Ollie, Ollie, oxen free! You call the game of hide and seek to an end and rally the kids to come to you.
Your shout startles the playground equipment inspector awake. He yelps and scuttles back against the side of the castle.
"What? Why are you here?" The inspector rubs his eyes and stares blearily at you. His beard is peeling off on both sides of his chin and his hard hat has spun the wrong way around.
The approaching clamor of the children's voices makes him jerk his head away from you and pull a grimacing look in the other direction. He rotates his clipboard in his fidgeting fingers.
"Gotta go," the inspector mutters. He shoves his clipboard at you and darts around to the front of the castle. You fumble with the clipboard and send its pages scattering around you. Most of the pages are blank, only a few of them scrawled over with nonsense scribbles.
You run around to the front of the castle in time to hear its heavy door screech and bang. The man has retreated inside and slammed the door behind him. Soon enough the kids come running up the hill to join you.
"What's going on?" Stephanie asks, reaching you first.
"Is that the playground equipment inspector?" Stingy asks, pointing. You all look up at the top of the tower where the man has taken refuge. He waves his hands frantically.
"Go away!" the inspector shouts.
"It's not safe in the castle," Stephanie says. "My uncle says it could fall over any day now! We have to get him out of there."
Continue to chapter 39.