Free No Rules by R. A. Spratt Page A

Headmaster.
    â€˜Yes, Benjamin Franklin was a politician, as well as a postmaster, a diplomat and a scientist,’ said Friday. ‘A scientist who performed one of the most famous experiments of all time.’
    â€˜Oh dear,’ said the Headmaster. ‘I think I know where this is going.’
    â€˜Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a rainstorm, using a key as a lightning rod to draw electricity from the clouds into a glass jar,’ said Friday.
    â€˜I like kites,’ said Parker.
    â€˜How did you figure all this out?’ asked the Headmaster.
    â€˜Mr Pilcher is missing some bamboo canes,’ said Friday, ‘and a poster is missing from Nigel’s wall.They were the clues. When Parker heard the rumble of an electrical storm he had an idea, or, rather, he remembered Benjamin Franklin’s idea. Parker didn’t have a kite, so he made one with the canes and the poster and rushed out into the rain. He tied his room key to the string, launched the kite and tested his hypo thesis. And like almost everyone who has attempted this experiment other than Benjamin Franklin, Parker was struck by lightning.’
    â€˜And that’s why my finger hurts?’ asked Parker.
    â€˜It’s the entrance wound,’ explained Friday. ‘The electrical surge would have streamed down the wet string to the hand you were holding it with, then passed through your body into the wet ground. That’s why your muscles are achy. Your entire body spent three milliseconds in total spasm.’
    â€˜My goodness!’ exclaimed the Headmaster. He leant out into the corridor and called to his receptionist. ‘Miss Pritchard, call an ambulance – now!’ He turned back, in to the room. ‘Just think of the lawsuits.’
    â€˜It’s not so bad,’ said Friday. ‘Several people have died trying to copy this experiment.’
    â€˜But what about my assignment?’ said Parker. ‘What will Mr Spencer say?’
    â€˜He can’t complain,’ said Melanie. ‘You did conduct an experiment.’
    â€˜And you certainly had dramatic results,’ added Friday.
    â€˜But I’m going to have to write it all up,’ said Parker. ‘And my finger hurts.’
    â€˜Just hand in a charred branch from the burnt elm tree on the edge of the forest,’ suggested Friday.
    â€˜What’s that got to do with anything?’ asked Parker.
    â€˜When your kite was struck by lightning, it would have caught fire,’ explained Friday. ‘Then when you lost consciousness, it would have blown away until it caught on the tree. It’s an excellent example of cause and effect. If you write it up, even Mr Spencer will have to pass you.’

Chapter 11

In Trouble Again
    Two days later, Friday and Melanie were sitting through a particularly ridiculous English lesson. Mrs Cannon never followed a conventional syllabus. She preferred going through the job ads and doing the crossword with her class. But things had become even more extreme. VP Pete had decided to take over her lessons for a week, and the situation had quickly degenerated into farce.
    All the chairs and desks had been removed. VP Pete stood in the doorway while the class filed in.
    â€˜Where are we supposed to sit?’ asked Friday.
    â€˜Anywhere on the floor,’ said VP Pete. ‘I want to challenge the assumptions of traditional education. I don’t want conforming to standard furniture to affect the way you appreciate literature.’
    â€˜I don’t think it was the furniture that was holding us back,’ said Melanie. ‘I think it had more to do with the painfully boring novels on the curriculum.’
    â€˜Are the novels boring?’ asked VP Pete. ‘Or was the way you were taught about them boring?’
    â€˜It was definitely the novels,’ said Rajiv.
    â€˜Yes, well, I’m here to deconstruct the educational norm,’ said VP Pete, producing a big