The Demon Headmaster and The Prime Minister’s Brain Read Online Free PDF Page B

something, or they’ll get unbearable. Haven’t you got any idea where to go, Dinah? What about the instructions in your invitation?’
    ‘Well—’ Dinah hesitated. ‘They’re a bit peculiar. They just say, Turn to the north and you will see the Sentinel Tower on North Island. That doesn’t seem much help.’
    ‘Ah.’ Ian shook his head wisely. ‘This isn’t a holiday camp you’re going to, remember. It’s a special session for Brains. I bet the rest of them could work out how to get there. They’re probably all knocking on the door now. Horrible little wizened fellows, with great bulging egg-heads. And tiny little pebbly glasses. And backs all bent from stooping over their books. And—’
    In spite of her nervousness, Dinah grinned and sloshed him. ‘Yes, but what are we going to do?’
    ‘We could try the instructions,’ Mandy said mildly. ‘It’s easy enough to work out where north is, after all. The sun’s more or less in the south at this time of day, and there’s no missing that. Not in this heat.’
    ‘Right,’ Lloyd said bossily. ‘Everyone face north.’
    They turned their backs on the sun and stared. But what they saw was just baffling. In front of them were more and more loops of motorway, arching up towards the sky and down under the ground. And apart from those, there was only one other thing to be seen. In the exact centre of the intersection rose a tall, modern tower block, high and narrow.
    It stuck up into the sky like a finger of light, reflecting the sunshine back blindingly into their eyes. Its whole surface seemed to be composed of large squares of mirror, with no sign of any windows or balconies. And it was completely isolated in the middle of the roaring traffic. Nothing else was visible. Only roads, roads, roads—and that single, dazzling pillar.
    Then, suddenly, Dinah said, ‘Oh! I’m stupid!’
    ‘She’s realized at last!’ Ian applauded. ‘Well, when you’ve finished cheering, perhaps you’ll explain things to us sub-zero morons.’
    ‘Look!’ Dinah pointed straight at the gleaming tower. ‘Don’t you see? North Island isn’t an island in a river. It’s an island in the traffic. And that’s the Sentinel Tower!’
    Lloyd and Ian and Mandy looked amazed, but, from the bench round the corner, Ingrid laughed scornfully.
    ‘Call yourself clever, Dinah Hunter? We worked that out ages ago, didn’t we, Harvey?’
    ‘What a naughty tarradiddle,’ murmured Ian. ‘Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to boast?’
    ‘But we did ,’ insisted Harvey. ‘Look.’
    He pointed away to his right. Walking closer to the bench, the others found that they could see a flight of steps plunging down into a small pedestrian subway. At the top of the steps was a notice.
    TO NORTH ISLAND.
    Mandy shook her head, gently. ‘Why didn’t you say ?’
    ‘Why should we?’ Ingrid shrugged. ‘We don’t want to go near the Computer Director. He’s bound to turn out to be a robot or a vampire or something.’
    ‘Well, tough luck,’ said Lloyd. ‘Because the rest of us are going there now. And I’ve got all the money. So if you don’t come with us, you’ll have to sit here and stare at the traffic. There’s nothing else to do round here.’
    He led the way down into the subway. And five pairs of feet followed him.

5
Into the Sentinel Tower
    It was very dusty in the subway. Dusty and dirty and dry. And the narrow passage was lit by bright white fluorescent tubes which showed up every cobweb.
    It was cold, too, and slightly musty. For the first few seconds the cold was a relief, but by the time they had gone a yard or two it made their skin feel clammy, as though they had walked out of the sun into a deep dungeon. And their footsteps echoed eerily ahead of them, the noise rebounding off the hard surfaces of the walls.
    ‘Do you think it’s far?’ whispered Mandy. Somehow it seemed right to whisper.
    Lloyd forced himself to answer in a normal voice. ‘It looked about two