(Part 4)

As the last opera song came to a high crescendo ending... A stagehand put a match to a short fuse.

The Rocket tail (bottom) started to spark, from many small, minor fireworks... just as it was planned.

The red flames suddenly turned blue... then white hot... and then, the Moon Rocket... Took Off... It flew!

A hidden cable was only meant to pull the lighted Rocket a few feet off of the stage floor... Then bring it down.

But no! Up and away from the opera stage, thru the wide (and open) skylight above... On toward a full moon high above!

The Rocket began banking over, turning now towards the East... and it was soon flying fast towards the Deep Channel beyond...

Then it immediately lost all thrusting power from its tail end... Soon falling & crashing into a wide area of the nearby New Thames River.

Thankfully, for an old tugboat operator working a night shift out on The River, the Rocket struck water two dozen or more yards away.

"Whew! That was close... Awfully darn close, whatever that thing was... I nearly lost me dinner!" the tugboat pilot said in relief.

# # #

Meanwhile, inside of the Opera House...

The audience clapped and roared with their approval at

this very exciting ending of: 'The Moon Maiden: A Love Story'.

"My words!" said Chief Inspector Lester.

"My Stage!" cried the opera house's owner.

"My Opera!" spoke the backer & lyricist Woodburn.

"My... Moon Rocket!" yelled Professor Weylan Wagstaff.

Professor Wagstaff now looked young 'Bags' squarely in his beady eyes... Once more!

"Bagsley... Did you do... Anything... You haven't mentioned before... Well... Have you?"

Looking sheepishly and quite 'guilty', the assistant did reply:

"Well... Sir... As you said the main African meteorite was safely back at the Museum, I thought you could

part with the small piece that you had and said you were finished with... Umm... Surely, done with it, weren't you?"

Thinking he would soon join a foreign spy in a jail cell, Bagsley looked dejected. His 'mum' wouldn't be very proud now.

But instead of anger, Professor Wagstaff beamed at young 'Bags', then spoke: "No... Bags. But... The Rocket... Worked!"

# # #

The Queen Sovereign had been in her private box, in the opera house. She sent word to Wagstaff and Woodburn:

"Please, if you both could arrange another private performance... Of your Moon Maiden Rocket, this Sunday?"

Wagstaff now was dejected... And sent this note in reply:

"My Queen... That was my only Rocket. No repeat performances for some Time, I regret. My apologies.

Your humble subject and man of science, Prof. Weylan Wagstaff."

As the audience now started to empty from the opera house, Ohms looked at Johnny and Suzie.

"Well Johnny, and Lassie... What did you think of the ending. Quite a jolt and a surprise?"

The two young people, more lost in thought with each other than of the opera or Rocket,

both replied in such soft and slowly spoken unison: "Oh... It was... Okay!"

Ohms chuckled now to himself: "Oh, to be Young. Young indeed. Aye!"

(THE END)