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us.’
    â€˜Okay. You know what I mean. First class tickets cost heaps. Two first class tickets would be double heaps. A guitar takes up a lot of room. Would it fit in the overhead locker? Or where they hang the suit bags? Or would he have to buy a ticket for it?’
    Christopher didn’t have time to answer.
    Rose bustled back.’Time to go through security.’
    â€˜Thanks. We know what to do.’ Amy fixed her backpack. .’What was missing from the plane?’
    Rose looked worried. ‘A passenger. There were two pieces of luggage loaded ,and no Mr Gee.’
    â€˜Who’s he?’
    â€˜That’s what we’re trying to find out. Never mind.’
    Why did adults say ‘never mind’? The twins did mind. They liked to know what happened and why. Facts stuck in Amy’s mindmap if they were interesting enough.
    And a missing passenger to Singapore was of great interest.

    This is an announcement for passengers flying to Singapore via Melbourne. There will be a slight delay. Please wait in the lounge.’

    Amy groaned. ‘Why do we just have to lounge around? Something really bad must be wrong with the plane.’
    â€˜Shh, I’m busy.’ Christopher was sketching the man reading Flying Today. On the cover was the photo of a new plane. Christopher turned sideways to draw the man’s head right, but the man moved.
    â€˜D’you like planes, son?’
    His eyes were watery blue. His left ear stuck out like a backwards letter G.
    â€˜Here. Have a look.’ He handed Christopher the magazine.
    â€˜Thanks. Do you work with planes?’
    The man nodded. ‘Used to.’
    â€˜What do you do?’ Amy asked. Amy always asked people that. Most people loved to talk about their jobs.
    â€˜I used to look after planes,’ said the man.’On the ground.’
    â€˜Why did you stop?’ asked Christopher, putting down his pencil.
    â€˜Early retirement.’
    â€˜Why?’ asked Christopher. The photo on the cover of the magazine looked flat. He’d rather draw the real plane.
    â€˜Shh,’ said Amy, pushing her brother. ‘He’s probably too old.’
    â€˜Some people thought so.’ The man said. He looked sad and Amy felt sorry that she’d said that. She took off her glasses and polished them. It was something to do.
    â€˜D’you know all about new planes?’ asked Christopher, looking closely at the photo.
    â€˜Know a bit about instruments. You need those for navigation, especially when going across the ocean. The INS is important.’
    He sounded as if he knew what he was talking about.
    â€˜What’s the INS?’ asked Amy as Christopher gave the magazine back to the man.
    â€˜The Inertia Navigation System’ The man said. He looked pleased at their interest.’What do you want to know about it?”
    â€˜But what does it do?’ asked Christopher. He wondered if he could see a real one to draw.
    â€˜It means that a plane can fly free of any ground- based air traffic control. You can navigate without any aids. But you need the INS instrument.’
    â€˜Does it cost much?’ Christopher worried about money his and other people’s.
    â€˜About fifty thousand each.’
    â€˜Wow! My pocket money doesn’t go that far. What’s the instrument look like?
    â€˜A long tube. It’s in the cockpit.’
    Amy wondered why he was telling them all this.
    â€˜Do they ever go wrong?’ she asked. ‘And make the plane late?’
    â€˜Had a few reports of electrical interference with them. But not proved yet.That’s why laptop computers aren’t allowed to be used during take-off or landing. Okay when cruising, but not at other times.’
    â€˜So a plane could be delayed. Like our plane.’
    â€˜Do they have many spare INS?”
    â€˜Depends where you are. If it’s a big airport, a couple of hours wait. At a smaller airport it might take