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"Kids, this story has taken an alarming turn! I think it's time to pray! We need wisdom and we need protection!"
"Amen!" echoed Grace and Aunt Betty. "Aunt Betty, you said you called your friend in England, Mr. Peabody, about the mysterious gizmo. What did he tell you about it?" Grace felt that Willie's aunt had been sufficiently restored by the cup of strong tea and could give some explanations now. Aunt Betty carefully set down her teacup. "Mr. Peabody listened carefully to my description. He said he had read about something that sounded just like it in one of his magazines- Mr. Peabody subscribes to a lot of unusual magazines." She picked up her cup and took another sip. "He thinks it's an electronic device of some kind." "Why did that upset him so much?" asked Willie. "What does the device do?" "He thought it was some kind of miniature radio transmitter. What worried him was the picture of the bird. He said that particular bird is a..." "...TAMBOOLIAN HERON!!" shouted Willie and Grace together. Aunt Betty looked amazed. "How do you kids know that?"
"But what does this have to do with Beantown? What does this have to do with K-BEAN? Why are they interfering with "Springs of Hope?" Grace picked up Grumpus, who growled. She hastily set the cat back on the floor.
"Ok, kids. I think we have come up with a good theory. It's strange, but it's good. I think it's time we called the police, because this mystery is getting to dangerous for us to solve by ourselves. Besides, I need to report the break-in. And I need to get that window fixed!" Willie agreed. "I would like to talk to Mr. Richards, K-BEAN's station manager. Grace and I need to go down to the station this afternoon, anyway, because our class at school is working on our own radio show. I'll ask Mr. Richards if it's possible for someone to use K-BEAN's transmitter tower to send messages to smugglers." Before Willie and Grace left the book shop, they helped her sweep up the broken glass. When all was tidy again, and a big piece of cardboard was placed over the broken window, Willie and Grace set off for K-BEAN and Aunt Betty reached for her telephone.
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When Grace returned with a cup of strong tea to settle Aunt Betty's frazzled nerves, they bowed their heads. "Lord," prayed Willie, "we need Your wisdom and guidance to help us solve this puzzle. And most of all, we need Your protection. We thank you that Aunt Betty wasn't hurt during the break-in. Amen."
"Mr. Peabody said these electronic devices are made in Tamboo. He thinks they are tiny radio transmitters. He doesn't know what they are being used for, but he did say that there was an international group of smugglers who had a hide-out in the mountains of Tamboo. He wondered if there was a connection." Aunt Betty was looking like her old fiesty self again.
"Smugglers! You think there are smugglers in Beantown?" Grace looked around the shop as if she expected to find a Tamboolian smuggler hiding behind the nearest case of books. "That's creepy!"