The Secrets of Ice Cream Success by AD Hartley Read Free Book Online Page A

light switch.
    ‘ I can’t see
anything’ Ben whispered trying to peer beyond Carlo.
    Norton jumped up with his hands
on Ben’s back to try and get a look. ‘What is it? What is it?’
    Carlo took another two steps
into the room but jumped back with a start as something brushed
against his face. ‘Wha! Oh… God, it’s just the light switch.’ he
said with relief, pushing out his hands to try and find it again.
Norton and Ben sniggered behind him. Carlo turned to throw a
withering look their way just as he found the swinging cord again
and gave it a tug.
     
    But before the light came on
Carlo was screaming.
     

Luigi Leodoni’s Diary
     
    Carlo was still screaming and
writhing on the floor even as the others were crumpling to it in
hysterics. He eventually managed to throw what appeared to be a
life sized rag dummy off him, which had fallen from the ceiling as
he pulled the light switch.
    ‘ Thanks Dad!’
he muttered as he pulled himself up using a small bannister next to
four steps that led into a large room lit from all sides by
elaborate wall lights. The dummy had all the hallmarks of a Mr
Leodoni practical joke. ‘Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, fuzzball!’ he
said, gently kicking Ben in the bottom as the others struggled to
regain their composure.
    ‘ I can’t
breathe!’ Abi wheezed trying to stand.
    ‘ I swallowed
my chewing gum!’ Norton added, which set them off laughing
again.
    Carlo hopped down the steps
into the room for a closer look. At the far end there was a huge
oak desk behind which there was a large, red leather wingback
chair. The oak panelled walls were lined with book cases and glass
displays.
    ‘ Why’d your
dad have a museum down here, then?’ asked Norton sounding very
unimpressed by the discovery.
    ‘ It’s not a
museum, it’s a war room.’ whispered Newton in awe. ‘It’s the nerve
centre of the Leodoni Empire!’
    ‘ I think it’s
just my Dad’s study.’ Carlo replied looking around the room. ‘I
remember him mentioning it, but I never knew where it
was.’
    ‘ What on earth
is that?!’ Ben shouted, striding past Carlo towards the glass case
against the wall. ‘Cool, remote control cars!’ he said as he looked
across a collection of old models of various ancient looking ice
cream vans.
    ‘ I don’t think
they work.’ Newton said, ‘But this might.’ he added pointing at a
polished metal ice cream machine hanging on the wall. It was a
large shiny contraption of steel and chrome, with various pipes and
vents that looked like a 1950’s idea of the future. ‘Your Dad made
it.’ Newton continued, reading the label on the wall next to it.
‘It was supposed to be a steam powered device that would
revolutionise ice cream delivery for remote areas without
power.’
    ‘ How?’ Abi
asked.
    ‘ Don’t know.’
Newton replied with a shrug. ‘It doesn’t say.’
    ‘ Does it
matter?’ answered Ben excitedly, ‘It’s an ice-cream machine. Who
cares why Mr Leodoni made it. Let’s try it!’
    ‘ We can’t.
It’s locked.’ Newton pointed out. ‘Anyway, I’d like to study it
first before we use it. It might be dangerous.’
    ‘ You sound
like my mam.’ said Ben.
    ‘ Well, it
might be!’
    ‘ It’s an
ice-cream machine! How dangerous can it be?’
    ‘ It doesn’t
matter, it’s locked.’ Abi repeated. ‘Plus, we don’t have any
ice-cream, so we can’t try it anyway.’
    ‘ We’re in an
ice-cream factory; of course we have ice-cream.’ Norton joined
in.
    ‘ An ice-cream
factory that hasn’t made any ice-cream for ages!’ Abi
persisted.
    ‘ Must be some
in the fridge.’ Norton suggested looking up at the roof to where he
imagined a freezer brimming with ice-cream was waiting for him on
the factory floor.
    ‘ Carlo can you
tell this idiot that you have no ice-cream!’ Abi asked, waving her
hand towards Norton. ‘Carlo?’ Abi span on the spot looking for him.
‘Where’s he gone?’
    ‘ We have no
ice-cream and the machine doesn’t work.’