There was a moment of silence as the kids tried to comprehend what they had just heard.
“What exactly are you trying to say, professor?” Billy asked.
The professor’s voice was full of excitement. “What I’m trying to say is that these two events—the making of the plate and the first introduction of the Gregorian calendar—are about 4,500 years apart.” The look on his face was that of a twelve-year-old kid opening a Christmas present.
“Was the mystery ever solved?” asked Billy.
“Not that I’m aware of,” answered the professor. “I guess it became one of those puzzles that you have to find one last missing piece in order to complete it.” He picked up the picture, examined it for a moment, then slowly added, “Who knows, maybe this is the one.”
Billy suddenly felt very tired. It had been a long day, with so many events, and so much information. He looked at Anna-Maria. She seemed to feel the same way.
“Well, Professor, thanks a lot for your time,” Billy said.
“The pleasure is all mine,” the professor replied. “Would you allow me to keep this picture for a few days? I would like to have a closer look at these writings. I’d be much obliged.”
“Absolutely, by all means,” Billy replied.
Billy and Anna-Maria took their bags and headed towards the exit.
“By the way,” the professor called out to them, “did you know that this plate is actually three in one?”
“Excuse me?” Billy asked, turning around.
“It only looks like one solid plate,” the professor continued, “but in fact it consists of three plates, or flat rings if you wish.”
“How do you know this?” asked Anna-Maria.
“I saw the fragments of the ‘Chinese’ plate many years ago.” The professor wiped his glasses with a handkerchief as he spoke. “You see, we know that those rings are divided into sections, right? So, by moving the rings and combining these sections we can set a certain date.” He shrugged his shoulders and added: “Theoretically, at least.”
“And then what?” asked Billy.
“Who knows, who knows…?” said the professor, sinking back into his thoughts.
* * *
Chapter Seven
“The Best Day of My Life”
When Billy and Anna-Maria stepped outside the library building, the sun was already down. Cold evening air touched their faces. It felt especially refreshing.
“I must see it!” exclaimed Anna-Maria. “After everything we’ve just heard you’ve got to show me.”
“Okay, okay,” Billy said. “It’s dark out here. I’ll show you when we get to the light.”
Though streetlights lit the way, they weren’t bright enough.
The bus stop was very well lit.
“Well . . .” said Anna-Maria anxiously.
“I can’t,” said Billy. “Look at all these people.”
The bus arrived. The kids sat quietly all the way to Anna-Maria’s house. Billy looked out the window at all the neon lights passing by and could not stop thinking about what the professor had told him, especially the part about moving the rings to set a date.
“Thanks for walking me home,” said Anna-Maria.
Billy looked around. They were standing in front of Anna-Maria’s door. He didn’t even notice how they got to her house. Billy looked at Anna-Maria. She was staring back at him, waiting. Billy exhaled. Then he put his bag down, unzipped it and pulled out the hourglass.
“Wow!” exclaimed Anna-Maria. “It’s beautiful!”
“Yes, it is,” he agreed.
“Can I hold it?”
“Just be careful,” Billy said and handed her the hourglass.
She held it aloft. “It’s quite heavy. I had better put it down.” She set the hourglass on the ground and knelt beside it, studying the upper plate.
“Here you are,” she said quietly.
Billy knelt down next to her.
“Do you think the professor knows about the hourglass?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. He never mentioned it, only the top plate.”
Anna-Maria slowly moved her fingers across the plate.
“Where did you get it from?” she asked.
“I found it,” Billy answered.
“Where?”
“In the castle.”
“In Gothingham Castle?” Anna-Maria was genuinely surprised. “There is no kid in town who doesn’t know every corner of that place. It’s practically impossible to find something new in there.”
“I found a room,” said Billy.
“A room?”
“Well, it looked more like a cave than a room.”
“Oh, I see. Were there any drawings on the walls?”
Billy didn’t notice the sarcasm in her voice. “What drawings?”
