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儿童英语读物 The Comic Book Mystery CHAPTER 4 The Secret Signature

时间:2017-10-26 03:14来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“But why?” asked Benny, shocked. Sid had been so nice, giving them lunch and everything. Why would he refuse to sign their comic book?

“Because,” stated Sid Hoyt, “your comic is a fake. I didn’t draw it.”

Jessie gasped1. “A fake! Are you sure?”

“Positive. Wait here a moment.” Sid went over to his studio and opened a cabinet. He took out a comic and came back to the dining table.

“This is one of the original printed copies of issue number nine,” he said. “In every issue I create, I hide a secret signature in addition to the one on the splash page. It’s just a fun thing I do. The signature is hidden on page two in this comic. Can you find it?”

The kids gathered around, trying to spot the signature.

Violet shook her head. “I don’t see it.”

“I’ll give you a hint.” Sid pointed2 to the third panel. “It’s hidden in the fold of Captain Fantastic’s cape3 in that panel. Now can you find it?”

Henry spied it immediately. “There! Those lines in the folds of the cape by his knee are really your name. But it’s really hard to see.”

“Many fans know about my hidden signature,” Sid said. “But they haven’t been able to figure out where it is. I always hide it in Captain Fantastic’s cape. And I put it in a different place in each issue.”

Jessie was comparing Sid’s copy of number nine with theirs. “Ours doesn’t have the secret signature! Just lines.”

“I’m afraid the comic you bought is counterfeit4,” Sid told them sadly.

“Who made the fake comic?” asked Violet. “And why?”

“I don’t know who is making the fakes,” Sid replied. “But let me explain what happened with the original number nine. After I make my final pencil drawings, I write down what the colors are supposed to be. Kind of like a paint-by-numbers chart. Then I take the comic to the publisher. A person there, called a colorist, colors in the original drawings, using my notes.”

“Did that person make the mistake on number nine?” Benny guessed.

“Yes, but only because I wrote the wrong color on the chart,” Sid replied. “Instead of putting the number for green on Captain Fantastic’s suit in the second story, I accidentally wrote the number for orange. The colorist didn’t catch the slip, so number nine was printed with Captain Fantastic wearing an orange cape.”

“I still don’t see why that makes the comic so hard to find,” Jessie said.

“Collectors think the mistake makes the comic a curiosity,” said Sid. “They either hang on to their copies or sell them at high prices. The comic is becoming scarce. I believe someone thought they could make a lot of money if they printed a fake version of number nine.”

“We paid twenty dollars for ours,” said Henry.

“I’m sorry,” said Sid. “Where did you buy it?”

The kids told him about Al Conrad’s booth at the antiques show. They also told him about the note that was stolen at the library.

“What did it say?” asked Sid, interested.

Violet replied, “It said, ‘I’ll try to get orig. of number nine. Sid.’ Your name had quotation5 marks around it.”

There was something else about the note that was strange, but she couldn’t remember. They hadn’t had the note long before it was stolen.

“Maybe ‘orig.’ is short for ‘original,’ ” said Jessie. “And the quotation marks must mean it was someone pretending to be you.”

“Like when you see a sign at a restaurant that says ‘homemade cooking,’ ? Violet explained. “The quotation marks mean the food is like homemade cooking, but really it’s cooked at a restaurant.”

“The person who wrote the note must be the counterfeit artist,” Henry concluded.

Counterfeiting6 is wrong,” Sid said sternly. “If other fans bought the phony number nine, they were cheated, just like you. I don’t know who made the fake comic, but I want to catch him.”

The Aldens looked at one another.

“This is your lucky day!” Benny said.

“How so?” Sid asked.

“We’re detectives!” replied Benny. “We’ll find the fake comic book artist for you!”

Sid smiled. “This is my lucky day! You’re hired.”

The children shook his hand to seal the deal.

“You bought the comic from a dealer7 named Al Conrad,” said Sid. “Maybe he is part of the counterfeiting scheme. I’ve been to lots of conventions, but I’ve never heard of Al Conrad.”

“There’s a big comic book convention this Friday in Hartford,” Henry remarked. “I bet he’ll be there.”

“I bet so, too,” said Sid. “I’m going to the convention to give a talk about my work. I’m also auctioning8 off a piece of original Captain Fantastic art for charity. I really want this case solved. If my young fans find out they own a fake comic, they might think I’m behind the scam.”

“Maybe only one fake comic was made,” Violet suggested.

Sid shook his head. “Not very likely. It’s expensive to produce a comic book and only print one or two copies.”

“Do you think Al Conrad is involved?” Henry asked.

“I suppose he could be, but there’s no way to tell right now,” said Sid. “Besides,” he added, “all of us in the comic book world—artists, dealers9, fans—try to get along as much as possible. I can’t very well point the finger at Al if I don’t have evidence.”

Finishing his lunch, Sid changed the subject. “I’m delivering the new issue of Captain Fantastic to my publisher tomorrow. Would you like to see it?”

“Oh, boy!” Benny said eagerly. “Would we!”

Sid Hoyt showed them the final illustrations, including the last page still taped to his drawing table. Notes in the margins10 referred to colors.

“It looks like a neat story,” Benny told Sid. “It’ll be even better in color.”

“The drawings are great,” Violet said admiringly.

“Violet’s an artist, too,” said Henry.

“We’ll have to chat sometime,” Sid said to her. “I’d like to know what kind of art you like to do best.”

Violet blushed. A real artist was interested in her work!

Sid unzipped a big leather case and slipped the drawings inside plastic pockets on either side of the case.

