Jupe’s eyes were thoughtful.
“Possibly, Bob, although I doubt it. However, we now have to consider the third mysterious happening. We were at the wall. I was testing it, I turned to show you what was on my knife, and then — ”
Pete nodded, and gulped. “Then the cave opened up and it got lighter all of a sudden, and the dragon came in. I see what you mean.” He scratched his head. “At least, I think I do. Maybe you’d better tell me.”
“All right,” Jupe said. “The cave opened up. How did it open? What made that possible? There was no opening outside that we could see. Otherwise, we certainly would have entered that cave rather than the first one, where Bob fell into the mud-hole.”
“Okay,” Bob admitted. “We couldn’t see any opening. But the dragon knew about it, somehow. Because he managed to open it. Maybe he’s a lot smarter than we are.”
Jupe raised his hand. “Remember, my theory is based on my feeling that everything was false and contrived. Therefore, the dragon was, too. And if it’s smarter than we are, then it’s only because the dragon is not really a dragon, but something controlled by some human agency.”
Pete blinked. He turned to Bob. “What’s he saying?”
Bob shook his head. “I think he’s saying our dragon is a robot, not a dragon. Is that it, Jupe?”
“I’m not certain yet,” Jupiter admitted. “It may be a robot, or some construction similar to the dragon used by Mr. Allen in his old horror film. We’ll find out in due course.
“What I am certain about, however, is the cave entrance. That, too, was not real. Unfortunately, we never tested it or examined it closely from the outside. I’m sure that if we do, we’ll find it’s a fake entrance — built of some lightweight material, just as any fake film set or prop is, covered and painted to make it look real. Anybody could build a fake rock. Whoever did it covered the true entrance to the cave. When he wanted to enter, or wanted his dragon to enter, he merely moved the fake opening aside.
“I’m sure you’ll both admit,” Jupe added, “that if the city of Seaside wanted to cover up a big cave or a tunnel, they wouldn’t use any lightweight, painted boards inside and fake rocks outside. They would have sealed it up solidly — with concrete!”
Pete looked out of the window of the smooth-purring Rolls. He frowned, then nodded. “Maybe you’re right, so far. If we go back tonight, we’ll test those rocks near the first cave entrance. But rocks don’t scare me. What I want to know about is the dragon. Why wasn’t it real?”
Jupiter Jones sat back, folding his arms.
“We all saw it about the same time. We were about the same distance away. Our hearing and sight are all on a par. Now what did we hear? What did we see?”
Pete and Bob were silent a moment, thinking.
“I heard a humming sound,” Bob said. “Then I saw it.”
“I saw a bright light — its eyes were shining,” Pete said. “About that humming sound, yes—I think I heard it, too. Just before it roared, anyway.”
Jupe nodded. “How did it move?”
“How?” Pete asked. “Very fast! ”
Jupe turned to Bob. “What do you say?”
“I’m thinking!” Bob mopped his forehead. “I agree with Pete. It came in very fast. Just sort of glided in.”
Jupe was watching him intently. “Like the dragon in the film Alfred Hitchcock showed us? Did it move the same way?”
Bob shook his head. “No. Mr. Allen’s dragon seemed to walk. Ours just kind of glided.”
“My impression, too,” Jupe said. “It wasn’t flying. It didn’t move its feet. It glided. Therefore my deduction — it was built merely to look like a dragon. Made to create a startling and frightening effect.
“And the explanation for its gliding is quite simple. Our dragon moved, or was propelled, on wheels! Don’t you remember we saw wheel tracks in the sand when we first came down?”
Pete and Bob looked at Jupiter open-mouthed.
“A dragon on wheels?” Pete repeated. “You mean, that’s what scared us half to death?”
“I remember something else,” Bob said. “We talked about it before. Mr. Allen’s film dragon roared. Ours seemed to cough a lot.”
“Exactly!” Jupiter smiled. “That’s what I meant about the human agency behind it. Or rather, I should have said, the human agency inside it.”
“What are you talking about now?” Pete asked groaning.
Jupiter smiled. “The man inside our dragon had a cold.”
The dignified voice of Worthington interrupted. “We’re at the Jones Salvage Yard, Master Jones. Shall I wait?”
Jupe nodded. “Yes, Worthington. Pete has to make a telephone call. Then hopefully we’ll go to his house and pick up something. And tonight, we’re going back to Seaside.”
He glanced at his partners. “Am I right, so far? Pete grinned. ”I just hope you’re right later — when we see the coughing dragon again!”
Jupiter’s respect for Pete’s father increased when Mr. Crenshaw gave the boys permission to use his projector and the new studio film without questioning their reasons.
“He didn’t even warn us about taking good care of it,” Jupe said. “I guess he trusts our judgment.”
“I don’t know about that,” Pete replied. “I’m the one who lives here. If anything happens to that film or Pop’s projector, I’m the one who gets it!”
The boys were at Pete’s home now, in the den used by Mr. Crenshaw for his home movies. Pete was rewinding the spool from the take-up reel. Jupiter had asked for a preview of the film so that he could better judge how effective it would be.
“All set!” Pete called. “Lights out, Bob!”
When the room was in darkness, he pressed the switch and the film began. The wall screen blazed with light, and soon the boys discovered that Pete hadn’t exaggerated. The photographed insects were terrifying when blown up to outsize proportions.
The sound track suddenly groaned down to silence, and Pete snapped off the image.
“Lights, please, Bob!” he called. “I’m sorry, but I’m showing you the wrong reel. This part comes later. I guess my Pop was running it through again to check on his effects.”
He was rummaging through the stack of cylindrical cans marked with various numbers when Jupe stopped him.
“I don’t think it matters, Pete. We don’t have to see the entire film now. This part showing the insects in natural surroundings is exactly what I had in mind.”
“But that’s Reel Six,” Pete answered. “It’s a flashback. That’s just the ants themselves, in the hills and along the shore, getting ready for their invasion of our cities.” He picked up another can. “This first reel shows them attacking the cities. The part I mentioned where they’re as tall as buildings.”
Jupiter shook his head. “We can’t show buildings or cities. We want to make it appear as if the giant ants have invaded the cave!”
Pete and Bob looked at Jupe, surprised.
“Is that where we’re going to show the picture?”
Jupe nodded. “With the built-in speaker in your projector, we’ll have all the sound effects. The wide-angle lens I noticed will be very effective, too. And most important of all, your projector is battery operated so we can run it in the cave.”