The Ideas Pirates Read online

  The Ideas Pirates

  A Frequent Flyer Twins mystery

  Written by Hazel Edwards.

  Illustrated and designed by Jane Connory.

  ‘Slipper orchid’ was the clue. But is it a flower, a pirated cassette or a group of smugglers?

  Pirated cassettes, tiger bones for traditional Chinese medicine, and the T-shirted gnome interest the sleuths Amy and Christopher as they leave Singapore’s Changi Airport.

  Along the way, they discover some idea pirates and solve a mystery.

  Airport security changes fast. If our Frequent Flyers travelled tomorrow, there would be new regulations and electronic devices.

  Some of their past mysteries were solved without the technology we have now.

  Also in the Frequent Flyers Series, by Hazel Edwards.

  Copyright © Hazel Edwards and Jane Connory, 2011.

  Written By Hazel Edwards.

  www.hazeledwards.com

  Illustration and design by Jane Connory.

  www.ineedalogo.com.au

  ISBN 978-0-9871078-2-4

  All electronic rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  Teacher resources and activities available -

  http://www.hazeledwards.com/shop/item/the-ideas-pirates-frequent-flyer-twins-series-e-book

  Contents

  Chapter 1 Slipper Orchids:

  Chapter 2 The Queue:

  Chapter 3 Idea Pirates

  Chapter 4 Mystery Man

  Chapter 5 Spider Person

  Chapter 6 Fake Fifis

  Chapter 7 Bones Scam

  Chapter 8 Cassette Piracy

  Chapter 9 Armpit Smugglers and Designer Pirates

  Chapter 10 Are Gnomes Just Hand Luggage?

  Chapter 1

  Slipper Orchid

  ‘Slipper Orchid,’ muttered a man behind Amy. He pushed a slim, square package into her hand.

  He kept walking.

  ‘Hey ...’ Amy turned. ‘Who are you?

  But the man had vanished. Opening the package, she looked at the disc. ‘What’s this for?’

  ‘He’s gone.’ Christopher peered into the crowd filling the Singapore Changi airport.

  The man had melted into the quickly moving passengers. Families waited for relatives to come or go. Business people exchanged cards. Some used their laptops or mobiles. Music boomed from electronic gift shops.

  But the man had vanished.

  ‘Why did he say that?’ Amy looked at the blank cover. ‘Why did he give this to me?’

  ‘He said “awkward” didn’t he? You ARE awkward sometimes,’ said Christopher in that way brothers talk.

  ‘But I’m sure he said “orchid”, not “awkward”! And he said “slipper” too!’

  ‘Are you sure? Lots of background noise here. What’s on the e-disc?’

  Excitedly Christopher looked at the cover. No labels. ‘We’ll have to find a player. Did you pack yours?’

  He went on fast -forward when he got excited.

  Amy pretended to be cool. ‘It’s in with my baggage. But I’ve got my I- audio with me.’

  ‘There must be a player around here somewhere.’

  The AIRPORT ELECTRONIC man wasn’t keen on them looking at his display . And he didn’t want them to play their own disk

  ‘Don’t touch that. It’s my demo equipment.’

  Christopher tried again. ‘Can’t you demo this e-disc to us?’

  ‘If it’s yours, you know what’s on it. You don’t need me to play it for you.’

  Salespeople often thought children were users not buyers. This time, he was right. Christopher pushed back his glasses. He needed time to think. He felt in his bum bag. Grandma’s ‘lucky’ money was in there. Next term’s school project was on ‘Flying” and he needed more photos.

  ‘Can I re-charge my cam?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Okay. We’ll shop somewhere else.’ Christopher re-zipped the bum-bag. Meanwhile Amy wondered if that man had mistaken her for someone else? Had the e-disc been stolen? Maybe there was a secret message on it? They needed to play it!

  Changi Airport was very big and shiny like an outer-space port. Boxed purple-pink Singapore orchids filled the flower shops. And decorated the passageways. Long walkways stretched between numbered gates leading to the planes. Passengers hurried. Security was tight.