“Why don’t you come with me to the publishing house tomorrow when I deliver the new comic. I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

“Would you really?” breathed Benny.

“You live in Greenfield. It’s on the way to ABC Comics,” said Sid. “I’ll pick you up.”

“I’ll write down our address,” Jessie said, fishing for paper in her purse. “You don’t know how much this means to us. It’s just—”

“Fantastic!” Benny finished for her.

Everyone laughed.

Henry checked his watch. “We’d better be leaving if we’re going to catch the afternoon bus back to Greenfield.”

“Would you like me to give you a lift to the bus station?” Sid offered. “It’s no trouble.”

“No, thanks,” Henry said. “We have plenty of time and we enjoy walking. Thanks again for everything.”

“I’ll be at your house tomorrow at ten,” Sid said.

“We’ll be ready,” Violet told him.

The children said good-bye, then left Sid’s house. The cats, Batman and Robin11, were napping under an azalea bush in the garden.

“Isn’t he a nice man?” Violet said. “I liked his wife, too.”

“I hope we can help catch the comic book counterfeiter12,” said Henry.

Jessie, who was walking behind the others, kept glancing over her shoulder. The trees grew close to the sidewalk. Their long branches reached out like giants’ arms.

She shivered, even though it was warm outside.

Violet noticed. “What is it?”

“I feel like we’re being watched,” Jessie said nervously13.

“Do you see anybody?” asked Benny, looking around.

Jessie shook her head. “Not with all these trees— ”

A loud boom interrupted her. The children jumped.

“It’s just a car backfiring,” Henry reassured14 them. “Probably that old clunker there.”

A beat-up blue station wagon15 drove slowly along the road, causing traffic to back up. A white pickup16 passed the station wagon with a roar of impatience17.

Benny watched the white pickup go by. He paid attention to cars. Where had he seen that white pickup before?

“Whew!” Jessie said, fanning her face. “One of those cars is blowing a lot of smoke.”

“It must have a hole in its muffler,” Henry said knowledgeably18. “That’s why it’s so noisy. Hey guys, we’d better hurry or we’ll miss the bus.”

They got to the bus station just in time. After settling into some seats across from each other, they discussed their new case.

“The note said the fake Sid is trying to get the original of number nine,” Henry said. “Only, I’m not sure about the word original. Are the counterfeiters trying to find a real copy of number nine?”

Jessie shook her head. “I don’t think so. The counterfeit artist has one already. He needed something to copy, after all, while he was drawing the fake comic book.”

Violet spoke19 up. “Remember when Sid showed us the pieces of art he was going to bring to the comic book convention? He called it ‘original art.’ It was the very piece that he drew and painted himself, not just a copy of it.”

“And that’s why the counterfeiter wants it!” Jessie said suddenly.

“Wants what?” said Benny.

“The drawings that Sid showed us—the originals. They’re the only evidence that the fake Sid copied the comic book and copied it wrong,” said Jessie. “The secret signature is the proof.”

“And if they get rid of the drawings, nobody will be able to prove that the counterfeiters did anything wrong,” said Henry.

“When will the counterfeiter try to steal it from Sid?” Violet wondered.

“We’ll have to stay on alert,” said Jessie.

“We’ll be ready for anything! Just like Captain Fantastic!” said Benny.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
3 cape ITEy6     
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风
参考例句:
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
4 counterfeit 1oEz8     
vt.伪造,仿造;adj.伪造的,假冒的
参考例句:
  • It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
  • The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远,实际是最近的一幅赝品。
5 quotation 7S6xV     
n.引文,引语,语录;报价,牌价,行情
参考例句:
  • He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。
  • The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。
6 counterfeiting fvDzas     
n.伪造v.仿制,造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
  • National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网
7 dealer GyNxT     
n.商人,贩子
参考例句:
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
8 auctioning 17df2bef7f8ff0723ac334a46ad2352b     
v.拍卖( auction的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The Army is auctioning off a lot of old equipment. 军队正在把大量旧装备拍卖掉。 来自辞典例句
  • So she's auctioning off a chance to go to an awards dinner? 那么她在拍卖与她共赴晚宴的机会了? 来自电影对白
9 dealers 95e592fc0f5dffc9b9616efd02201373     
n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者
参考例句:
  • There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
  • The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败,与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。
10 margins 18cef75be8bf936fbf6be827537c8585     
边( margin的名词复数 ); 利润; 页边空白; 差数
参考例句:
  • They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
  • To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙,加左或者右的margins来定义链接。
11 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
12 counterfeiter gvtzao     
n.伪造者
参考例句:
  • If the illegal gains are very large the counterfeiter shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than seven years and be fined. 对于违法所得数额巨大的,处3年以上7年以下有期徒刑,并处罚金。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Judge: (asking a counterfeiter) Why do you make false money? 法官:(威严地问假币制造者)你为什么制造假币? 来自互联网
13 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
14 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
16 pickup ANkxA     
n.拾起,获得
参考例句:
  • I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
17 impatience OaOxC     
n.不耐烦,急躁
参考例句:
  • He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢,他显得不耐烦。
  • He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。
18 knowledgeably 2a50ba5c64c54004cb4967a5a99ad7a1     
adj.知识渊博地,有见识地
参考例句:
  • You should be prepared to talk knowledgeably about the requirements of the position for which you are applying in relation to your own professional experiences and interests. 你应该准备有见地地去谈论你所求职位对求职者的要求,与你自身的职业经历和个人兴趣之间的联系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The speaker discoursed knowledgeably on a variety of subjects. 演讲者头头是道地论述了一系列问题。 来自辞典例句
19 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
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