“Look!” Benny cried, grabbing Jessie’s hand and tugging on it. “It’s amazing in here.”
Inside the plane were six large leather seats, three on each side of the plane. Each had a small screen mounted on the wall next to it. In front of the row of seats were a leather sofa and a table. Everything looked brand new.
“It’s like a house inside a plane!” Violet said, sitting down on the sofa. “I wish we could go on the trip with you.”
“It’s very comfortable,” Christina said, setting the duffle bag down on one of the seats. “The seats recline, so you can sleep in them. There is even a shower aboard next to the bathroom.”
Benny tried each seat out, bouncing up and down in them. Christina showed them all the features of the plane, including the galley and the storage areas. Jessie and Henry wanted to see the cockpit, but as they looked in, something outside the cockpit window caught their attention. It was Mr. King driving toward them in a red jeep.
“Has it been a half hour already?” Jessie said. She had hoped to be able to ask the copilot to tell them more about the cockpit.
“Who’s that?” Henry said.
Another jeep, a black one, came speeding down the runway. It was going so fast, it was gaining quickly on Mr. King’s vehicle. The person in the black jeep was wearing sunglasses, but as it drew closer, they could see it was a woman, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail flying out behind her.
“Christina! You need to see this!” Jessie yelled.
Christina hurried in. She saw the jeep too. “It’s Anna Argent!” she cried. “Stay here!” She turned and ran out of the cockpit.
“What’s going on?” Henry asked. They looked out the cockpit windshield. Mr. King had just pulled up and Christina ran over to meet him. The children couldn’t hear her, but she gestured at the black jeep that was approaching him. Mr. King got out of his jeep and ran around to the passenger side and got in. Then Christina jumped in the driver’s seat and turned the jeep around.
By now, Benny and Violet had come into the cockpit and were watching the strange chase. “Where are they going?” Benny asked. “Is she trying to escape from Anna Argent?” But they could all see that Christina and Mr. King were speeding toward Anna Argent’s vehicle.
“She’s going to crash right into her!” Violet cried out in horror.
But at the last second, Anna swerved out of the way then turned and went in the opposite direction.
Suddenly the copilot’s voice came from behind them. “You’ll have to leave the cockpit,” he said. He didn’t sound worried, but as they moved away and tried to see out one of the side windows, they heard a crackling sound and then a voice coming over the radio. The copilot shut the door of the cockpit, and they couldn’t hear what was being said.
“Let’s go outside to see what’s happening,” Jessie said. They climbed down the steps and saw that Christina and Mr. King were now driving after Anna’s jeep. Suddenly Anna screeched to a stop near a fence by the airplane hangar.
Benny grabbed Jessie’s hand, wondering what was going to happen next as Christina slowed down the red jeep and drew close to Anna’s jeep. But something else was happening over by the airplane hangar. A man in a pilot’s uniform came out of a side door. Henry was sure the man was going to go over to the jeeps, but instead he took off running toward the plane.
When he got close enough, they all recognized him. “It’s Mr. Ganert!” Jessie said.
Mr. Ganert ran up the steps past them and into the plane, ignoring the children.
Was he flying the plane? Jessie wondered.
Henry shaded his eyes to get a better look at the jeeps parked by the distant fence. The red jeep was moving. “Christina’s turning around,” he said. “Maybe they’re headed back.”
But as the Aldens watched in astonishment, Christina turned the jeep again and raced along the fence away from them. Once again, Anna and the black jeep were in pursuit. Both vehicles rounded the corner of the office building and disappeared out of sight.
The Aldens stood there for a few minutes in stunned silence, hoping Christina would return.
“What should we do?” Benny asked.
“You need to get back on the plane.” A voice came from behind them. They hadn’t noticed the copilot had come to the door. “There is a message for you.”
The Aldens got back on the plane. The copilot shut the door behind them and hurried into the cockpit.
“What’s the message?” Henry called out to him.
The plane’s engines roared on. “What are you doing?” Jessie yelled. “We need to get off.”
“Just take your seats!” the copilot called back.
“What do we do?” Violet said, clutching the armrests.
Henry’s cell phone rang. “It’s Grandfather on FaceTime.”
When Grandfather’s image appeared, Benny cried, “The Reddimus plane is about to take off. Are we…being kidnapped?”
“No, Benny,” Grandfather said. He sounded as calm as always, which made Benny feel better. “I’ve spoken to Mrs. Silverton and Trudy. There has been a sudden change of plans. I think you’ll like what’s been decided. The Reddimus Society wants you to continue the mission and return all the items. Christina has something else she needs to undertake that’s very, very important. I’ve agreed to let you go in her place.”
Violet gasped. “That means going all the way around the world!”
“And that means keeping the items safe,” Henry said as he realized what was happening. “It’s a big responsibility.”
