identity of the Professor, and the amazing room he lived in. Many times since his last visit, Tad had walked back across the hills and gone about the long grass which grew rank and long about the hotel, looking up at the small, dirty window near the top corner. He had tried to see how the over-sized room might have fitted in. Was the stairway just a short one? Was it the whole top floor they had been in? Nothing seemed to work out. All the dimensions were wrong.

Eventually, he had given up the problem, and got on with the holidays. School would be starting again in a few weeks, so he might as well make the most of his free time, he decided.



Tad climbed about the trees, trying to get to the over-hanging branch again. He reached it, and began to inch up the rough bark. When he was far enough out, he gave a whoop and plunged downwards. The water rushed up to meet him and the icy fingers of the stream wrapped themselves about his body. He sank downwards. Above him, the brilliant sunlight shone on the surface of the water.

Suddenly it was nighttime.

Tad blinked in the darkness as he came back to the surface. Debbie was standing at the edge of the stream, calling to him. Behind her and above her the bright points of light, the stars, twinkled against a black sky.

"Tad! Tad! Are you there?"

She looked relieved as her brother broke the surface and called back.

"What happened!?"

"I don't know! I was sunbathing, when it suddenly went cold under me. Tad, Its nighttime!"

"I can see that!"

"But how did it happen?"

"How should I know! What's the time?"

Debbie rummaged through her pile of clothes and towels. She pulled out a watch and looked hard into it for a moment.

"Ten thirty!" she said.

"We'd better get home!"