The Wally Hole (IQ Testing Book 3) Read online

  The mayor frowns with annoyance, twisting her nose bridge piercing into ugliness at Marsilla. “We must visually review some of the black circles along the barrier wall. This was your original brilliant suggestion, intern Marsilla. Why are you hesitating, now?”

  Marsilla smiles, elbowing Duchie. “This is Duchie’s original birth town. She should review the black circles and then interview with the authorities for the day. I would like, maybe, insist, here, that I be allowed to investigate the black circles inside the city of Montag, where…”

  “…the shops reside with new merchandise.” Rincon chuckles and nods. “We all want to visit inside the Montag shops, Marsilla, not just you. Don’t bother sucking up to the mayor. I suggest we stick with our original agreement. The interns view each outer township as a group.”

  The mayor nods and grins. “I agree.”

  The travel car jolts then halts at the end of the pavement roadway inside the city street of Colfax. It slowly glides and kills the manicured lawn grass and some wildflowers. The pointy engine hood of satin shiny nickel slowly taps and then penetrates smoothly through the golden barrier wall.

  Dandine

  8:13 am. southeastern yellow barrier wall

  blue sky. sunny. white clouds. cool. no rain. 3 mph winds. 68°F.

  The travel car emerges from the wall then sharply turns, without injury to the car or the bodies, from the stationary rows of limestone gray slate colored rounded walls.

  Marsilla holds her nose, sitting inside the car. “Poo-wee! We’re emerged, exactly, in the middle of the cesspools, containing everyone toilet water and disgusting nasty contents from their own bowels. I am not leaving the car. You can conduct the interviews, without me. I have generously volunteered to visit Montag, by myself, tomorrow. I can stay all day long, there, during the morning and evening shifts, while investigating each and every black circle then reporting back my findings.” She nods.

  The mayor frowns at Marsilla. “Very well, Marsilla! You may stay, here, inside the travel car, during our visitation to Dandine, keeping the me-chee happy. Everyone else, get out!”

  Rincon slides from the door then stands. He smiles, holding his breath, being concerned about the dookie smell, too. But, he is, also, curious about the black circles.

  Nephella smiles and stands, firing up her cigar. No one will complain about the nice smell, here, in Dandine. She shakes the cigar side to side, smelling the woody odor.

  Duchie slides from the car, dancing into the middle of the grass. She twirls around, giggling and sniffing. “Ya’ll are so dense. It doesn’t stink here.”

  The mayor glides from the car, standing. She removes the handkerchief, gently sniffing. Then, she smiles. “What is that lovely fragrance of pine talls and vanilla flowers?”

  Duchie fingers the thicket of trees, saying. “All the dookie poop is collected underneath the ground from underground pipes of rain water. The dookie poop lives in water, venting the smell, one. Two, the pipes of rain water is flushed underground, bathing the trees and flowers. This is a wetland sewer treatment plant. The field of white gravel around the trees allows the dookie particles to float into tiny air molecules then evaporate into the green leaves and flower beds, so the trees and flowers absorb the nasty odor, not the human noses. That’s why you don’t smell anything stinky.”

  The mayor smiles and nods. She walks towards the first worker. The worker is disguised in a yellow hard helmet, a yellow scarf, a pair of yellow gloves, and a yellow jumpsuit. She doesn’t know the name or the gender of the worker. “Excuse me, worker! I am the mayor of Colfax. I would like to speak with someone, here, in Dandine.”

  The young worker continues to measure the long metal devise, like a stick, inside one of the cesspools then swings the long stick in the direction of the mayor.

  The mayor gasps, back stepping from the draining stick of dookie poop. She sneers. “Who is in charge of Dandine? I would like to establish a meeting, immediately, regarding some urgent business.”

  The worker smiles behind the scarf, saying with a clear timber, looks at the stick. “You be mayor. You figure it out.” He swings, walking away from the mayor.

  The mayor frowns, watching the worker. The worker walks to another cesspool. She snarls. “Thank you for your time.” She views her palm-sized cell, studying the black circles.

  Rincon elbows Duchie, smiling. “Ms. Mayor, there are some new circles along this wall. I think we should investigate the newest ones, first. We might be able to solve the issue, there, too.”