  ‘So much security today!’ noticed Amy. What were the uniformed officials looking for? Was someone planning a protest? Was an important person travelling through? Had there been a tip-off ?

  Some Indian passengers wore turbans. Passengers pulled baggage on wheels. Travellers busy going somewhere that was important to them, wanted others to know that . So they talked loudly.

  Why had the mystery man left this e-disc with her? Where did he want it taken? Did he say ‘ awkward ... slip you ... or orchid slippers? And what did it mean?’ Amy shifted her purple and aqua backpack to a more comfortable spot.

  ‘Perhaps it meant shoes like the ones Mum bought in Little India . Or orchid shaped slippers?’

  ‘You don’t wear flowers on your feet!’ said Christopher.

  ‘Did he mean the flowers or something else? Was it a clue?’

  It was a mystery, luckily. And the twins preferred to spend their airport time solving unusual problems.

  ‘Sorry Madame. Do you have two tickets?’ The booking clerk looked embarrassed.

  At the front of the queue was a very big lady, carrying a red and white plaster gnome wearing a T-shirt.

  The garden gnome had a big painted smile and VERY white teeth. Printed on its T-shirt was GNOME MESSAGES.

  The twins were at the back of the queue, but they could hear everything.

  ‘Why do I need two tickets?’

  ‘For two seats.’

  ‘Why? I am travelling alone to Sydney.’ She looked down with a slight smile.

  ‘My gnome doesn’t need a ticket.’

  The clerk looked even more embarrassed.

  ‘Er...So that you will have plenty of room on the flight. Plenty of room to sit It’s a long flight from Singapore to Sydney. The basketball team has already booked out the bulkhead seats. They need room to stretch their long legs.’

  ‘Don’t you know who I am, young man?’

  The clerk nodded. ‘ Your name is on your passport. And I’ve seen you on Singapore television.’

  ‘I’m Fifi ... the famous model. I’m known all over Asia and in Europe. My BIG T-shirts with gnome slogans are my trademark. Gnomes are now fashionable, thanks to me!’

  ‘The famous model ...’ echoed the clerk. ‘D’ you mind if I call my supervisor?’

  Christopher nudged Amy. ‘She’s the one who wears the Gi-normous Fifi shirts on the TV. ads.’

  Amy was busy examining her package for clues. No stamps. No sender and it wasn’t addressed to anyone on the front. And yet the mystery man had chosen her. Why?

  When Christopher nudged her again ,Amy looked up and recognised Fifi.

  ‘She compered the Fifi-shirt fashion parade at that Tee-Riffic store in Orchard Road yesterday afternoon.’ she whispered.

  People who liked shopping loved Singapore shops. Mum hated shopping so
they bought next year’s clothes all at once. Amy liked browsing in Arab Street for Malay jewellery, but Mum didn’t like browsing anywhere. Fashion parades didn’t interest her.

  Impressed by Fifi’s shape, Christopher was working out how to draw the ex-model.’ She’d be wonderful to draw! All curves. And if the garden gnome sat on her lap, I’ll draw that too.’

  Fifi’s upper arms wobbled.

  To get a closer look, Christopher grabbed Amy’s autograph book, took one of his top pocket pens and pushed forward.

  ‘Excuse me. Could I ask a favour? Could I have an autograph for my sister? She wants to be a model when she grows up.’

  Fifi’s teeth dazzled as she signed the autograph book. ‘There you are dear. Maybe you’ll be like me when you grow up.’

  Amy didn’t say anything. Yesterday’s shopping had put her off buying clothes for life. Interestingly Fifi looked very comfortable with her size, not like some fat people.

  ‘I must move on. Being famous takes so much of my time.’

  ‘Thank you very much.’ Christopher looked carefully at the squiggles. They looked like tiny graffiti.

  ‘Fifi’ was hard to read in those squiggles.

