Nineteen
Herbert inched his way down the secret staircase and saw Benjamin take several steps back to the wall of the basement below. Herbert bent down from his position on the stairs and caught a clear view of what Benjamin had seen. He leapt down the last steps a second later, where he crashed into Benjamin and forgot to help him back onto his feet in a rush to get close to the gleaming flying machine in front of them. Everyone stared.
The craft that Chris had taken them to was larger than their own by some measure, and it was immediately clear that this machine was piloted from the inside, sophisticated beyond the boys’ own accomplishments. Herbert rushed forward and ran his hands over the shining silver ridge at the front of the disc-shaped craft. Chris came to his side and Benjamin