  The mayor nods, exhaling and reading her cell. “Yes. That is an excellent idea! You can lead in the direction, intern Rincon.”

  Rincon and Duchie read their individual cells, walking in the direction of the newest black circles. He wipes the yellow dust, examining the barrier. He frowns with confusion. “Okay. This is the newest black circles. But, I don’t see any message, I mean mess, here. The farmers whacked their plows on the barrier wall inside the Burrville township. So, I thought, maybe, the workers whacked something along the wall, too, here, inside Dandine.”

  Nephella squats, burning the neatly cut healthy green grass with the fiery cigar. “I can address and answer the silly question. The barrier walls have been, accidentally, whacked with the lawn mowers. Look at the nicely landscaped yard, the nice flowers bed, and the trimmed tree and shrub plants. That is the unsolved mystery, here, Mama. Let’s leave.”

  The mayor stands before the barrier wall, studying the smooth line of yellow coloring. “What is on the other side of wall, at this particular barrier wall position?”

  Duchie frowns with confusion then says. “Colfax is on the opposite side.”

  Rincon shakes his curls. “I don’t think so. Based on the map room diagram, Colfax is in the middle of the yellow barrier wall. There are the two additional landscapes of both Burrville and Albend on the opposite side of Dandine. I believe, this is a direct passage or an open pathway, if it existed, into Burrville.” He nods and smiles at Duchie.

  Duchie smiles and nods. “O! I be wrong. This is Burrville. If you every broken the wall to the other side…”

  Nephella burns the grass, saying. “This wall position is Colfax, Mama. We solved the pings on the barrier wall, inside Dandine. Let’s go back to your office for breakfast, or lunch, or something.”

  The mayor studies the wall then Duchie. “Why did you change your mind, intern Duchie? You lived here, during your childhood. Are you confused or lost?”

  Duchie frowns then smiles, nodding. “O! No ma’am! I did live, right here, but I didn’t attend to the cesspools. I attended school, which is located, over yonder, way on the other side of the cesspools. These tiny houses, over there, belong to the single families, without any children.”

  The mayor views the wall, stepping closer. “I do not see any dents.”

  “Matter is not destroyed, Mama. Matter is changed. You can’t damage an e-field, ma’am.” Nephella says and burns more of the manicured grass.

  The mayor frowns with confusion. “There are not any indentations on the walls. However, we must prove, it is the set of lawn mowers, causing the pings and then eliminate those nasty teens from damaging the barrier wall. Who can we ask, Duchie?”

  Duchie laughs. “Well, I guess you can ask a citizen of Dandine. But, they won’t tattle on the teens, since one of them might be their son or daughter.”

  The mayor nods.

  Nephella burns the grass. “We are done, here, Mama. Let’s leave.”

  Rincon kneels at the wall, rubbing his hands over the surface then halts. He smiles. “I found something, Ms. Mayor.”

  The mayor gasps, walking to Rincon.

  Rincon rubs his hands over the wall. “Right, here, I found something different.”

  The mayor frowns with confusion. “What do you feel different, intern Rincon?”

  Rincon kneels, rubbing the spot between the yellow particles of dust. “An e-field is composed of charged ions. Normally, the ions are scattered, within an equa
l pattern, comprising the entire barrier wall. I have found a tiny spot, where the ions are cold, like ice water.”

  The mayor gasps, nodding.

  Nephella stands then swings to Rincon, frowning with confusion. “A tiny spot out of zillions of tiny spots, an astronomical weird conclusion, intern Rincon. It is nothing, Rincon. Let’s leave, Mama.”

  Rincon nods, touching the spot. “I feel a slight coldness to this particular spot, when I compare to the surrounding spots of warmth.” He stands, extending his arms.

  Ketona had discovered something, within the barrier wall, which was directly behind the city of Burrville, like he had challenged her. Since, Rincon plans to get Ketona moved back into the mayor’s office for the vacant fifth dram job.

  He is even with her height, reaching upward with his arms and hands, where her hands would touch. He smiles and nods. “I found another coldness spot, here.”

  Nephella drops her mouth, stomping to Rincon. “Impossible. An e-field cannot be harmed or modified.”

