now, Ian. Just calm yourself until we figure this all out.”

Theo came to Ian’s defense. “But he’s telling the truth!” she said. “Landis, that is Ian’s box. We found it just today, in fact.”

“Of course you did,” said Searle with a sneer. “You found it right where I left it, under my bed.”

“I’ll have that, Landis,” Madam Scargill said, and she stretched out her hand expectantly. Landis gave her the box and Ian’s fists remained balled as his face became red with anger that the treasure he’d risked his life for was quickly being taken away.

“Ma’am,” he said through gritted teeth, “that box belongs to me.”

“No it doesn’t!” choked out Searle, still in the groundskeeper’s hold. “He stole it from me, he did!”

“Landis, if you would please release Searle …,” said Madam Scargill irritably.

Landis abruptly let go of Searle, who sank to his knees with his hands at his throat, as if he’d been choked to within an inch of his life.

Ian rolled his eyes at the theatrics. Meanwhile, Madam Scargill held the box up to inspect it before saying, “I shall determine who is the rightful owner of this box by asking the following question: Ian, how did you come to discover such an odd item as this?”

The question took Ian completely off guard. If he told her where he’d found it, she would surely never give it back to him, to teach him a lesson. If he didn’t come up with something, Searle would win the box. “I … I …,” he stammered, trying to think quickly.

“You see?” Searle jeered. “He can’t tell you where he got it because he pinched it from under my bed!”

“I found it out in the fields near the cliffs!” Ian yelled, his mind finally settling on a slight version of the truth. “It was buried under some scrub. That’s why it’s covered in dirt.” Theo, much to his relief, pumped her head up and down.

Madam Scargill, however, regarded the pair skeptically. She looked back at the box, her thin lips pulling down in a frown that clearly indicated she didn’t like to touch things that were dirty. Turning to Searle, she said, “Searle? Please tell me how this item ended up in your possession.”

To Ian’s fury, Searle’s face took on a mournful look and he cried, “My dear old aunt gave it to me the day she left me in your care, ma’am. She said it once belonged to my mother.”

“Liar!” Theo yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Searle. “Madam Scargill, Ian is telling the truth. He and I were out along the cliffs this afternoon, and he happened on the box in the dirt.”

“They probably nicked it from under my bed and took it with them to bury and that’s how it got dirty,” said Searle, glaring at Ian and Theo. “Oh, ma’am,” he added in a convincing wail, “won’t you please return my dear, dead mother’s box to me?”

Madam Scargill looked from Ian and Theo to Searle, and then to Landis as if to ask his opinion. “I don’t know who it belonged to, ma’am,” he said. “I just found it beside the boys while they was fighting.”

“Very well,” Madam Scargill sniffed. “Until one of you admits that this box is not his, I shall hold on to it.”

Ian scowled, but he’d expected her to say something like that. Madam Scargill was always confiscating something. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Theo open her mouth to protest, and he quickly reached to squeeze her shoulder while he whispered, “It’s okay, Theo. I have a plan. Let it go for now.”

Theo closed her mouth, but he noticed she couldn’t resist sticking her tongue out at Searle.

“As for the two of you,” Madam Scargill added, pointing to Ian and Searle, “you shall both go without supper. Now off to your rooms, where you will reflect on your misbehavior.”

Ian groaned, but before he turned to go, he remembered the giant beast. “Ma’am, may I say something?”

“This conversation is over, Master Wigby You have lost possession of the box for now,” she said firmly.

“But, ma’am,” he tried to explain. “It’s not about that—”

“I said this discussion is over!” Madam Scargill snapped, and Ian knew he dared not say one more word.

With an irritated groan he marched past Madam Scargill, his chin down, and sneered in the direction of Searle, who was smiling gleefully back at him the moment Madam Scargill’s head was turned. Theo came alongside Ian and the two entered