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Chapter 25
Jackanory Square
Yesterday, Benet arrived in town.
The word spread like wildfire. It was impossible to keep it from the kids, because Rory, TomBaker’s eight year old son, helps out making the time machines. As soon as Rory knew, all of his friends knew, and then the whole of Lancaster knew.
Around Jackanory Square the shops and cafés have been preparing for the influx. Betty knows that the Find Thyme Café will have more guests than usual. Julia and Marcus are setting out extra tables and chairs in front of Magnum Opus, just as the Colonel and Miss Gibson arrive. DocDan is wheeling out a small trolley from the Central Library, bringing a long rope and The Stump.
He’s not a doctor! Doc is short for “document”.
DocDan is the assistant librarian and he knows the library inside out. If somebody needs a particular book or document, DocDan will find it quicker than anybody else. Half of the time he doesn’t even need to look up the index. He was nicknamed DocDan by the real doctors who work at the research institute next door.
“Good to see you Benet!”
“Dan! How are you?”
“I’m fine, how are you?”
“Frazzled. As usual!”
That’s Benet’s standard response. On a good day he’s frazzled, and on a bad day he’s double plus frazzled. It’s only when story time is over that he lightens up. If anything doesn’t go quite right he always blames his old frazzled brain. If it all goes well, he’ll claim to have succeeded, in spite of his befrazzlement.
According to Benet, that’s a genuine English word! If he’s challenged he just says, “well it is now! The English language is fluid you know! Always changing!”
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