“I know you can do it,” Grandfather said. “And it’ll be exciting. The Reddimus Society and I will be looking out for you every step of the way. You’ll have help from people on every continent.”
“Where are we going first?” Violet asked.
Just then they could hear the loudspeakers in the airport where Grandfather was. “Flight 223 is now boarding,” a voice said.
“Watch and I have to go now,” Grandfather said. “Our plane is ready for boarding. Good-bye! We’ll be in touch when you land.”
Jessie turned the phone so that her sister and brothers could wave at Grandfather, and Grandfather turned the phone camera so they could wave good-bye to Watch too. Jessie sighed. She knew it would be too hard for a dog to come along on a trip around the world. “Bye, Watch. Bye, Grandfather,” she said.
When the phone call ended, Henry and Jessie looked at each other, then at Violet and Benny. They all reached out and held hands, squeezing tightly.
Violet took a deep breath. “Isn’t…isn’t this amazing?” she said.
They all laughed.
The engines grew louder. The plane started down the runway then took off.
This is really happening! Jessie thought as she looked out and watched the airport grow smaller and smaller beneath them.
When the plane leveled off and was cruising above the clouds, the copilot came out of the cockpit. “Everyone okay?” he asked.
Jessie stared at him. He didn’t have an accent anymore and his voice sounded very familiar. He took off his sunglasses.
“You’re Emilio!” she cried.
The others stared at the copilot. “Where’s your nose?” Benny asked.
Emilio laughed, reaching up to touch his nose. “It’s still here. Oh, you mean the one I wore on the train?”
“Yes,” Benny said, confused. “It was really big.”
“It was, wasn’t it? Just one of my disguises. People remember things that stand out about a person, so I like to add something that’s not really me. It’s easier to do my work for the Society that way.” He took off his hat and then pulled on his hair. It came off too. “Wigs come in very handy,” he said and reached for his mustache. He winced as he ripped that off as well. “I bet if someone asked you to describe your copilot, you would have said he had messy curly hair, a mustache, and strange sunglasses.”
“You’re right,” Violet said. “That’s all I noticed about you.”
“Y
ou can settle in,” Emilio said. “We’ve got a long flight. I’ll tell you some airplane jokes on the way but first we have to figure out where we are going.” He handed Jessie a small wrapped package. “A courier delivered this. It’s a clue to our first destination.”
The Aldens all looked at one another. “I’m scared,” Violet said.
“Me too. But I’m excited at the same time,” Jessie said. Henry and Benny nodded their heads in agreement.
Jessie ripped open the package. She pulled out a small statue of a cat made out of black stone. The cat sat upright on a stone base. It wore a collar of gold inset with blue and gold stones. The insides of its ears were painted gold.
“That’s so pretty!” Violet cried.
“You’ll have to put your heads together and figure out what it means,” Emilio said. “And soon too, so we know where we are flying.”
“We can figure this out, can’t we?” Jessie asked, handing the statue to Henry.
“We can,” Henry replied. Violet and Benny nodded their heads in agreement.
“Sure,” Benny said. “But first can we have a snack?”
Turn the page to read a sneak preview of
THE CLUE IN THE PAPYRUS SCROLL
The second book of the Boxcar Children Great Adventure!
The Aldens continue their mission to return lost artifacts around the world by visiting the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England, but along the way they must outwit a thief!
The camels all sat in front of the stable, their legs tucked beneath them. All different colors of pom-poms and tassels decorated their bridles.
“They look like they are all dressed up to go to a party!” Violet said. “What’s this tan one’s name? Can I pet her?”
“Her name is Al Rahila and yes, you can pet her,” Tareq said. “Benny, you and Violet can ride together on Al Sharif. He is old and a little slow, but good with children. Jessie, you can ride on Al Rahila. Al Mataya, the other tan one, would be good for Henry.”
Once they were all seated, Tareq taught them the command to get the camels up.
“Whoa, we are really far off the ground,” Benny said as he and Violet’s camel lumbered up into a standing position. Benny was glad he was riding with Violet.
There was much more swaying back and forth in the saddle than from riding a horse. They rode near a small village and then past it farther into the desert. When they turned back and came within sight of the lodge, Tareq asked, “Would you like to go a little faster?”
“Yes!” Jessie said. Henry agreed.
The trip back to the stable didn’t take long with the camels moving faster. Jessie had a bad moment where she nearly fell off, but she soon got used to the motion. At the stable, Tareq told them to hold on while the camels lowered themselves to the ground so they could get off.
“You are now camel riders,” Tareq declared. “I’m going to feed the camels now, but if you are hungry, there is a buffet set up inside the lodge. Help yourself.”
“Thank you for taking us on a ride,” Jessie said. “Are you coming in to eat?”
“I’ll be in soon, but I’ll have to eat quickly. I’m taking some of our guests out for a nighttime ride to look at the stars.”