“You know—hunters with spears, mammoths . . . the caveman drawings,” she replied with a smile.
“It’s not that kind of a cave.”
“Hey, I’m just pulling your leg. Don’t take it seriously,” said Anna-Maria. “Let’s see how it works.” She was about to lift the hourglass and flip it over.
“Wait!” Billy stopped her.
She looked at him, puzzled. “Why? You don’t trust me?”
“No, it’s not like that,” said Billy. He was searching for a better way to explain. “There is something . . . unusual about this hourglass. Something special,” he said.
“What are you trying to say, Billy?”
He hesitated for a moment, and then took a deep breath. “This hourglass can stop time.” He finally exhaled.
“A-ha,” said Anna-Maria, as if suspicious that now she was part of a joke.
“Here, I can prove it to you.”
“Okay,” said Anna-Maria, rising up and taking one step back.
Billy lifted the hourglass, held it for a moment, and then flipped it over.
Everything went quiet. No distant noise from the busy city streets, no leaves rustling in the evening breeze. Anna-Maria was standing frozen with her green eyes wide open. Billy stepped closer to her. He had never been so close to a girl before, especially to Anna-Maria. Billy held his breath and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but it seemed like forever.
Billy stepped back in fear that Anna-Maria would suddenly awaken. Nothing happened. She kept standing there absolutely motionless. Billy took his original position again and glanced at the hourglass. The last crystal fell. He looked up at Anna-Maria.
“Well,” she said, “are you going to show me or not?”
“I just did!” Billy exclaimed.
“You know what?” she said in frustration. “Very funny, Billy Somers. Very funny.” She spun around, stormed into her house and shut the door.
“A.M., wait!” Billy called after her. “I didn’t mean to . . .”
There was no answer. He turned around and leaned on the door with a big smile on his face. Today is the best day of my life, he thought.
* * *
Chapter Eight
Galaxy
The next morning Billy woke up with a warm feeling of joy, as if something great was about to happen, or may have already happened. Oh yes, he had kissed a girl! And not just any girl, but the most beautiful girl in the world. It felt awesome just to think about it.
He had his breakfast and checked his schedule; most of the lessons for today were easy. Life is great! Billy thought as he picked up his bag and headed to school.
When he got there, the school was as active as a beehive. People were moving in all directions. Everyone was busy. Even those sitting on the grass in the schoolyard were busy talking, reading, or writing.
The first thing Billy noticed when he entered his classroom was the feeling of excitement in the air.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked Mike.
“The field trip, dude. Don’t say you forgot.”
He had completely forgotten. It was Friday and they were going to Galaxy, the bowli
ng alley. Life’s just gotten better, Billy thought. At this moment, he saw Anna-Maria passing by the doorway.
“A.M.!” Billy called out. “Anna-Maria!” he called again, rushing to the corridor.
She slowed down.
“Hey,” said Billy.
“Hey,” said Anna-Maria.
“Look, about yesterday. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude or hurt your feelings.”
“Oh, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. You know,” she said, “I have magical powers too.”
“Huh?” Billy’s eyes widened.
“I can run around the world in less than a second.”
Then she moved her hand across her forehead as if wiping off the sweat. “Phew, that was hard. I can do it again for you if you want.”
Billy smiled. “I get the point,” he said.
She started walking again.
“Look, we have a field trip today, to the bowling alley,” Billy said, catching up. “Is your class coming?”
“No, not today.” She stopped and turned to Billy. “Have fun.”
“Okay.”
“By the way,” she added, “don’t forget about tomorrow. You’re still invited.”
“Right,” Billy said, watching her walk away.
And I still don’t have a present, he thought to himself.
***
The school bus stopped near a building with a big sign that said “Galaxy” on its front. Everybody poured out of the bus and rushed inside. Billy had heard a lot about this place but had never been here before. It wasn’t just a regular bowling alley; everything in here was special. The ceiling and walls were painted black and covered with bright images of different constellations, galaxies, supernovas, asteroids, and comets. The bowling balls were planets, and the pins were alien spaceships.
