by Gary Paulsen
CHAPTER 5
Andy was up early the next morning. He gobbled down the cereal and fruit Henry had waiting for him in the kitchen and ran to the elevator.
He found his grandfather already hard at work in the laboratory. Andrew Hawkes pointed to a white lab coat and goggles and Andy slipped them on. Then he watched as the older man carefully poured a green liquid with shiny gold flakes in it into a glass test tube. “There. I think I’ve finally found it. We’ll do the other tests later, but I’m pretty sure that’s it.”
Andy bent down and inspected the tube. The liquid was bubbling and a strange blue smoke rose from the top of the tube. The contents acted as if they had a life of their own. “What is that?”
“That, my dear boy, is what people have been searching for since time began. It is the Fountain of Youth.” The old man took a hypodermic syringe and filled it carefully from the test tube. “Shortly I shall use myself as the first subject.”
Andy raised one eyebrow. “I don’t see a fountain.”
“It’s a figure of speech, son.” Andy’s grandfather carefully placed the full hypodermic on a paper towel on the table and turned to Andy. “What I think I have here is an elixir that will fade wrinkles, grow hair, and generally make an old person feel young and energetic.”
Andy shrugged. “So it’s something for the cosmetic counters in department stores?”
Andrew Hawkes rubbed his temple. “I can see I’m going to have to show you something really amazing if I’m ever going to impress you with my scientific abilities.” He moved to a cabinet and pulled out a canvas harness with a small rocket pack attached. “Try this on for size.”
“What is it?” Andy put his arms through the openings while his grandfather fastened it in front.
“This is the world’s smallest rocket booster. It runs on a tiny plutonium battery. It will never wear out. My company has been trying to convince the army to try it, but so far they’ve only seen it represented on paper and they think it’s impossible. They won’t even watch a test of it.”
“How does it work?” Andy asked, intrigued.
“Press the button on the shoulder of the harness. Then move your arms, as though they were wings. Try it.”
Andy took a deep breath and gingerly touched the black button. There was a tiny explosion inside the rocket and he felt himself being lifted off the ground.
“Hey, this is cool!” he exclaimed, floating a few feet off the ground.
“You better move your arms or you’re going to hit the ceiling,” Andrew Hawkes warned.
“Right.” Andy started flapping his elbows and awkwardly jerked forward. “This is so great. It really works!” He rolled over and did the backstroke. Then he tried a couple of flips.
“Be careful, Andy. Some of the things in the laboratory are irreplaceable.”
“How do I get back down?”
“Push the button again. Put your arms out and float to the floor.”
Andy landed near a bookshelf. “That was incredible. Can I take it outside later?”
His grandfather smiled. “We’ll see. I’m glad I finally found something that interests you. But you have to remember that the things we work on in here must remain secret. And speaking of secrets, I need to show you something.” Andy’s grandfather moved to the bookshelf. “From now on I’d rather you didn’t take the elevator to get here. If the gardener or someone noticed that you were constantly stopping on the fourth floor, they might get suspicious. No one is allowed up here but you, Henry, and me.”
“You want me to take the stairs?” Andy unbuckled the harness.
“No.” Andrew pulled a thick book titled War and Peace from the shelf. The bookshelf turned sideways to expose a passageway.
Andy peered in excitedly. “Where does it go?”
“There are several passages. After lunch you can explore them if you like. And if you’re very careful, you can take the rocket booster to the woods and see what it can really do.”
“Thanks, Grandfather.” Andy put the harness back in the cabinet. “Grandfather?”
Andrew Hawkes was already back at the table, studying the syringe full of green liquid. “Yes?”
“Thanks for letting me stay here and be a part of everything. I guess I kind of understand now why you had to stay away from us before.”
His grandfather smiled. “Believe me, having you here is truly my pleasure, Andy.”
CHAPTER 6
“Where are you going, Henry?” Andy followed the servant out of the study. “Want to watch me test-drive Grandfather’s rocket booster?” He held up his bulky gym bag. “I’m taking it out behind the house to the woods where no one will see me.”
“Thank you for inviting me, sir. But I’m afraid I must wait for the cleaning service to arrive. I have some instructions for them about the drapes in the dining room. Last week they were very lax and I may have to fire them if things don’t improve.”
“Sounds like fun. Oh well, maybe you can come next time.”
Andy hurried down the long hall to the back of the mansion. He stepped outside onto an enclosed patio just as a white panel truck with BUSY BEE JANITORIAL printed across the side pulled up in the service driveway.
He decided to wait until the cleaners were gone to try out the booster. He hid the bag behind a potted plant and went down the steps.
He heard voices from behind the truck.
“Now remember what the boss said, Ralph. Try to get the old kook to volunteer the information. The boss don’t want no shooting unless we have to. But if it comes to it, we’re supposed to make it look like an accident.”
Andy froze. He heard the back door of the truck slam shut. He crept around by the front bumper and watched the men carry a vacuum to the front door. He couldn’t think what to do, wasn’t sure if he’d really heard what he thought he had heard. He shook his head. Henry. I have to warn Henry.