  ‘I don’t want to be a model when I grow up. I’m going to be Prime Minister.’ hissed Amy. ‘And it doesn’t matter what you wear then, even if you’re a MODEL Prime Minister!’

  Christopher pretended not to hear. He was sketching.

  ‘Give me back my autograph book.’

  Amy often collected signatures at airports. Her autograph- book was always ready in her backpack. Once she got the whole Australian cricket team to sign.

  ‘The WOMEN’S cricket team,’ Christopher kept adding.

  Other times she collected retro-phone cards, stamps, stickers or badges. Her favourite badge was ‘BAN EVERYTHING’ She wore it on her back jeans pocket until she sat on the pin!

  The airport newsagency was nearby. A man was scanning on a machine just inside the door. His friends stood around offering advice. He didn’t seem to have the right money. Or maybe the paper was too big? Perhaps they didn’t understand the language of the instructions on the machine? There was some shouting in what sounded like German. Christopher could recognise the language sounds, but not what they said. He squinted at the SYD label on one man’s briefcase, trying to read his name. ‘BEN something.’

  ‘Dumkopf!’ spluttered the man with the map looking across at Christopher.

  For a moment, Christopher thought the man was talking to him! He felt embarrassed at getting caught watching so closely. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘He’s talking to himself, not to you,’ muttered Amy.’ Anyway, scanners have a language of their own. You have to speak nicely to them. He hasn’t learnt that yet.’

  ‘You just follow the instructions,’ said Christopher. ‘They’ve even got pictures showing you what to do.

  Did you hear about that guy who wanted a copy of an old CD? He put the real CD on the photocopier and pressed the button. He got a black photocopy of the shape of the round CD.’

  Amy laughed. ‘Wouldn’t that mess up the CD? I think “dumpkof “means stupid in German.’ Amy had a jigsaw mind of facts because she read so fast.

  ‘I’ll remember that, dumpkof.’

  Losing interest in the copiers, Amy returned to her mysterious e- disc which had music .

  Usually a cover had a name and a band. This one didn’t even say who recorded it. Carefully she opened the cover again.Inside was the flimsy, gleaming disc. Holding it by the sides, she lifted it out carefully.

  ‘Hey, there’s something underneath!’

  Chapter 2

  The Queue

  Excited by her find, Amy waved the card around. ‘Looks like a business card. 3 DISC, THE GREATEST PUBLIC RADIO STATION in Australia. 3DISC’

  Christopher took the card. ‘Great logo.’ He admired the sketch of a microphone.

  ‘Do you think that card is from the sender, or where it’s supposed to go?’

  ‘When we get to Sydney, let’s check at the post office. They have telephone directories for everywhere. Or we can Google it.’

  .If we’ve got time. Aunty Viv will probably be late.’

  ‘As usual.’

  Then Christopher had another idea.

  ‘Got any change? Thanks. I’ll only be a minute! Keep our place in the ticket queue.’

  Big Ben and the arguers had gone by now. A burly man with a big suitcase joined the queue. He looked a little nervous, especially when he heard Fifi complaining.

  Christopher fed money into the available scanner. He lifted the lid and put the 3 DISC card on the glass for copying. It would be useful to have a second copy if the twins were both trying to check where it came from. He pressed the button.

  A map slid out.

  ‘Hey!’ Christopher grabbed the black and white copy. He bent over the marked map. Australian parks with crosses on certain areas.

  Why would Big Ben and those travellers need this? Christopher checked the money slot. His coin was still there. Perhaps the man put more money in when it didn’t work the first time? Perhaps they were bush-walkers working out where they wanted to go?

  But why had he left his map behind? Maybe he just took one and left the other by mistake?

  The German travellers had vanished into the airport crowds. Christopher knew where they were going.

  Their bags had SYD on the tags. Probably they’d be on the same plane because, it was another three hours until the next flight to Sydney.

  Carefully Christopher folded the map and put it in his sketch book. He also took the copy of the 3 DISC card. He could give the map copy to Big Ben later, on the flight.

