The TV Time Travellers Read Online Free Page A

turned away and started sniffing into her hankie.
    ‘Crybaby,’ teased Leo.
    ‘I know, it’s pathetic,’ she said.
    ‘It so is,’ agreed Leo. ‘We’re only here for three weeks – maximum. And some of those evacuees were away for the whole of the war, weren’t they? Well, let’s ask the walking history book.’
    That was me, of course, so I said, ‘Quite right; they left as children and returned six years later, practically grown up. And when some children did return they found that their family had moved away.’
    ‘Don’t give my parents ideas,’ grinned Leo.
    Then Mr Wallack told us to come away from the window as we were about to leave. We all obeyed him instantly. As the train chugged off I thought, This train is really a magic carpet, carrying me away to my all-time favourite period in history.
    During the journey we were allowed to talk very quietly or do these jigsaws Miss Weed had brought for us.
    But only Harriet and I bothered with the jigsaws. Leo watched me though, and pretended he was really interested. ‘Oh, nice work,’ he kept muttering as I put another piece in the right place.
    Suddenly Harriet leaped up. ‘I’m sorry,’ she gasped, ‘but I feel very sick.’ Then she rushed out of the carriage.
    Izzy got up too. ‘I’ll see if she’s all right,’ she said.
    But Miss Weed popped up, looked at Mr Wallack for a moment and said she would deal with this. A few minutes later Mr Wallack got up too. ‘Continue talking very quietly,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’ Then he left as well.
    ‘He really creeps me out,’ hissed Izzy.
    ‘Don’t forget, we’re being filmed,’ said Barney, nodding at the cameraman, whose face was as blank as ever.
    ‘Oh, who cares?’ said Leo. Then he shouted: ‘Mr Wallack is just a big bag of tedium, and if I had to look at his face for another second I’d feel sick too.’ We all laughed in a shocked way, while Barney opened the carriage door very slowly and looked out. Then he hastily shut it again. ‘They’re coming back,’ he said, ‘and Harriet’s got a very strange look on her face.’
    ‘No, that’s her normal expression,’ said Izzy.
    The carriage door opened and Harriet sped in. ‘Alarm over, just felt a tiny bit sick for a moment, but I’m fine now.’
    ‘Of course you are,’ said Miss Weed firmly.
    Harriet beamed away, but without actually looking at anyone. I think she was highly embarrassed. I felt sorry for her. I wondered if she’d just had an attack of nerves.
    Angry clouds had been massing when we left the station. By the time we arrived at Little Milton the weather had turned wild. Rain splashed down and then thunder crashed so loudly it made everyone stop talking for a moment. ‘Very good sound effects,’ said Leo. ‘I suppose
Strictly Evacuees
has laid this on especially for us.’
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ said Mr Wallack. Then he announced we were now going to walk to the farm.
    ‘In this?’ exclaimed Izzy.
    He ignored her. But then Izzy said, ‘Well, I’m sorry, I’m not walking in this. I’ll get pneumonia.’
    ‘I don’t remember asking for your opinion,’ said Mr Wallack.
    ‘Well, you got it anyway,’ she replied defiantly.
    Mr Wallack started to twitch and looked as if he was about to say something very fierce. But then Miss Weed whispered something to him and he said, ‘In view of the extreme weather, we shall in this one instance call for a taxi. Isobel, I wish to speak to you. The rest of you go into the waiting room with Miss Weed.’
    Izzy was gone for ages and when she returned with Mr Wallack she was much quieter.
    A few minutes later the taxi arrived and we all crammed in, the cameraman too. Rain lashed down outside and the wind joined in, howling away.
    ‘Do you think the weather is trying to tell us to turn back?’ whispered Barney to me.
    ‘Oh, no,’ I replied, ‘we’re going to have the best time of our lives.’
    As we drove into the farmyard, there was a brilliant flash