Billy found a locker room. He carefully placed his bag into the locker, checked the hourglass one last time to make sure it was fine, and locked the door. Then he went back to the hall, rented bowling shoes, and joined his friends. The game had already started, with the students divided into groups of three.
“Billy, over here!” Mike and Seth were standing by lane five, waving to Billy. “Want to play with us? We are one person shy.”
“Sure!” answered Billy. “What’s the deal here?”
“Easy. The team that scores the most points wins,” Mike explained.
“You have only one roll in your turn, though,” Seth added.
“Why only one roll?”
“Too many people want to play. Better make it count.”
Billy picked up a ball from the ball dispenser. “Wow, pretty heavy.”
“Tell me about it,” agreed Mike, taking aim. He was holding a red ball painted as Mars. “I am the master of the universe!” he shouted as he ran forward and released the ball. The red sphere rolled like a fireball down the middle of the track, but just before it
reached the pins it veered to the right and knocked only a few pins at the side.
“Not bad,” said Billy.
“Good job!” Seth commended. He held a ball painted as Neptune, and was ready for his turn.
Seth took a run and threw the ball. The blue orb flew a good few feet in the air and landed loudly on the track. It went straight and hit right in the middle of the alien spaceship formation.
“Strike!” announced a voice through the speakers.
“That was awesome!” Billy and Mike exclaimed as they patted Seth on the shoulders.
Next was Billy’s turn. He took a few steps back.
“Hey, man, wait a second,” said Mike. “You may want to change your ball.”
“Yeah,” agreed Seth, “it’s a black hole—bad luck.”
Only now did Billy notice that his ball was completely black.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I’ll take my chances.”
He took a run, just like Mike and Seth before him, and made a throw. The ball hit the lane heavily and slid right to the gutter.
“Oh-oh.” Billy sighed in disappointment.
“Don’t worry, man. It’s just a warm-up.” Mike was getting ready for his next shot. He took a running start and released the ball. It went almost in the center and hit in between the first and second pins. The impact was so strong that it scattered the pins all over the place.
“Strike!” the electronic voice announced again.
“Now we’re talking,” said Mike with a big smile.
Seth took his turn. “For Mother Earth!” he shouted as he ran up and threw his ball. The ball flew a greater distance this time, landing a bit off center in the lane, but kept a good speed and hit in between the second and the third pins in the front row. Most of the pins went down, leaving only a few standing.
“Nice shot!” cried Mike in admiration.
***
That day the Galaxy was busy. The field trip brought many kids together. Some were playing, while others were waiting for their turns while cheering on their friends. Their voices were overlapped by the sounds of rolling balls and falling pins. In that mayhem, nobody paid attention to a man, sitting in a chair in the row by the wall, quietly observing the game. He had short white hair and was probably in his fifties. The man held a pencil and a notebook and, from time to time, was making notes. No one knew, however, that he had a special interest in Billy’s game. Whenever he threw a ball, the man would narrow his eyes and make another note.
***
It was Billy’s turn again. This time he took a longer run to gain more speed. Just before the red line, he released the ball. It rolled down the middle of the lane, but then it slowed, shifted to the side and ended up in the gutter again.
People were laughing. The boys from the other team were pointing at them.
“Don’t worry, Billy. You’ll do it next time,” Seth reassured him.
“Easy for you to say,” muttered Billy. Disappointed, he went to the chairs by the wall and plunked his body into one of them.
“Did you know they played bowling back in Ancient Egypt?”
Billy turned his head towards the source of the voice. He hadn’t noticed that a man was sitting two seats away from him. He had short white hair and was at least in his fifties.
“You have no control over the ball,” said the man, putting down his pencil.
“What do you mean?” asked Billy.
