“Did not,” said Fixing Bob contentiously. “And who the heck are you?”

“I don’t know,” said the hermit. “Not the point. Now keep out of this chair and let me fly.”

“Oh, I see,” said Fixing Bob. “My poor oxygen-starved brain has made you appear to fly us to safety. Good job, brain!” He stood up and leaned dizzily over the hermit.

“Get out of here,” said the hermit rudely, shoving him aside again. “Have you had this plane in the air the whole time since you stole it?”

“Well, I’m not sure,” said Fixing Bob. “I may have landed it a few times for fun. All right, maybe I did forget the code and had to stay grounded until I remembered. But I did remember. I’m a genius! Whee! And I didn’t steal it—I borrowed it. And furthermore … who’s asking?”

Fixing Bob seemed to think this was hilarious and fell over laughing next to Winifred, who said tersely, “Don’t get too close; I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Don’t throw up in your gas mask!” said Fixing Bob gaily. “That would make a great song lyric. Wouldn’t that make a great song lyric?” And he started to sing loudly.

The hermit got the plane under control and headed back to Vancouver Island. Then he turned around in his seat and surveyed the others.

“Right,” he said. “Zebediah, stop looking so scared. I’m going to fly the plane to the farm. I want the five of you ready to parachute. There are parachutes in the overhead. Fixing Bob—”

“Flying Bob,” corrected their father.

“Flying Bob knows where.”

“Right. I certainly do. I know where everything is on this plane. Just ask me. Ask me where something is. Anything. Anything.”

But they all stared at him in disbelief that he could be so obtuse about their situation.

“Anyhow,” Flying Bob went on when it was clear there were no takers, “clearly my brain has put this idea in the mouth of the pilot I have hallucinated. What a fine brain I have. Good job, brain.”

“I don’t know how to parachute! And something’s wrong with Daddy,” cried Winifred. “I’m scared.”

“Your father is fine. He just thinks we’re all imaginary,” said Old Tom. “He doesn’t know how you got here because he doesn’t know about the night garden.”

“That’s right,” said Flying Bob and then started another chorus of “Don’t throw up in your gas mask.”