Molly Moon's Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure Read Online Free PDF

hair, the other was wearing a brown raincoat with a swirl on the back. They were too far off to be distinguishable. And yet, as she saw how the first one strode on and the other walked sluggishly behind, Molly was distinctly reminded of Rocky and herself. What was more, she had once owned a raincoat with a spiral design on its back.
    In her hypnotized state, Molly matter-of-factly concluded that, miraculous as it was, there was a possibility that the person lagging behind on the hillside was herself from
three years before.
    Then she noticed a mechanical whirring that was getting louder and louder.
    A helicopter was landing on the playing field. The chopping noise from its blades and engines was deafening.
    The footballers covered their ears and watched as it touched down. With the rotor still spinning, her captor ushered Molly in. Her hair blew about as she mounted its metal steps. Petula curled up in her arms, afraid, and burrowed her face into Molly’s armpit.Both wondered where they were going. The hypnotic peacefulness she’d felt before had worn off. Again, Molly attempted to talk. “Wha—ar—yaa—taaaken—ma?”—but her captor ignored her.
    As the insect machine swung away and up, Molly tried to see the faces of the children on the slope, but it was impossible. However, over the orphanage she did manage to pick out Adderstone, the orphanage mistress, sitting at a garden table, being served tea by Edna, the orphanage cook. Adderstone looked up sharply at the helicopter and covered her ears while Edna raised her fist and shouted. Molly could just imagine the swear words that were flying out of her mouth.
    Below, the fields were a patchwork of green. In twenty minutes they were at the airport. The helicopter landed and, as if all was prearranged, they were met by a white golf buggy, driven across the runway to a private jet, and ushered aboard. Molly, with Petula alert under her arm, walked numbly on.

Five
    N ine hours later the jet touched down. Its doors opened and warm air that smelled of bonfires, herbs, and spices rushed in. A hot sun hit their shoulders. Molly squinted as she looked about.
    The whole airport, with its control towers and orange windsocks, quivered in the heat. On the runway waited a shiny black car with a flag with a peacock on it.
    “Ar—way—an—Andia?” Molly asked, but her words fell on deaf ears.
    Soon they were driving, and within a short time Molly knew her guess had been right.
    The roads were crammed. Camels and horses pulled wagons and carts. Brightly colored trucks with decorated cabs, hand-painted with pictures of flowers and elephants, were unlike any trucks Molly had seenbefore. On the back of each was written “Use Your Horn.” The driver of their car certainly did. He pressed the horn constantly. And other drivers blew their horns at him. Camels and water buffalo pulling their loads moved close to the edge of the shoulder, where bicycles clattered by, while the noisier, faster traffic was in the main lane. Tiny auto-rickshaw taxis, yellow and black like giant wasps, buzzed past. Women in colorful saris rode their mopeds or traveled on the back of motorbikes.
    It was very busy. They passed a huge playing field where hundreds of children played cricket, and then a clearing where gypsies lived. Above their homemade shacks a billboard advertised silk wedding saris. Soon they were in a city.
    “Wha—ar—yaa—takan—may?” Molly managed to ask, but her captor stared out of the window at the dusty road and the buildings. Molly felt sticky and hot.
    Petula panted. With great effort, Molly took a bottle of mineral water from the pocket of the car seat. She cupped her hands and gave Petula a drink.
    She noticed that the roads were getting wider and the buildings grander. They drove down a long avenue with smart embassies on either side. Flags hung outside them in the windless air.
    Molly thought how limp she felt, and how this waswhat it felt like to be hypnotized. She was