  Duchie bounces to Rincon, kneeling. She rubs the spot. “Dang! I feel a cold spot, too, when compared to the warmth of the surrounding molecules around the wall. Rincon is correct.”

  “What does it mean?” The mayor drops her mouth.

  Nephella drops to the grass, touching the cold spot, too.

  Duchie stands, swinging and nodding to the mayor. “Well, of course, I can’t prove this. But, of course, I’ve witnessed it about thousand and one times. Well, I do believe one of the teens…”

  “Brilliant teens,” chuckles Rincon. He rubs the cold then the warm spots, nodding.

  Duchie nods and smiles. “Yeah! I believe one of the brilliant teens has figured out how to penetrate the wall.”

  “Impossible.” Nephella frowns, rubbing the wall, feeling the cold then warm spots, also.

  “How would that be possible? Explain, intern Duchie!?” The mayor frowns with confusion, smashing her nose bridge into ugliness.

  Duchie swings side to side, smiling. “Well, I believe one of the brilliant teens might have created a something like devise to insert into the wall.” She snaps her fingers. “That’s it! She or he must have created a new something like devise and then inserted it into the wall. Then, the insertion procedure has created all the new black circles, here, inside Dandine. Clever, ain’t it?” She nods and grins.

  The mayor drops her mouth. “Unbelievable! That particular method would be impossible and unbelievable. That teen would, indeed, be brilliant, if that teen mastered that brilliant technique.”

  Rincon nods and stands. He swings to the mayor. “I believe that one brilliant teen has accomplished that feat, too, based, of course, on the single cold spot on the barrier wall.”

  The mayor walks to the wall, wiping the yellow dust. She rubs on the wall. “Would that teen be located, here, inside Dandine?”

  Nephella stands, winging and frowning at her mama. “Look, go, and ask one of the citizens that lives here. They must’ve seen this miracle brilliant technique, too.”

  The mayor nods then spins from the wall, walking towards a crowded table of dookie worker. The workers are eating lunch, wearing the yellow helmet and jumpsuit, not the gloves or scarf. And each worker wears a pair of sunglasses. The mayor says. “Yes, daughter, an excellent idea! Excuse me, worker! I am the mayor of Colfax.”

  The first worker sits and stares at the mayor, saying nothing.

  The mayor smiles and nods. “Worker, do you, usually, view a teen, or a group of teens near this barrier wall of yellow coloring, during the daylight or night time hours?”

  The second worker frowns at the wall then at the mayor. “The lawn mowers tap the wall, during the daytime hours.” She chews her food.

  The mayor drops her mouth, swinging to Rincon. “You are incorrect, intern Rincon. You are so smart, daughter. We shall leave. We will investigate Montag, tomorrow. Please, everyone enter the car.”

  Rincon frowns with confusion, sliding into the seat.

  Marsilla types on her cell. “What did you conclude with the black circles, Ms. Mayor? Is someone telling…”

  Nephella pitches the cigar into the grass then slides inside bench, slamming her body into petite Marsilla. She sneers into her eardrum. “The pookie travels underground. It doesn’t smell inside Dookie Town, so I guess it’s your imagination, smelling your farts, intern Marsilla.” She giggles with Rincon and Duchie.

  Rincon elbows Duchie.

  Duchie nods then exhales. “Mayor, I believe, sometimes, the lawn mowers have tapped the barrier wall. I never really saw it, since I was in school, learning about e-fields. But, think it, like this, Ms. Mayor. I did see some the teens whack and hit the barrier wall. Wonder if, one really smart brilliant teen has figured out, how to whack the barrier wall, just right, then the one really smart brilliant teen could escape from Dandine, anytime she or he wanted. Then, the one smart brilliant teen could walk around Colfax and go shopping, or eating the good chocolate cookies, or playing at the entertainment centers for fun. Wow! One really smart brilliant teen could do that.”

  Nephella frowns at Duchie. “Impossible. An e-field cannot be harmed or broken.”

  Rincon says. “I disagree. We drove into and then through the barrier wall, between the cities of Colfax and Dandine, without getting burned.”