They filled up on grilled meat kabobs and bean dishes and a delicious Egyptian flatbread called aish baladi.
By the time they finished and headed back to their tent, Benny couldn’t stop yawning.
Violet noticed and said, “I’m sleepy too.”
Henry looked up at the sky. “I see why this place is named Desert Stars. Look at all of them up there. A camel ride at night to watch them would be fun.”
“It’s nice to be so far away from city lights,” Violet said. The only lights they could see were those from the resort and from the village they had seen on their camel ride.
Benny walked into the tent. A motion in the corner caught his eye. It was a hand reaching through a cut in the canvas. The hand took hold of the duffel bag and dragged it through the cut.
“Someone is stealing our bag!” Benny yelled.
Jessie ran in behind Benny. He pointed to the corner. Jessie dashed over and tried to grab the bag. Her fingers closed on one corner, but whoever had hold of it yanked it through the opening.
Henry, who had come in too, yelled, “Outside!” and ran out the door. The rest of the Aldens followed.
At first, it was so dark, no one could see anything, and then Violet shouted, “There!” and pointed at a white shape darting behind another tent. The thief was wearing a long white robe, but there was so little light it was difficult to follow him.
They chased after him anyway, catching glimpses of white as they ran down the paths that wound around the tents. The person veered off toward the back of the resort, heading into the desert. Henry followed and managed to keep up, but he couldn’t catch the thief.
Jessie had an idea. “I’m going to get Tareq!” she yelled at Henry. She turned and ran in the direction of the stable. Violet and Benny followed her.
Tareq was taking the saddle off a camel. He looked up, startled at their appearance.
“Tareq! Someone stole our bag!” Jessie yelled. “They ran out into the desert toward the village.”
She pointed toward the lights in the distance. They could just make out a figure in a long white robe. Henry was just a dark shape running behind the figure, but Jessie thought he might be gaining on the person.
“Stop, thief!” Tareq yelled, but the thief didn’t stop. “No one steals anything from the Galal resort! We’ll catch them!”
He jumped back on Al Shamlal.
“Jessie, take Al Rahila,” he ordered, pointing at the camel Jessie had ridden earlier. “Benny and Violet, watch the others for me. Come on!”
Jessie barely had time to get on her camel before the animal got up and began to follow Tareq. Tareq urged his camel to go faster, and once it did, Jessie’s camel sped up too. Jessie found herself clinging to the saddle so she wouldn’t fall off. The camel was moving much faster than the jog they had done earlier in the day.
The camels drew closer to the running figure. “I’m going to try to get in front of him,” Tareq called back over his shoulder. “He’ll have to turn back then.” Al Shamlal sped up even more, so Jessie’s camel did too.
The two camels raced toward the village until they were between the village and the thief. The person turned to run the other way, but he tripped and fell just as Henry caught up to him.
As he fell, he bumped into Henry and Henry fell too. Jessie could see Henry grabbing for the bag as the camels drew closer.
Meet the Boxcar Children
HENRY ALDEN
At age fourteen, Henry is the oldest of the Alden kids. He likes to figure out how things work, which makes him good at repairing and building stuff! While he’ll never brag, he’s a great runner too! It’s not always easy being the oldest and having so much responsibility, but there’s nothing that Henry can’t handle.
JESSIE ALDEN
Jessie is twelve and a natural leader. She’s very organized—she makes lists in her notebook and always keeps track of facts when there’s a mystery to be solved. When her younger siblings need help, Jessie’s there. She loves planning adventures and taking care of Watch.
VIOLET ALDEN
Everyone knows ten-year-old Violet is creative—she loves to draw, take photos, and play the violin. She’s a little on the shy side, but because she’s quiet, she’s a careful observer. With her artist’s eye, Violet picks up on important details that her brothers and sister sometimes overlook.
BENNY ALDEN
Benny’s only six, but just because he’s the youngest Alden, it doesn’t mean he can’t help solve mysteries. He’s always curious and full of questions. In fact, one of his favorite questions is “When’s lunch?” because he’s usually hungry! Benny loves playing with Watch and visiting new places.
WATCH
Watch is the family dog, a friendly and smart wire fox terrier. When the chil
dren lived in the boxcar in the woods, they found him as a stray. Since then, he has been loyal to the Aldens, especially Jessie, who once removed a thorn from his paw. Watch also has a special bond with Benny, who gives him treats!
Visit www.boxcarchildren.com/meet-the-boxcar-children to take the Boxcar Personality Quiz and find out which character is most like you!
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GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER grew up in Putnam, Connecticut. She wrote The Boxcar Children because she had always dreamed about what it would be like to live in a caboose or a freight car—just as the Aldens do. When readers asked for more adventures, Warner wrote more books—a total of nineteen in all.