“Right now the ball is in charge; it goes wherever it wants to. You have no control over the ball.”
“And how exactly do you get control over the ball?”
“First you have to set up a goal in your mind,” explained the man. “You have to decide for yourself that this is what you really want. Then you put your fingers right inside those three holes and squeeze them tightly. Next, you lift the ball with two hands, look at the pins and find a spot where you want this ball to be at the end. After that is the easy part; send the ball there, and remember not to look at the track. Keep your eyes on the target at all times.”
“Sounds easy,” Billy said.
“Most importantly,” the man added, “you have to realize that you are in charge. Whatever you do is your choice, your decision and your call. No one and nothing can interfere with this. We call it state of mind.”
“Looks like you practice a lot.” Billy sighed. “I don’t come here very often.”
“Skills come with experience,” said the man. “And remember who’s in charge.”
“I am,” Billy said and smiled.
“Now go.”
Billy stood up and went back to the track.
“Right on time.” Seth handed Billy the pitch-black ball.
“Thanks, man.” Billy took the ball and held it with two hands; he put his fingers inside the holes and squeezed them tightly. Then, something unexpected happened. The lights went out. For a second there was darkness everywhere. Then the black lights kicked in, revealing glow-in-the-dark paintings of different aliens and monsters that had been hidden in the light. They were everywhere: on the walls, on the ceiling and even
crawling from the cracks on the floor. At the same time the alarm sounded, and flashing lights lit up the pins.
“The Wave, the Wave!” everyone shouted in excitement.
“Caution, caution!” an electronic voice declared from speakers. “Number one alert! The alien armada has formed an attack wave and is approaching our galaxy. Save the galaxy, save the Earth!”
“C’mon, Billy, it’s up to you!” Mike shouted over the alarm.
Billy held the ball with two hands; he squeezed his fingers inside the ball so tight that it felt almost like the ball became a part of his body. Then he took a few steps back, set his eyes on the pins and slowly moved forward. Step after step he went faster and faster and just before the red line he sent the ball in the air. Everything seemed to Billy like it was in slow motion—the rolling ball, the flashing lights—and his eyes locked on the target. We call it state of mind, he heard the man’s voice saying in his head. The ball made contact with the pins. One moment the pins were there, and the next they were all gone.
“Strike!” came the voice from the speakers, and then,” Double Strike!” Of course, you score double during the Wave.
“Yeah!” shouted Mike and Seth. “Did you see that? It’s like your black hole sucked them in!” They hugged Billy and patted him on the back. Cheerfully Billy turned around and looked back. The chairs were empty. He briefly felt a pang of sadness that the man wasn’t there and couldn’t see his success.
From then on, everything went smoothly. Billy didn’t always get a strike, but it wasn’t that important anymore. The main thing was this new feeling, a feeling he had never experienced before, the feeling of total control. He remembered the man’s voice. Set a goal, focus on the target. Who’s in charge?
“I am,” whispered Billy every time he threw the ball.
* * *
Chapter Nine
“It’s a Calendar”
Time flew by fast for Billy and his friends. When the game was over, everyone congratulated each other.
“Good game, guys,” said Mike.
“Likewise,” agreed Seth.
“Ditto,” added Billy.
Everybody laughed.
“How about we put our lunch money to good use and get something to eat,” Seth suggested.
“And celebrate,” said Mike.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you,” Billy said. “I just need to pick up my stuff from the locker.”
He returned his bowling shoes and went to the locker room. He retrieved his bag from the locker and opened it just to be sure that everything was all right. The hourglass was just as he had left it. Billy was about to close the bag when a sudden thought astonished him: the three holes in the hourglass looked exactly like the three holes in the bowling ball. Did you know they played bowling in Ancient Egypt? The man’s voice sounded in Billy’s head again. And overlapping his was Professor Bauman’s voice: The writings on the plate are in Ancient Egyptian. . . . It appeared that the plate and the writings were both dated to about 3000 B.C.