فصل بیستم

chapter-20

As the lumbering bookmobile raced across town, Kyle and Abia sat in the back doing their independent research projects.

Kyle quickly Googled “Thomas Edison’s first movie.” Abia consulted a stack of books from the 791.43 section of the library that were conveniently shelved in the back of the bookmobile.

“These cinema books are not in this vehicle by accident, Kyle Keeley,” she said.

“Maybe not,” said Kyle, balancing his lPad on his lap. “But we don’t need ‘em. Google just told me what we needed to know: The first silent movie, produced in 1903, was Thomas Edison’s The Great Train Robbery. Plot’s pretty basic. Four bandits rob a train. Posse chases them. Shootout. Bad guys bite the dust. The end.” “If that is the correct answer, why did the third clue send us to a drugstore?” asked Abia.

“Because Murphy’s sells all sorts of stuff—including toys. They have these bags filled with plastic cowboys. That’s where we’ll find our fascinating fact about Edison.” “I respectfully disagree,” said Abia. “It is too easy an answer. We need to dig deeper.” “Fine. Dig all you want. They sell garden tools at Murphy’s, too. Me? I’m heading for the toy bin and digging for a bag filled with tiny plastic cowboys!” —

When they reached Murphy’s Drugstore, neither of the other two Edison teams was there.

“Guess their clues sent them somewhere else,” remarked Kyle as he checked out the store. “The toys are back this way.” “Have fun,” said Abia. “I will be searching in the cold-remedy section.” “Why?”

“Because, Kyle Keeley, I did a more thorough search of the data than you did.” “Right. Because I got the answer on the first try. Boom! Why don’t you just wait here and I’ll go grab our next clue?” “No thank you.”

“Suit yourself.”

They took off in opposite directions.

Kyle went to the toy department and found a bin of clear plastic bags stuffed with multicolored, five-inch-tall plastic cowboys.

“Right out of The Great Train Robbery!” he said with a grin.

Kyle started examining the bags. Each one had two dozen cowboy figures striking maybe five different poses. There were also a couple corral fences in the bags—but no bright yellow clue cards.

“Are you finished playing with your cowboys, Kyle Keeley?” He whipped around. Abia was in the toy aisle, holding a tissue box decorated with yellow lemons and brown cellos.

“What’s that?” asked Kyle.

“Our next clue. The Great Train Robbery may have been the first silent film produced by Thomas Edison, but the first copyrighted motion picture shot on an Edison Kinetoscope—which, by the way, is what the clue specifically asked us to identify—was a five-second-long, black-and-white filmstrip of one of Mr. Edison’s assistants, a gentleman named Fred Ott, sneezing. He might need this.” She wiggled the Kleenex box.

“All that was in those books in the back of the bookmobile?” asked Kyle.

“All except the tissue. I figured out that part by attempting to think in the same manner that you often employ when deciphering one of Mr. Lemoncello’s riddles.” “So I helped you find the answer, right?”

“Oh, yes,” she said sarcastically. “You helped a great deal.” “I was kidding. You get all the credit on this one. Was there anything in the box?” “A final riddle: ‘Race back to the library, and when you know the answer, tell Mr. Lemoncello who invented the lightbulb.’ ” “Easy!” said Kyle. “Thomas Edison.”

“Too easy,” said Abia. “The first answer is not always the best answer. Besides, there is a number printed at the bottom of the clue card: 621.32097309034.” “Okay,” said Kyle. “That’s definitely a Dewey decimal number.” “Correct.”

“Come on. We can use our lPads to do a catalog search on the ride back to the library.” “I have already done one,” said Abia as they hit the sidewalk. “It is a book on Thomas Edison.” “Which is going to tell us that he’s the guy who invented the lightbulb!” “Perhaps. But if that is the case, why does this clue encourage us to do further research?” “Because someone’s trying to slow us down.”

They climbed into the bookmobile.

“We can’t afford to waste time,” said Kyle. “Come on, this is one we know the answer to!” “Do we?” asked Abia. “Just like we knew a bag of plastic cowboys was the answer?” She had him there.

“Fine,” said Kyle. “We’ll go read another book, even though everybody in third grade knows that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.” They rode back to the library in silence.

When they entered the lobby, they saw Andrew Peckleman and Diane Capriola standing on the lemon square, facing Mr. Lemoncello.

“Do not stop, Kyle Keeley,” said Abia. “Upstairs. The six hundreds room.” “Upstairs,” muttered Kyle, because he’d agreed to play this one Abia’s way. “The six hundreds room.” But as they dashed up the curving staircases from the lobby to the second floor, Kyle could hear Andrew and Diane loudly proclaiming their answer.

“Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb!” whined Andrew. “Duh!” “Everybody knows that,” added Diane.

Yeah, thought Kyle. Everybody except Abia Sulayman.