The two men stopped on the steps and rang the bell. Henry came to the door and Andy opened his mouth to yell, but stopped. If I yell now, he thought, they’ll just take care of Henry and go ahead with their plan.
Andy crept to the other side of the truck as the door closed and the men went inside. These men were going to hurt his grandfather. Andy had to somehow get ahead of the men and warn him.
The rocket pack!
He ran to the potted plant, grabbed the gym bag, opened it, and put the pack on. Hurry, he thought—no time to waste. He buckled the straps and without thinking slapped his hand down on the button.
He shot straight into the air, and before he could stop he was at least a hundred feet over the house. Down, he thought, bring it down. He pressed the Down button and floated downward until he was even with the fourth floor. He moved to the windows and flew along them until he could see his grandfather inside, writing in a notebook.
Andy was about to rap on the window when he saw the door burst open. The two men jumped into the room and grabbed the old man.
It startled Andy and he jerked his arms, which made him move away from the window. Wrong way, he thought. You’re going the wrong way! He flapped his arms to bring himself back, but in his panic he overreacted. Before he could stop, he slammed through the window and onto the floor of the laboratory.
“What the—?” One of the men holding his grandfather turned. “It’s a kid. A flying kid!”
Andy stood. “Let go of my grandfather!”
“Your grandfather? Is that right, old man? Is this your grandson? So if we take him and bend him a little you’ll tell us what we want to know—is that right?”
“Run, Andy! Get away!” Andrew Hawkes shouted.
But Andy was already in motion and he hit the man on the right, knocking him away from the table and his grandfather. One down, he thought. Then Andy turned to the second man, just in time to catch a fist on the side of his head. It knocked him back, and as he fell the fleshy part of his arm came down on the hypodermic needle still resting on the table. It hit at just the right angle to push the p
lunger and send the green fluid into his bloodstream.
He jerked his arm back, his hand caught the button on the rocket pack, and he smashed into the ceiling—hard. He tumbled back to the floor, shook his head, stood, and started toward the men and his grandfather.
“Shoot him!” one of the men yelled. “It’s the only way to stop him!”
The other man pulled a gun and aimed. Andy saw a bright flash at the same time he felt something slam into the center of his chest.
He tried to stay on his feet. But the room was spinning around him and he started down. He felt light, like a floating bubble, and then everything went black.
CHAPTER 7
“Master Hawkes, can you hear me? Are you all right?”
Andy groggily opened his eyes. He was in his bedroom and Henry was leaning over him with a worried look on his face.
“What am I doing here? I’m dead … or at least I should be. I was shot … Grandfather … How’s Grandfather?”
A stout, balding man with a black bag moved to the side of the bed. “Young man, I can’t find anything wrong with you. You weren’t shot. You just fainted.”
Andy tried to sit up. “I might have fainted too. But I know I was shot.” He looked down at the place on his chest where the bullet had hit him. There was nothing there. Not even a mark. “But how …? I mean, I was hit. I felt it.”
The doctor turned to Henry. “The shock of seeing his grandfather killed has traumatized the boy. Better keep him in bed a few days. Here’s a prescription for a tranquilizer if he should need it.”
“Killed? Is Grandfather dead?”
Henry swallowed. “When the police came they found me gagged and tied up in the pantry. They released me and I immediately took them to the laboratory … but it was too late. Mr. Hawkes was gone, and you were lying over him, passed out.”
The doctor patted Andy’s arm comfortingly. “I wouldn’t allow the police to question the boy for at least twenty-four hours. He needs time to get over the shock.”
Henry walked the doctor to the door. “Don’t worry. I shall take the utmost care of him. His grandfather would have wished it. He is the last of the Hawkeses.”
CHAPTER 8
Attending another funeral had been hard. When he returned from the service, Andy went to his bedroom, slammed the door, and pulled off his black tie.
The police had questioned him for almost a full day. He had described the two men and the truck to the best of his ability. Henry had convinced him to leave out the part where he thought he’d been shot.
Andy’s mind was numb. Maybe the doctor was right. Maybe he had imagined the whole thing. It had all happened so quickly.
He opened the French doors and walked out onto the terrace. He looked down. From the second story the colorful rosebushes looked like tiny dots. Andy sat on the railing and tried to think.
He remembered coming through the window, then parts of the fight. Then nothing. Wait, something. Yes, the needle. He fell on the needle with the green fluid. Then what? Nothing … it was all a fog.
“Think,” Andy told himself. Frustrated, he stood up and put his hands on the stucco railing. Without warning, the ancient rail gave way and he felt himself plunging forward into space.
He screamed all the way down until his body smashed in a tangled heap on the concrete below.
Again he felt light; then things went black just as they had that day in the laboratory.
As he came to, he had a curious floating sensation, and then he opened his eyes.
Strange crackling sounds came from his body as the broken bones in his arms and legs painlessly snapped back into place like released rubber bands. He sat up.
“This is impossible. No one could fall from a second-story window onto concrete and then just snap back together.” Andy studied his arms and legs. They were fine; not even a bruise or a cut. He stood up. His legs were a little wobbly, but he quickly regained his balance. What was happening to him?
