10 Needle in a Field of Haystacks

Chapter 10 NEEDLE IN A FIELD OF HAYSTACKS The purple button in the middle of Thudd's chest popped open. A purple beam popped out and at the end of it was a pale purple Uncle Al hologram. His eyebrows came together like fat caterpillars in the middle of his forehead. "Hi, guys!" he said. "I've been trying to reach you, but I've had trouble with the Hologram Helper." "Hey Uncle Al!" said Andrew. "We're in a tumbleweed! We're rolling toward Uluru rock!" "Good golly, Miss Molly!" said Uncle Al. "You did it! You found a way to use the wind!

"I'm super proud of you guys. Winka and I are at Uluru right now." "But how are you going to find us?" asked Judy. "Do you have your flashlight?" asked Uncle Al. "Yup," said Andrew. "Turn it on," said Uncle Al. "But it's such a small light," said Judy. "How can you see it in this huge desert?" "Winka brought her telescope," said Uncle Al. "It can find the tiniest glimmers of light from stars that are billions of miles away. Now we'll use it to find a speck of light that's much closer." Andrew reached over to where his flashlight was caught on a tumbleweed twig. He turned it on. Suddenly the tumbleweed stopped tumbling. "Uh-oh," said Andrew. "The tumbleweed must be stuck on something. And we're still pretty far from Uluru rock." "Look!" said Judy. "Headlights! Is that you, Uncle Al?"

"Probably" said Uncle Al. "There's not much traffic out here. We're going to stop so we can use the telescope." Andrew and Judy watched the headlights come to a standstill. "I have an idea," said Andrew. He untangled his flashlight and the Drastic Elastic from the tumbleweed. He climbed onto a twig near the outside of the tumbleweed and began to twirl the flashlight like a lasso. The flashlight made a big circle of light as it went round and round. "I see you!" said Uncle Al. "Even without the telescope." Now the headlights began moving toward them. They could see Uncle Al and Winka waving! They were getting out of the jeep! They were running toward the tumbleweed! Uncle Al picked up the tumbleweed, gently plucked Andrew and Judy out of it, and placed them in the palm of Winka's hand.

"Ooorf…," Judy burped. Her eyes rolled dizzily. "Blurk…" A sound between a hiccup and a burp came out of Andrew. "Hiya, Unkie! Hiya, Winka!" said Thudd. "There's a great pizza place at Uluru," said Uncle Al. "They even have witchetty grub topping!" Even by moonlight, Winka could tell that Andrew and Judy were looking a little green.

Winka smiled kindly. "How about pepperoni?" she said. "Ooooorp!" said Judy. "Give me five minutes!" said Andrew.