Marcel and the Shakespeare Letters

'WHEE! POW! WHOOSH!'

There's a small, white button in the bookcase. Henry smiles at Marcel, and presses it. Suddenly, some of the books start to move.

'Why are they moving?' Marcel says. Then he understands. 'Ah, I understand. There's a safe.'

'Yes,' Henry says. 'Now, you stay here. I'm going to open it.'

He takes some blue paper from his jeans. Then he climbs down to the safe. There are some numbers on the paper. He starts to read them.'55 - 14 - 62 - 29 - 8.Yes, that's right.' After that, he puts his hands on the safe and moves the dial to the left.'55,' he says. Then he moves the dial to the right.'14.' Suddenly there's a very, very big BANG!

'Wow!' Marcel says. 'That was a big firework.'

Henry doesn't stop.'62,' he says. '29. And... !' He moves the dial again.'..-. 8. There - that's it.' He smiles at Marcel and opens the safe. But then suddenly his mouth falls open. 'Oh no!' he says.

'What's wrong?' Marcel asks.

'They're not here,' Henry says. 'The Shakespeare letters. They're not here!’

Marcel climbs down the bookcase and looks. His friend is right. The letters aren't in the safe. But that's not all.' There's a big hole at the back of the safe, and a lot of smoke, too.

Marcel looks at Henry. Henry looks at Marcel. Then they climb into the safe.

'Look,' Marcel says. He can see a room in number 40 Old Wilton Street. He can see a person, too — a tall woman in a red dress. She's sitting at a table and talking on the telephone.

'Do you think…?' Henry starts.

'Ssshh,' Marcel says. The two mice sit and listen.

'That's right,' the woman says. 'I'm going to New York. Yes, this evening.' She writes on a notepad. 'Thank you.' She puts down the telephone.

There's a bag on the bed in front of her. In it Marcel can see some letters. The woman closes the bag. After that, she walks to the door. She opens it, and then closes it behind her.

Henry looks at Marcel in the hot, dark safe. 'What are we going to do?' he asks. 'That woman's got the letters. Let's telephone the police.'

'No, there isn't time,' Marcel says. 'Do you know her?'

'The woman? No, I don't.'

'Who usually lives in that flat?'

'Two old women, but they're on holiday in Spain. Oh Marcel, what are we going to do?'

Marcel looks into the dark flat. 'Come with me,' he says. He climbs into the old women's flat. Henry is behind him. The two mice run across the floor. Then they climb up a table. On the table there's a yellow light and a small, white notepad. Marcel looks at it under the light.

'What are you doing?' Henry asks.

Marcel doesn't answer. Then he says, 'Aha! I was right. Can you see?'

Henry smiles. 'Yes, I can. Not very well, but ... it says, "Concorde — 7.20".'

Marcel puts down the notepad and looks at his watch. It's six o'clock. Then he starts to run down the leg of the table.

Henry runs down the leg of the table, too. 'Where are we going now?' he asks.

'Heathrow Airport, of course,' Marcel says.

At 6.05 the two mice are in Old Wilton Street. It's dark and cold. They walk quickly to Knightsbridge station. There are a lot of fireworks. 'BANG! WHEEE! POP! WHOOSH!' Marcel watches them. Then he remembers the very big BANG!!! in the professor's flat.

'That was clever,' he thinks. 'Very, very clever.'

There are hundreds of people at Knightsbridge station. Marcel and Henry run under their legs and bags.