And then he realized—the elixir. That was it! He had accidentally injected it into his system and somehow it allowed him to heal superfast.
“I’ve got to tell Henry about this.” Andy raced into the house and down the hall. The study door was open and he caught a glimpse of the back of Henry’s head.
“You’ll never believe what just happened,” Andy said, running into the room. “I fell from the—” Andy stopped. Henry wasn’t alone. A tall blond woman with pretty green eyes was sitting across from him, holding a stack of papers.
Henry stood. “Master Hawkes, there is someone I’d like you to meet. This is Leslie Diamond.”
The young woman flashed him a sparkling smile and extended her hand. “Hello, Andy. I’ve been wanting to meet you.”
Andy shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Diamond.” He turned to Henry. “I’ve got something urgent I need to talk to you about. Could I see you in the kitchen?”
“But, sir, Ms. Diamond is here on business. She’s your—”
“This will only take a minute,” Andy interrupted. “It’s important.”
Henry bowed to the woman. “Will you excuse us please, Ms. Diamond? His grandfather’s funeral was today. It has been difficult for him.”
“Of course. Take your time.”
Andy half dragged Henry to the kitchen. He closed the door and let out his breath. “Okay, here’s the deal. You know that stuff my grandfather was working on to make wrinkles and junk disappear?”
Henry nodded. “Of course, sir. He was having some problems with it, as I recall.”
“It works, Henry. The Fountain of Youth works! Hit me.”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Go ahead, Henry. Double up your fist and hit me right in the face as hard as you can.”
“I could never do that, sir.” Henry straightened his jacket. “Now, if that is all, we really should get back to our guest.”
Andy sighed. “I guess I’ll have to do it myself.” He opened a drawer and took out a large knife. “Watch this.” Before Henry could stop him, Andy sliced the end of his finger.
Henry grabbed the knife. “Oh, good heavens. What have you done, sir?”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.” Andy held out his bloody finger. In seconds it healed itself. Not even a faint scar was left.
“It’s a miracle!” Henry exclaimed. “How on earth did you do it?”
“It was Grandfather’s potion. During the fight I accidentally injected myself with it. Just now I fell from the terrace outside my bedroom, and I don’t even have a scratch. Don’t you see, Henry? They did shoot me that day, just like I said. Grandfather’s mixture saved my life.”
Henry lowered himself onto a chair. “He actually did it. If only he could have lived to see it. He would have been so proud.”
There was a soft knock on the kitchen door. Leslie Diamond poked her head in. “I hate to disturb you gentlemen, but I just remembered another appointment. Henry, if you’ll sign those papers we talked about, everything will be legal. I’ll be back to check on Andy in a couple of weeks.”
“Check on me?” Andy asked.
Henry stood and straightened his lapels. “Yes, Master Hawkes. I didn’t get the chance to explain. Ms. Diamond is a social worker for the state. Since you are a minor with no known relatives, she thought it best that you remain here with me for the time being. When I sign the paperwork, I will become your temporary guardian.”
CHAPTER 9
Andy stood looking anxiously over Henry’s shoulder. “What do you mean, he made it a practice never to list the whole set of ingredients?”
Henry punched up the Fountain of Youth formula on the computer. “Mr. Hawkes was very worried about his experiments falling into the wrong hands. He would record only a partial listing and leave out one or two elements known only to himself.”
“Then how are we ever going to figure out what’s in the stuff or what the side effects are?”
“Here’s something.” Henry enlarged the letters on the screen. “Appar
ently he’d done a small amount of testing. He’s listed a few results.”
Andy read them aloud. “ ‘Gray whiskers turn dark. Older specimens seem to act half their age. Young mice show no signs of aging.’ … Uh-oh.”
“What is it, Master Hawkes?”
Andy sat on a nearby stool. “If my grandfather’s data is correct and we can’t find any way to counteract the potion, it says that I’m never going to grow up. I’ll be fourteen forever.”
Henry frowned. “Oh, dear. That would be a problem.”
“I’ll say. I’ll never get to graduate from high school or take my driver’s test. And who’s going to pay attention to me when I’m supposedly old enough to run Grandfather’s companies? I’ll still look like a kid.”
“Rest assured, Master Hawkes, I’ll stay on this problem day and night until I come up with a solution.”
“Thanks, Henry. But let’s face it. You’re not a scientist, and we can’t take a chance on involving anyone else. I’m stuck.”
Andy’s shoulders slumped as he walked across the room. “I wish Grandfather was here to get me out of this.”
“You know, Master Hawkes, there is another way of looking at this.”
“Yeah, I’ll get to watch all my friends get old and die.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of how your grandfather viewed his work. He always invented things for the good of humankind. You could use your unique situation to help people.”
“Right. What could I do? Help little old ladies cross the street and not have to worry about getting run over?”
Henry shut down the computer. Then he turned to face Andy. “You are forgetting one thing. You are a Hawkes. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you’ll come up with something. And remember, I’m here to help you.”
CHAPTER 10
Henry tapped on Andy’s door. “This package just came for you. Would you like me to bring it in?”
