9 Time-in

CHAPTER 9 TIME-IN Suddenly the door opens and Principal Gradgrind walks in, holding a paper plane in his hand. "Gee, that was quick," says Terry. "Thanks for coming to rescue us!" "I haven't come to rescue you," he says. "I've come to find out why you removed the time-out rules from

the wall, wrote a message on the back, folded it into a paper plane, and threw it out the window, despite the rules specifically forbidding such actions!" "Because it was an emergency," says Terry. "But where did you find it?" "In the garden beneath the window," says Principal Gradgrind. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" "Yes," I say. "It must have been a bad throw. Can I try again, please?" "No, you may not!" he says. "But you can unfold the piece of paper, put it back up on the wall, and memorize the rules and regulations written on it." "I've got a better idea," I say. "How about you just let us go back home to our treehouse and we'll never bother you or break any of your rules ever again?" "I think you've already wasted quite enough time in

that treehouse of yours," says Principal Gradgrind. "But we don't waste time!"* I say. "Terry and I make books for Mr. Big Nose and Jill runs an intergalactic animal rescue service." "I also run a Ninja Snail Training Academy," says Terry.

"That's ridiculous!" says Principal Gradgrind. "I've never heard anything so nonsensical!" "You obviously haven't heard our three wise owls," I say. "They're even nonsensicaller." "But very wise," says Terry. "I'm not so sure about that," says Jill. I look up and see something flying through the bars

of the window. "Incoming UFO!" I shout. "Don't be silly," says Principal Gradgrind. "There's no such thing as UFOs!" "No, you don't understand," I say. "Not an alien UFO, an Unidentified Flying Object UFO— and it's heading straight for you. Stand clear!" I duck but Principal Gradgrind doesn't. The UFO flies through the bars of the window and lodges itself firmly in his upper arm.

He looks at it, puzzled, and moves as if to pull it out, but then he closes his eyes and slumps to the ground. "Principal Gradgrind," I say, kneeling beside him. "Wake up!" "It's no use," says Jill. "I don't think he's going to wake up." "You mean… he's d-d-dead?" I say.