we’re going to tell you is pretty unbelievable,” Jack said with a grin.
Lefty leaned forward, eager to hear more. Possessed of a most inquisitive mind, his curiosity was driving him crazy. “Now, then - while Noodles sends a distress signal in order to get us a rescue ship, why don’t you two fill me in on what you’ve been up to. What exactly did you encounter, out there in the wilderness of Smuttynose Island? What happened?”
“It’s like I said, Uncle Lefty.” Jack looked to Neil, and they shared a smile, reflecting upon their marvelous adventure, all of which had begun with the experience of their shipwreck. Since that time, they had b
een thrown into a raging river, narrowly avoiding a plummet from the edge of a waterfall. They had dodged the wrath of a dragon and a freakishly large crab as they had battled like warring titans. They had explored a pirate’s lair, and been forced to escape when it had been reduced to rubble. And most amazing of all, they had come face to face with a descendant of Black Beard… and even helped him keep his melon from detonating. “You are not gonna believe it.”
***
Dear Reader,
Thank you for adventuring in the world of the Green Beans. I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a brief customer review at the website of the retailer where you acquired it. As an independent author, customer reviews are very important for building a readership, and I greatly appreciate your feedback. Thanks for your support, and I’m looking forward to our next adventure with the Beans!
-Gabriel Gadget
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 30
