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Chapter 2

Moment of Silence

"So, what do you know about Duncan Oakes?"

Jill Acton stared across the lunch table at Ben and stopped chewing the bite of tuna salad sandwich she had just stuffed into her mouth.

"Hwuh?"

"Captain Oakes," Ben said. "What do you know about him?"

Jill took a glug of milk, wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her rugby shirt, and said, "I know he's a weirdo -- a dead weirdo. And he was rich. And he probably enjoyed making small children miserable, or else he wouldn't have turned his big old building into a school -- it should have been a prison. Or a pet hospital. Anything but a school. Okay, that's too harsh. I guess I'm just ready for a long break. Like a whole summer."

"You really think Oakes was weird?" asked Ben.

"What -- you don't?" said Jill. "Who has himself buried in the middle of a school playground? And who designs his own giant tombstone so it has a place for a seesaw? And then sticks iron rings everywhere so kids can climb all over it? I'll tell you who: One seriously weird old lunatic."

Ben nodded thoughtfully as he finished his second piece of chocolate cake. Even though the sixth graders ate lunch last, there was usually plenty of cake left, and Ben loved cake. And he always ate dessert first.

Jill had a good point about the captain's tombstone. It was a massive dome of gray granite, about eight feet across and almost five feet tall -- except where it was notched for a seesaw. The seesaw board had been removed years ago for safety reasons, but the gravestone was smack in the middle of the playground at The Captain Duncan Oakes School, and kids still scrambled all over it every day during recess. It was definitely an odd spot for a man to have himself buried.

Jill narrowed her eyes, took another huge bite of sandwich, and mumbled, "Hacomyowrinressedncapnoakesalvasudn?"

Ben didn't want to discuss that, so he shrugged, and took his own huge bite of grilled cheese.

Truth was, he had been thinking about Captain Oakes the whole morning. And about the gold coin. And the writing on it. And about everything the janitor had said to him.

Was he supposed to be doing something about this stuff? Like getting Mr. Keane's phone number, or maybe going over to his house to talk some more? Because there were tons of questions. It was all just so...weird. Jill had picked the right word.

He glanced her way, and the tuna sandwich was gone. Now she was destroying half a dozen carrot sticks. Ben was sure the guys he usually ate with had spotted him, sitting here with her. They had to be wondering why. Couldn't be helped. Right now he needed some real brain power -- and she was smarter than all of 'em put together.

While Ben was still chewing, the intercom speaker on the wall of the cafeteria crackled, followed by one clang from the ship's bell.

"I need everyone's attention for an important announcement."

It was the principal, Mr. Telmer, and the cafeteria quieted down a notch or two.

"For many years Mr. Roger Keane has been head custodian here at Captain Oakes School. His wife just called me to say that he was taken to the hospital this morning with what seemed like a simple problem, but it became more serious. And I'm sad to tell you that about an hour ago, Mr. Keane passed away. He was a good man and a hard worker, and I know all of us will miss him. So let's please take a few moments of silence together now while we remember Mr. Keane."

The lunch room went completely still except for the humming of the milk cooler.

Ben felt like the cafeteria was spinning. He could barely breathe. Dead? He was dead? They had talked, just a few hours ago. And now...he was dead.

After about twenty seconds, the principal said, "Thank you, and I want everyone to have a safe afternoon."

As the cafeteria came back to life, Jill narrowed her eyes at Ben. "You look like you're gonna be sick. Are you okay?"

Ben nodded, and tried to smile. Then he took a drink of milk, but it tasted sour and bitter. He felt dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Jill asked again.

"I'm fine," he said.

But it wasn't true.

Ben got up to go dump his tray, and in the front pocket of his cargo pants he felt an unfamiliar weight banging against his leg -- the gold coin.

And as he headed out for recess, there was the new janitor, tall and thin, standing beside the playground door. He was leaning on the handle of a big dust mop -- probably the same mop Mr. Keane had used this morning. As a crutch. Before he died.

Ben and the janitor made eye contact, and Lyman nodded slightly, his long face expressionless. Then he reached out with his foot and pushed the door open.

"Thanks," said Ben, and went outside, forcing himself not to run his tongue across his front teeth.

A brisk on shore breeze was blowing, and he pulled in deep breaths of cool salty air. He was one of the first kids on the playground, and he walked straight for the big rock with the name OAKES cut deep into the stone, each letter eight inches tall.

Grabbing one of the iron rings, he put the toes of his sneakers into the flat groove made by the bottom of the E, pulled himself up, and clambered to the top. The granite was warm from the late April sunshine.

Ben looked past the south corner of the old brick building, through the oak and maple and beech trees, across the school's front lawn to the harbor wall. And then his eyes reached all the way out across the blue waves of the bay. A wide open view like this usually calmed him down, helped him think clearly. Today it wasn't working, and Ben knew why. He'd probably been the last person at school to talk to the old guy. Before he died. And the man had been so serious about everything, and so...trusting. And how had Ben responded to him? Fear. Plus a little disgust. He'd almost been glad to see him go.

And that talk with the janitor hadn't been some ordinary little chat. Ben had looked into the man's eyes while he swore to keep a secret. Then he had accepted a token, a gold coin. From a dead man.

And on that coin, there was a direct command from Captain Oakes -- another dead man.

Then there had been talk of the attack on the school. And talk about fighting to defend the place.

He could still feel Mr. Keane's grip on his wrist.

During the past eleven and a half years, nothing had prepared Ben for something like this. So he tapped his tongue against his capped front teeth and kept looking out to sea.

He heard someone climbing the rock from behind, and a few seconds later Jill sat beside him.

She was quiet for a minute, then said, "Is this about your parents?"

Ben shook his head. "Nope." No way did he want to think about that, not today.

His mom and dad were going through some problems, and Jill was the only other kid at school who knew about it. Ben sort of wished he hadn't told her. He understood that she wanted to be a help, but if he ever got the least bit quiet or thoughtful, she always assumed he was worried about his parents' separation.

And he was worried about it. But not constantly.

"So what's bugging you?" she said. "Is this about old man Keane? I mean, I'm sorry when anybody kicks the bucket -- it's a lousy thing. But sad stuff happens all the time, so why stress out about it? That's what I say."

Ben had to smile a little at the way she put it. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

After a few seconds, Jill said, "So...this must be something else then -- I know. You're all scared about the big social studies test this afternoon, right?"

That made them both laugh, because Ben was a total brain in that class.

He jumped down off the gravestone and looked up at her. "Listen, I'm fine. Really. But thanks for asking. And now I'm going to the library and review some more for that big test...because I'm so scared about it. Later."

Walking away, Ben felt a little better, and he was glad Jill had come looking for him. But he needed more time alone. He had a lot to think about.

© Andrew Clements 2010