Explosive Adventures by Alexander McCall Smith Read Free Book Online

continued to carry the popcorn off to market and the islanders continued to grow it. There was one change, though. At the trial of the pirates, which took place on a much bigger, more important island, the judge declared that under the law of piracy, a pirate ship belonged to the person who captured it!
    “So,” said the judge, “I now declare that the pirate ship currently lying inthe harbour of the Popcorn Islands is the property for all time, and forever hereafter and theretofore, and all the rest, of those three brave children, namely, to wit, those herewith described.”
    Judges have a very grand way of speaking, and what he really meant to say was that the pirate ship now belonged to Lucy, Hermione and Sam.
    They were delighted by this, and they spent a great deal of their spare time polishing the decks and making sure that everything was in good order. Then, when visitors arrived, which they did from time to time, they were given a marvellous tour of the islands by thethree children on their pirate ship. And when he had his holidays, which he now always spent on the Popcorn Islands, Captain Foster would give sailing courses in the pirate ship for all the local children.
    These were great fun. At the end of each day – after a busy sail in the great ship – the children would sit on the deck with Captain Foster, and Biscuit of course, and drink lemonade. Then popcorn would be served – crisp, delicious Popcorn Island popcorn – of which no one ever gets tired. And as the sun would sink over the horizon into the sea, Captain Foster and the children would often chat abouttheir adventure with the popcorn pirates, and agree that it would make a wonderful story, if somebody ever cared to write it all down …

1
    In the Bubblegum Works
    Have you ever visited a bubblegum factory? No? Neither had Billy, even though there was one right on the edge of his town. There it stood – the Better Bubblegum Works – with its tall chimney and its two very grand gates, both painted bubblegum pink.
    This factory was run by a man called Mr Walter Alliwallah Pravindar Gopal, usually just called Mr Gopal, or even Walter. Mr Gopal was a well-known man in the town, and very popular with everybody. As he walked down the street, people would say, “Good morning, Mr Gopal. Fine day, isn’t it?”
    Mr Gopal would beam at them in a very friendly manner and say, “Excellent day! Oh, yes it is! Very fine indeed!” And as often as not, he would reach into his pocket and offer them a stick of Gopal’s Best Pink Bubblegum, wonderfully fresh from the factory. People liked this.
    Billy and his sister, Nicola, always greeted Mr Gopal very politely, and were usually rewarded with a stick or two of bubblegum. They thought Mr Gopal was quite the friendliest person they had ever met and were both very proud that he had chosen their town in which to build his famous factory.
    Then, one day, Billy saw Mr Gopal walking down the street, shaking his head and looking rather sad.
    “Good morning, Mr Gopal,” said Billy. “It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”
    Mr Gopal looked at Billy sadly. “I am sorry to say, Billy,” he began, “that even if it’s a nice day, I’m not enjoying it at all. Dear me!”
    Billy was astonished. Nobody had ever known Mr Gopal to look sad. There must be something very seriously the matter.
    “Is there something wrong at the factory?” he asked.
    “Yes,” said Mr Gopal, shaking his head again. “There is something very wrong at the factory, and if you come along with me I shall show you exactly what it is.”

    Billy was excited to be going into the bubblegum factory, even if Mr Gopal seemed in such a sad mood. As he accompanied Mr Gopal through the front door, he smelled the wonderful smell ofbubblegum – a smell like no other smell. It was a pink sort of smell – a smell that seemed to get bigger as you smelled it and then burst, just like the popping of a bubble.
    “This way,” said Mr Gopal. “We shall go to