LITMIR.BIZ

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it out.’ You’d better move. Just in case. We’ve had a warning about any mysterious package in the back of the plane.’ Bill’s deep voice was calm, but Amy saw his hand trembling as he picked up her blanket and pushed her forwards.

      ‘If it’s not money, is it a bomb or something?’ Christopher thought in pictures. Exploding planes was okay in a computer game, but he didn’t want to be one of real bits in mid-air.

      ‘Move down the front kids. At once.’ Bill pushed them forwards.

      What was the use of that? If the plane was going to blow up, the front of the cabin would go too! Amy grabbed her purple and aqua backpack. Christopher took his bag too. He didn’t want to lose his best drawing pens.

      Unaccompanied Minors, known as U.M.s, travel up front so flight attendants can look after them. Usually they’re seated beside an adult, for safety. But there’d been a mistake earlier in the twins’ seat numbers. So their seats were down the back. If the plane blew up, ‘bits’ of the twins would be nowhere near their original seat numbers. Too late to worry then.

      ‘Maybe my hand is small enough to fit under ,’ offered Amy. ‘And pull it out, from the other side.’

      ‘Use my ruler,’ Christopher always carried a drawing set.

      ’Forget it.’ Pushing them ahead of him, Bill found two empty seats just behind Business Class . Then he hurried away to check what was under Amy’s seat.

      Amy squashed Edwina into a side pocket on her backpack. Ten year old sleuths had mascots, not teddies .

      Edwina was a very well travelled mascot. If Amy was leaving the plane in a hurry, so was Edwina.

      ‘Was it a real bomb?’ Christopher whispered. Amy hadn’t felt a bomb before, so she wasn’t sure. People around them were still asleep. What if the plane blew up while you were asleep? You wouldn’t even know what happened. Sleep, then nothingness.

      Just then, the captain spoke. ‘ Ladies and gentlemen. We need 100% attention. We have found a suspicious device on board. We believe it may be an explosive.’

      ‘A bomb!’ said Christopher. ‘That’s what he means.’ Partly he was pleased to be right. Partly, he was scared.

      Heads were jerking awake all along the seats.

      ‘We’ve found a micro radio. If you own such a radio, please speak to one of our flight crew.’

      Heads above seats came upright. People spoke in whispers as if that would help. Then the cabin was silent. But no-one came forward. Nobody could believe that it was happening. Bomb threats happened on in-flight movies. They didn’t happen on ordinary planes with ordinary people. Flying from Sydney to Christchurch was not a terrorists’ route.

      ‘D’you think they’ve found just a radio? Or a radio and a bomb?’ said Christopher.

      ‘Bill mentioned a warning.’ Amy wasn’t sure whether she was scared now or not. She just felt very alive. Little things took her attention. To check on their escape route, she pulled out the safety card just as the captain said,

      ‘Please look at your safety information card.’

      A woman with sausage- balloon arms ripped a full page Milford Track map from her in-flight magazine. Another map-aholic? Amy had pointed out that map to her brother earlier. Christopher liked the land pictures suggested by maps. He always read details like distance or height. Then he could picture the place. But why had the woman torn out that page? The airline magazine was a freebie, anyway. He’d like to draw her, fiddling nervously with her gold watch on a neck chain as passengers at the back were now asked to move to the front.

      ‘Wish we were already over Christchurch,’ said Christopher.

      They were still flying over water. Aunty Viv had always joked about swimming backstroke when they crashed. Perhaps she’d be right this time? Aunty Viv never flew in planes anywhere. Once Christopher drew her flying on a broomstick, because Aunty Viv always wore Gothic black. She pinned that up in her Animal Actors’ van.

      Amy thought about going down into black water. Should she take a big breath first?

      What about life -jackets? Would they go down that inflatable escape slide?

      An emergency door was curved into the plane wall , Christopher noticed. Neat! Was sitting next to the emergency door a good or bad thing? Would they be the first out? Or would others push across the top of them?

      A man wearing a rugby top was sitting on the aisle. He skim-read the safety instructions. Then he gave Christopher a little smile. ‘Just in case.’ His neck was thick like a tree trunk. Frown lines deepened between his bushy eyebrows. He kept checking the time on his Rolex.

      ‘Great safety diagrams.’ said Christopher. ‘We’ll know what to do.’

      Rugby Top just fiddled with an unusual package between his feet. ‘My fishing rod. Might break easily.’

      ‘Useful if we need food... in the water,’ joked Christopher nervously.

      Judging by the size, the rod must fold up, thought Christopher just as the captain spoke again.’ We have done everything we can. Landing in Christchurch in fifteen minutes.’

      ‘We hope,’ added Rugby Top.’ I was in a light plane crash once. On a rugby trip to a Fijian island. Times like this, I wish my job didn’t make me fly so often.’

      Amy wasn’t listening. She’d switched into Amy-the-sleuth. What about the parcel-dropper? Was the person who left the parcel still on the plane?

      ‘D’you remember if that seat was empty when we got on? The one behind me?’ Amy asked her brother. ‘Did you draw anyone from there?’

      Christopher flipped back through his sketch-pad. He’d drawn Bill, the flight attendant. And the hoops in the rugby player’s top were hard to get right. Christopher shrugged. ‘Didn’t notice. Empty I think. Would you stay on board with a bomb?’

      Amy shook her head. ‘Someone must have left the package this trip. In between, the cleaners would have found it. Cleaners always vacuum the aisles and take away rubbish from the pockets.’

      Christopher had a sketch-pad full of passengers’ faces, Aunty Viv’s goat Wilhemina , a ride-on airport vacuum cleaner and an unusual belt buckle. He liked unusual shapes.

      ‘Remember, the plane was late leaving.’ Christopher shut his sketch pad. ‘Perhaps the cleaners didn’t finish?’

      Twisting around, Amy peered down the plane. Too many crew . She couldn’t see anything except navy shoulders.

      ‘Lost it.’ Balloon Arms was fussing with her bag. The padded shoulders of her baggy tracksuit were silver, like alfoil. They crinkled.’ My lucky charm. Unless I hold it on landing, we’ll crash.’

      The map page slipped off her lap. Christopher picked it up, noticing some black crosses she’d added.

      ‘Thanks. Just working out my route. If I ever get there.’

      At that moment, the plane dipped . The FASTEN SEAT BELTS sign flashed.

      Christopher found the lucky key charm with the rainbow tag on the floor.’ Why is this lucky?’

      ‘Just is. I rub it every time I want to eat something.’

      ‘Does food appear like magic?’ Amy clicked her seat belt. During landing , there was nothing you could do to help the pilot.

      ‘No. I’m on a diet you see,’ said the Balloon Lady. ‘My lucky charm padlocks my ‘frig.’

      Although Balloon Arms had a big rucksack up the front with the hanging suit-bags, there wasn’t room for a frig.

      Fat or thin, you could still be blown up. Some pieces might be bigger that’s all, thought Christopher.

      Amy

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