  ‘Chris! ‘ Amy was nearly at the front of the queue now. Fifi was waiting at the side clutching her gnome and looking cross.

  Hurrying to join his sister, Christopher tripped over a jutting out backpack. The owner ,a dark haired young man was speaking loudly into his mobile

  ‘Jason here. Nothing much happening in Singapore. I’ll contact you from Sydney if he contacts me.’

  The backpack flapped open showing rainbow layers of shirts. Christopher made a grab for the backpack and caught one side. Shirts spilled onto the ground.

  ‘Sorry,’ muttered Christopher. ‘I just didn’t see it.’ Nervously he pushed back his round glasses. Owners of glasses weren’t always clumsy. People just expected them to be. So he tried to close the flap carefully.

  ‘Idiot!’

  Jason dropped on his knees and looked around quickly to check who was watching him. Amy was. So was Fifi. Who stepped towards him.

  ‘Excuse me young man! Where did you get those?’

  ‘ER ... I bought them...’Jason looked slightly nervous.

  ‘But who did you buy them for?’ Fifi pulled one out for a closer look.

  ‘That’s none of your business.’ Jason stuffed the shirts back inside.’ I like lots of changes.’ Then he turned ,strapped the purple and aqua backpack and put it quickly into the baggage chute. That meant it would be stored underneath in the baggage compartment of the plane. Hand luggage went on board with the passengers. Amy clutched her backpack. Edwina was inside. She was hand luggage, always.

  ‘It just MIGHT be my business,’ boomed Fifi. ‘Just a minute young man!’

  But the airline clerk interfered.

  ‘Your tickets are here Madam. And I must keep the queue moving. Could you talk somewhere else?’

  Firmly the clerk gave out the tickets and grabbed Jason’s bag. It jerked down the conveyor belt.

  People in the queue were complaining. ‘This is so slow!’

  ‘Can’t they hurry up?’ The burly man looked unhappy.

  Quickly Jason flipped the phone shut and stowed it in his briefcase. After getting his boarding pass, he strode away.

  Fi
fi couldn’t move fast enough. ‘I’ll catch up with you later, young man!’

  Meanwhile, Christopher thought about what Jason said. He was wrong. Lots happened in Singapore, especially if you stayed with Mum’s family. Swimming, eating at roadside stalls, visiting temples and extra Chinese lessons if their grandmother caught them. Gran didn’t think much of their Chinese language skills. So she made them speak it all the time. And then a man gave a mysterious package to your sister. That was something happening!

  ‘I wonder why he has so many shirts? You couldn’t change thirty times a day.’

  ‘Maybe he likes being colour coordinated?’

  ‘With that many colours! Co-ordinated with what?’

  Later the twins found out. Once they had their seat allocations, Amy wanted to look around the airport shops.

  ‘Gateway 8 at 11 am. You know where to go and what to do?’

  ‘Yes. Thank you.’ Amy gave Christopher his boarding pass.

  Children travelling alone were called Unaccompanied Minors, or UMs.

  The airlines looked after them even though the twins had travelled by themselves many times before.

  ‘Hurry up. We’ve got an hour before the plane goes. Let’s look for the mystery man. AND I’ve got a few Singapore dollars left from Gran’s New Year’s “lucky’ money”.

  She unwrapped the ‘lucky’ red paper.

  Outside the flower shop, Amy looked at the jonquils and peonies. ‘Aren’t they the flowers with Chinese names which mean wealth?’

  ‘Can’t remember the Chinese word,’ admitted Christopher. Their grandmother wouldn’t be pleased about that. She’d spent the holidays improving their Chinese conversation.

  ‘There’s another U.M.’ Christopher pointed at the dark haired boy sitting with a name-tag on his jacket.

  An airport attendant was bending over, speaking to him kindly. He had a wrapped present in his lap.

  ‘Looks like a first-timer.’

  ‘Hi. Why are you going to Sydney?’

  The boy looked at them. “How did you know where I was going?’