The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs - M. V. Carey [33]
“No. Mr. Barron has spoken with us about this. He says if we wish to go we should try, but he fears there is much trouble in the towns. He thinks that perhaps the trucks do not move so there is not enough food, and when that happens people will fight with one another. What he says is true. If we stay here, at least we have food to eat.”
“I see,” said Jupiter.
The man moved away and joined his companions. As they went on towards their homes they passed Konrad, who was coming down the lane from the parking area.
“Hey, Jupe!” Konrad called. His broad face was solemn. “I have been in the fields. Hey, that Mr. Barron, he scares everyone really bad.”
“I heard,” said Jupe.
“I think maybe we should take the truck and go home,” said Konrad. “I do not like it here. Here we do not really know what is true and what is not. If we are where there are many people, then we know better.”
“Konrad, please don’t worry,” said Jupe.
The big Bavarian looked hopeful. “You know something?” he said. “Maybe it is all a trick, what happens here?”
“It is a trick,” said Jupe. “If I hadn’t guessed it before, I would now, after hearing that message from the intergalactic traveller.”
“The message?” said Pete. “What about the message? It sounded pretty real to me—if you believe in flying saucers in the first place.”
“Lacking in originality, though,” said Jupe. “Did you see The Saturn Syndrome when it was on television last week? There was an end-of-the-world sequence in it, and when the spaceship came to rescue the scientist and his daughter, it radioed a message.”
“Oh, no!” cried Bob. “The same message we just heard?”
“Almost word for word,” said Jupe, “including the idea that the world will tilt on its axis and the polar icecaps will melt.”
Bob sighed. “Too bad,” he said. “And I thought we had something very unusual going on.”
“You’re crazy!” said Pete with a little shudder. “I sure don’t want to be around for the end of the world!”
Chapter 15
Getting Ready for the End
PETE AND BOB SAT ON THEIR BEDS in the ranch-house bunkroom and waited. Jupiter had gone back to the Barron house, and Konrad lingered in the kitchen below. He had been warned not to tell the staff that Jupe suspected trickery.
After fifteen minutes Jupe came back to the ranch house. He climbed the stairs slowly, and his face was downcast when he came into the bunkroom.
“Mr. Barron didn’t believe you,” said Bob.
Jupe sighed. “He says I couldn’t possibly remember the dialogue from a movie word for word.”
“You told him you have a mind like a tape recorder?” asked Pete.
“I did,” said Jupe. “He told me not to be impudent.”
“That’s the trouble with being kids,” Pete declared. “When grownups don’t want to listen, they say you’re impudent.”
Bob said impatiently, “What about the fact that the soldiers are imposters? And your theory about the gold? Did you tell Mr. Barron about that?”
Jupe looked shamefaced. “I didn’t get a chance. You know what Mr. Barron is like when he doesn’t want to be bothered with something. You can’t get a word in.”
“Well, what about telling Mrs. Barron?”
“She couldn’t get away from Mr. Barron long enough to talk. But at least she believed me about the movie dialogue. She said to come back after supper and tell her the whole story.”
“Oh, great,” said Bob. “Here we’ve practically got the mystery solved and we can’t even get our client to listen!”
Jupe flushed. He prided himself on making adults pay attention, but this time he’d failed.
“Why can’t we go ahead and tell some others about the hoax?” asked Pete. “Everybody on this ranch is a nervous wreck. We could save them a lot of grief.”
“But we’d tip off the spy,” Jupe pointed out. “And we might put the Barrons in real danger. What if those soldiers decided to come in here and take the gold by force?”
Bob shuddered. “I can see it now. We’d get caught in a shoot-out.”
Jupe nodded. “No, we have to wait and convince the Barrons that we know what’s going on. It won’t be hard to persuade Mrs. Barron. She seems to have a lot of faith in boys. But Mr. Barron