When the little dial that told them they were at their destination lit up green, Tookie made a lunge for the door handle right across Marianna before she could could even reach for it. But she stopped him.
"Wait!" Marianna grabbed his arm and held it hard.
"What?" Tookie looked at her like she was crazy. "Don't you want to get the jewel and get Cheena and get out of here????"
"Yes! But we don't have a plan yet--we can't just burst into the house and demand the jewel! Think, Tookie, think!! How are we going to do it??" Marianna was almost out of breath she felt so worried and anxious.
"We're wasting time!" Tookie looked at her and shook his head slowly, for once not saying anything. It was the first time she had ever seen him look so serious. He was right. They would have to do this and fast or else--she didn't want to even think about the possibility of never seeing Cheena again. It was all like a bad dream.
"Okay, then. But don't do anything or say anything stupid. Just play it by ear, right? And let me do the talking, okay?" He nodded, looking sadder and more worried than she had ever seen him, especially with his eye getting puffier by the minute.
But when Marianna opened the door of the BRATT and they stepped out, they got the shock of their lives. There was Mrs. Nott standing right in front of them She looked like she was expecting them.
"Here!" said Mrs. Nott "Take it! I've been waiting for this moment since I was eleven years old!" And she stretched out her open hand--in it was the purple pendant! She placed the purple stone in Marianna's hand as soon as Marianna stretched out her hand to receive it. Marianna just stood there speechless and Tookie's mouth was hanging open.
"But...but how did you know?" Marrianna finally stammered, looking back at Mrs. Nott. "And how did you know we would land here....?"
Marianna's voice trailed off as she looked around at the little clearing--she stared down at the large purple gleaming jewel Mrs. Nott had just placed in her left hand. Marrianna's right hand still clutched the tent she had intended to put up. Now there wouldn't be any need to pitch the tent, because they had the jewel and could go right back and rescue Cheena. Almost giddy with that happy thought, she looked back in Mrs. Nott's face.
"Thank you!" She blurted out.
"You're welcome." said Mrs. Nott, sounding kind of automatic. She looked anxious and a little worried, and she kept glancing back toward the house.
"Look," said Mrs. Nott, "I know you don't have much time and I know I don't have much time either. Marianna might come out any minute, and I don't want her to see any of this. She loves that pendant as much as I do, and her birthday is in four days. She wouldn't know what was happening if she saw me giving it to you two...."
"July 23rd?" Tookie broke in. Neither Marrianna nor Mrs. Nott had been paying much attention to him. He was squinting his swollen eye up, like he was trying to make it less noticeable. "Today's the 19th--makes sense."
Marianna glanced at him and scowled. He was always stating facts when they didn't really have anything to do with anything--like getting out of here and getting back to Cheena and rescuing her.
"Yes," Mrs. Nott replied. "We're having a cookout and yard party for her and I know she thinks I am going to give it..."--she pointed to the jewel--"...to her for a birthday present because.......well, I just do. But now you've got to get going........" Suddenly she seemed to notice something. "What happened to your dog? Wasn't she with you when you left a few minutes ago? And what happened to your eye?" Mrs. Nott looked like she might run in the house and get an ice pack for it, so Marianna jumped in.
"He's okay, he just got bitten by a black fly--he's like that, allergic to things. Maybe he ate something that he shouldn't have. Anyway, I want to know one more thing, really quickly and then we have to go."
"What?" Mrs. Nott looked as nervous and eager for them to leave, and Marianna felt the same way, but she couldn't help asking one more thing.
"How did you know about how we needed this?"--she held out her hand with the jewel in it. "I mean, how did you know about the BR---I mean, do you know it's a time machine? I mean--how?"
Mrs. Nott smiled at her quickly and then resumed her anxious expression.
"Okay. I'll make it quick and then we both have to go before Marianna comes out. When I was eleven, right before my birthday I got this in the mail"--she pointed to the jewel--"I was out here--right here--and suddenly this" --she pointed at the BRATT--"appeared and a woman got out and told me that when I was all grown up sometime, two kids would appear and one of them would be named Marianna, and that I would have to give the jewel I had gotten in the mail for my birthday to them. And that she was from the future and jewel was from the past--something like that. Okay kids--good-bye!"
"Are you sure it was this--?"Marianna pointed at the BRATT. It seemed impossible!
But Mrs. Nott was not answering. She was already striding quickly away from them toward the house.
"Yes!" She shouted back, not even turning around. Then she stopped and turned around said it once more so there was no question she meant it--yes! And then she turned and almost ran into the house.
Marianna turned to tell Tookie to get in the BRATT, but he had beaten her to it. He was in it already and at the controls. She jumped in after him and slammed the door.
"Get out of my seat! I'm driving!" No one else was going to drive when she was on her way to get Cheena.
