Julius and the Watchmaker by Tim Hehir Page B

body of the watch. He took hold of the control-arm and moved it again to the left. The gyroflyer lurched and dived and Julius’s stomach somersaulted.
    â€˜We’ll find some open ground to land and then it’s back to our realm to sort out this Jack Springheel cove,’ said the professor, as they sped above the sharp rooves of the Grackack city. ‘Do you see any clear space, gentlemen?’
    Julius’s eyes were darting back and forth from the rapidly descending dial to the rapidly approaching ground below. There were only narrow streets and tall chimneys belching out black smoke.
    â€˜Over there, Professor,’ said Mr Flynn, pointing to a main thoroughfare. It was too early in the morning to be crowded and it looked just wide enough for the gyroflyer’s blades.
    â€˜Excellent, Danny,’ said the professor, dipping the flying contraption in that direction. ‘Hold on tight. Landing a gyroflyer is not a skill I have completely mastered.’
    The few Grackacks on the street scattered as the gyroflyer plunged towards them. It hit the ground with such force that it bounced into the air again, sending Julius’s carpetbag catapulting from his lap. The professor slumped forward like a rag doll. With the wind knocked out of him Julius braced himself as well as he could as he watched the ground coming closer a second time. Moments later the gyroflyer connected with the street once more. This time it did not bounce as much but the blades hit a building on the side of the street. The force of the collision sent brick, wood and glass scattering as the flying machine turned to the right and embedded itself in a shop window.
    Julius’s hands were trembling too violently to unbuckle the straps holding him in. As the dust around the crashed craft began to settle, he saw what he took to be the shop’s proprietor, wearing a white apron and holding a sweeping brush, staring at the flying machine where his window display should have been. Strange looking fruits and vegetables were strewn everywhere and a upturned barrel of pickles was oozing its contents across the floor. Just be thankful he can’t see you, Higgins. An apology probably wouldn’t go down very well.
    Mr Flynn expertly unbuckled his straps. ‘Let’s be off before we cause any more mayhem.’ He then leaned across the dazed professor to undo Julius’s strap. ‘We’ll have to make a quick exit, as they say in the music hall.’
    â€˜How? Where to?’
    â€˜We’ll do a bit of temporal travelling.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜A time-jump, Julius. Just a small one.’

CHAPTER 10
    Thursday 6th July, 1837
5:03 AM
    â€˜Did you say time-jump, Mr Flynn?’ said Julius.
    â€˜That I did,’ said Mr Flynn, shaking the professor gently by the shoulders. ‘The professor’s out for the count. We’ll have to jump to home base and then decide what to do.’
    The Grackack shopkeeper leapt out of the puddle of pickles forming around his feet and let out a cry of anger and despair. He kicked the gyroflyer so hard that Julius felt the jolt. Other Grackacks were arriving at the scene, getting in the shopkeeper’s way. One was surreptitiously pocketing vegetables. The watch remained in the air, an arm’s length from Julius—its blue light protecting them from the Grackack vibration field, for the time being.
    â€˜What’s home base, Mr Flynn?’ asked Julius to distract himself from the time-jump question.
    â€˜Best not worry about that, for now. I’ll explain it when we get there. Just don’t panic…no matter what happens next. I’d like to have the time to explain it, but I don’t so…here goes…’
    â€˜But, hang on, wait—’
    Mr Flynn held the professor’s hand out as if it were a rag doll’s and tapped his finger twice against the side of the pocketwatch.
    â€˜Here we go. Hold hands like you’re