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“Have you? The journey of a thousand steps begins with one. How many have you done?”
“We haven’t done a thousand steps; we’ve only begun this journey together.” I said.
Natalie looked at me sideways but didn’t say anything and I gave her a quick smile.
I moved so I could put the camera at a better angle to see Boffo and Natalie interacting. I had the camera on me and her while we were in the aquarium. Normally, there would be a film crew if we were doing an episode but since it was just Natalie and me, we put body cameras on and I would edit the footage later with the crew.
“Good answer, but have you looked and searched in all places you should to find what you’re looking for? Maybe what you seek is right in front of you?” Boffo asked and tapped on the telescope.
“We haven’t looked inside the telescope,” Natalie said and stepped in front of it.
“You’ll need a quarter to get it to work,” I said but I didn’t have any.
“Shoot, I don’t think I have one. I’ll go see if I can get some change.” Natalie looked over at one of the shops.
Boffo stepped in front of her before she could walk away and said, “I can help you out, but you first must answer this riddle: I can be roasted but I’m not a turkey. I can be ground but I’m not a pepper. I can be pressed but I’m not a button, I can be brewed but I’m not a beer. I’m a bean but I’m not magic. What am I?”
Natalie looked over at me and smiled, I could tell she wasn’t sure if Boffo was just some random guy who was talking to us or if he was part of the hunt like Sally was. With his comment I knew he was in on it.
“Do you know the answer?” I asked her.
“Of course. It was your father’s favorite drink. He couldn’t go even one day without drinking it.”
“Of course. I don’t think I ever saw him before noon not holding a mug or thermos in his hands. I wasn’t allowed to drink coffee in my mother’s house and I’m sure it was because it reminded her of him.”
“She really did a number on you, didn’t she?” Natalie asked.
“We all make mistakes in our lives or think we’re doing what’s best for our children. She did hers. As did Dad.” I replied and she nodded.
“It’s coffee,” she said to Boffo who beamed at her.
“Very good. Here is your quarter,” he said and reached into his pocket and pulled out the biggest paper quarter I had ever seen.
Natalie laughed. “Um, I don’t think that will fit in the slot. Do you have another one?”
“This is the only one you need,” Boffo said and with an overly dramatic bow, he handed the quarter to Natalie and walked away.
She looked at it then up at me and laughed. “This is ridiculous. It isn’t going to work.”
“I don’t think the point is to use it in the telescope but to open it. I think that’s our next clue,” I said.
Chapter 11
Natalie
You will go to the place
That is a floor but not a room
Can wave but has hands
Is wet but is not a towel
Has currents but no electricity
Covers a lot of the planet but is not land
Deep below you will find something