  Nephella frowns at Rincon. “Inside a specially designed and fortified car made of nickel, if we were not inside this car, we would burn and sizzle, between the exposed edges of the electromagnetic field. Mama, did we accomplish the second assignment? Are we done for the day? And, what is the third assignment? I wanna get started then finished with our special assignments, today.”

  The mayor frowns at Rincon then Duchie. “One really smart brilliant teen could figure out how to escape from the barrier wall. How would that be possible, Duchie?”

  Rincon frowns, shrugging. “I don’t, especially, know, but I guess we could ask the one really smart brilliant teen, that did it. She or he would be a valuable asset to the internship. I would think.”

  The mayor frowns with annoyance, reading her cell. “The lawn mowers pinged onto the barrier wall. We have finished our tour, here, in Dandine. We will visit Montag, tomorrow. For the afternoon, we will research the maps of Montag, being a very large city.”

  Chapter 9

  6:48 pm

  Burrville.

  Farm house of Buffo’s grandparents. suppertime

  I fidget side to side inside my eating chair. I can’t ask to be excused, again, from the dining table, a second time, for a second night. Buffo’s grandparents would get worried or suspicious of my weird teen behavior or my non-sneezing facial cold.

  I exhale, staring at my empty platter of food. I wait on the younger children to finish eating their supper, before the family members are dismissed from the table.

  One of the pre-teen girls smiles at her mama. “Mama, where’s my dress for my birthday party on Saturday? Don’t I need to try it on, before the pins stick my legs? I hate it, when the sewing pins stab my legs.”

  The second of the three pre-teen girls smiles at her mama. “Can we decorate the barn, starting tonight? I want pink balloons.”

  The third pre-teen girl bounces, saying to her mama. “I want flowers on my special birthday table, too.”

  “Me, too!” The second pre-teen nods and smiles.

  “Me, three!” The third pre-teen nods and smiles.

  Buffo’s grandfather clears his throat, saying. “We gotta plant the seedlings on Saturday morning, honey. That’s going to take the farmers all day long. So, we plan to have a smaller party, right here, in the dining room. How does that sound?”

  The pre-teen girls stare at their dirty plates, nodding their curls, in silence.

  I exhale, staring at their hair roots of the three pre-teens with sadness.

  Buffo’s grandmother stands. “Supper be done! Everyone grab your dirty plates. Time to wash and clean the kitchen for your poor ole grandmother,” she chuckles.

 
; I stand, holding my dirty plate, watching the pre-teen girls.

  They sit, staring at their hands.

  My farm house

  I slam the door, loudly.

  The social signal indicates, someone is inside the house, so hide, fast.

  Hatch and Jara are hiding inside one of the eight bedrooms. The house is massive with eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and numerous living room spaces for a naughty teen party, if they had secret friends.

  I giggle, saying. “It’s me. Come on out!”

  Hatch and Jara creep down the stairs then come into the kitchen. They nod and smile.

  Buffo follows behind Ketona, sitting and smiling at the bar counter. “How was your day?”

  I stand behind the bar counter. “Forget that! We’re going to perform another rescue.”

  Buffo frowns. “Another rescue, of whom!?”

  I nod and smile. “Three fancy dresses for your nieces and their birthday parties, on Saturday. No time to talk. We can chat inside Montag, while shopping.” I swing towards the rear door. “Come on! Move it!”

  Hatch frowns as Jara giggles. She cuddles with Hatch, whispering. He smiles.

  Buffo frowns with confusion. “We can’t go shopping, inside Montag…”

  I swing around, giggling. “Of course, we can’t, unless we got some money. Where’s the money, honey? Ya told me that your grandfather was wealthy, last night, Buffo.”

  Buffo nods then frowns with puzzlement. He stands from the bar stool then stomps down the hallway, squatting. He taps then lifts the two wooden planks, showing tiny squared chips.

  I gasp with shock. “Aluminum chips, thousands.”

  “Probably closer to millions, I told ya. The money’s under the flooring.” Buffo laughs.

  I kneel, touching the chips. “Okay. Go and find some bags. We need to pay for our merchandise.”

  Buffo frowns, parking both hands on his hips. “What are you conjecturing up, Ketona?”