Rocket Boulsworth and an Answer For Everything Rocket's Island

ENGINE HUMS

Ready, Wayne?

Here we go!

DOG BARKS

Don't even think about it!

Get in there! Yes!

It won't be like all the other places, you know.

They're not. It's different.

Oh, what's this now?

COWS MOO

Oh, great(!)

Hello!

COWS MOO

MOOING

How about a little less mooing, and more moving?

What are you doing?! Didn't you hear the siren?

They're going to be here in a minute!

I know I'm a bit behind schedule, Mum, but it's totally worth it!

I've just invented air-shepherding!

Do you know what your problem is, Rocket Boulsworth?

You've got an answer for everything!

BIRDS CRY

Danger!

What?

-I need to find him!

-Who?

Rocket!

ENGINE ROARS, DOG BARKS

PEBBLES CLATTER

-No Rocket? No Alli either?

-No.

-Where's the new lad?

-Missing. Already!

He knew!

Rocket knew!

SHEEP BLEATS

DOG BARKS

Wish we could stay like this forever.

Wish all the clocks would stop ticking, and it'd never go dark.

We'd never grow old.

Just stay here, now, always.

-I'd want my tea, eventually!

-Tyler!

Knew it'd happen, you know. I've seen the wildest animals be tamed.

I knew you'd change.

Oi! Lovebirds! That siren applies to you as well, you know!

Come on, you're needed!

See you at school?

-Shhhh.

-A sheep?!

I could tell by the way the birds were circling.

They were after lamb burgers for their tea.

Oh, come here, come here. OK.

It's all right, Meryl. You're OK. You're OK now.

Meryl?!

Meryl Sheep! It's OK, Meryl, you're all right now.

Well, Meryl is not the only one who's gone missing, Rocket.

The new foster lad did a runner

on the way over and we don't know where he is.

We're going to need backup!

-Why've you got the curtains closed?

-I don't like looking at it.

Daniel Jerome Sparks, you come back here!

Sorry, Mum. Love you, Mum. Do you do take-out?

-Slow down!

-We have to find him before it gets dark!

He's not exactly going to know his way round, is he?

Maybe he shouldn't've run off, then!

Imagine it, Dibs. He's just been left with people he doesn't know,

in a village he doesn't know, on an island he doesn't know.

Wouldn't you?

Where is he?

TELEPHONE RINGS

Didn't even think that still worked!

Hello?

DEEP BREATHING

-GRUFF, DISTORTED VOICE:

-'Who... is this?'

D-Daniel Sparks. Who's this?

'Hello, Daniel Sparks!'

Oi, weirdo! Rocket Boulsworth here.

And unless you can tell me where the new foster kid is,

you can get knotted!

'On... the black rocks!'

TELEPHONE DISCONNECTS

Rocket, stay away from the edge!

Where is he? Where are you?

There he is!

Rocket, wait!

I'm Rocket. This is my sister, Alli. My mum and my mate, Dylan.

You'll be all right with us.

Hey.

Hey, I was like you once, you know?

I didn't have a mum or a dad I could stay with.

But then I found somewhere that made that not matter quite as much.

A home.

And we really hope that The Knot's going to be like that for you.

Brandon, why did you run off like that?

-I'd never seen it before.

-The sea?!

You're going to be seeing a lot of it now! Don't stay on there, eh?

Didn't you see the sign? It isn't safe.

Come back here. Come on.

Oh!

-He'll be OK.

-Maybe. But how did that weird voice

know that he was here?

I don't know. But we know someone who will!

You asked it a question that no-one could know the answer to.

-And yet you received it?

-Yeah!

Did you offer up a sacrifice first?

Give it something of yours?

Well, I put my pizza down...

I can't believe it!

It's back!

This is the Book of Dirgelmor.

Filled with all the secrets of the island.

That is neat!

Hey! Come on, chill. And be cool.

Cool? Dibber, your mum's the head teacher,

you live right next to the school and you haven't pulled a sickie in years.

You're basically the least cool person I know!

The pages are blank!

If anyone could just come along and read it, the secrets wouldn't be

very secret, would they?

Stand back!

Ah, here it is. In days of old, there was a rock in the centre

of Ballabungie.

But this rock was no ordinary rock. It was an Oracle!

What's an Oracle?

A portal to the gods. Once a day, if a sacrifice was placed

at the foot of the rock, a ghostly voice would echo from a nook

within it and offer to answer any question in the whole world.

-Past, present, or still to come.

-I think we should keep this

-to ourselves.

-That phone box is built on the exact same spot.

The Oracle of Ballabungie has returned!

Everybody's stay at The Knot starts in here.

Come on!

These are the children of The Knot.

Everyone who's ever stayed with us, from the day they came,

-to the day that they left.

-And that is the Wishing Wheel.

You take a liquorice, you spin it around, and you make a wish.

Go on.

Give it a go.

Hey! Hey, Brandon! Brandon!

You know what I did, don't you? I know you do!

And when you know an' all, you won't want me here!

They're nothing like me, any of them!

What? What is it? What did he do?

You know I can't tell you things like that.

-Mum!

-Don't mention this to Rocket. All right? He doesn't need to know.

SHEEP BLEATS

How is she?

Leg's bad. I'm not sure she'll be able to rejoin her flock.

And I can't look after a sheep 24 hours a day.

So I might have to take her to see Mr Jackson.

-What's so bad about Mr Jackson?

-We've had plenty of injured animals

go and see him. But we ain't had any come back.

Rocket, I'm worried. About Brandon.

He'll be fine when he settles down. Just like all the others.

I don't know. Yeah, you're probably right.

-Meryl will be OK, won't she?

-I don't think so, Rocket.

There are some things even Dad doesn't have the answer to.

Brandon! School bus is here!

Later!

What do you think?!

It's my head. And my throat!

-And my knee!

-Your knee?!

Mostly my head and my throat.

There's no way I'm missing school, though.

HE COUGHS

I don't think it's that contagious...

-You're obviously not fit. Go to bed.

-Mum...

-Go on.

I'll check on you at lunch!

HE WHOOPS

Oh, yeah!

The new lad did something, before he came here. Something terrible.

My mum and dad know, but they won't say.

And I've got a bad feeling about it.

Well, in't there like a file you can read with his whole history?

They must give you something.

Yeah, but it's not allowed. It's confidential.

You can't be a good girl all the time!

Tyler, do you want to come to Porthcul with us on Sunday?

We'll get the ferry across to the mainland?

Been ages since we've seen you properly, Dean.

-Like, on your own...

-Go on!

-Nah...

-I told you he'd gone soft!

Fancy tea round ours?

I'll do it before you come over.

I'm going to read his file.

Going to find out exactly what Brandon's done.

Just imagine if you could have the answer to any question

in the whole world. What would you ask?!

A portal to the gods?! Here?! We can't even get Wi-Fi!

I'm going to test it properly after school.

How?

I'll ask it a question no-one could possible know the answer to.

My mum always said I've got an answer for everything!

This time, she might actually be right!

Brandon Kelleher? This is Mr Boton. He'll be working with you

-in the library most mornings.

-Hi.

-Why does he get a teacher all to himself?

-Mr Kelleher?

Do you find something funny?

Yeah. That!

What on earth?!

Keep an eye on the class!

MUSIC PLAYS

CLASS LAUGH

MUSIC: "Gangnam Style" by Psy

Daniel!

What are you playing at? You said you were sick!

You're not sick at all! I'll give you sick!

CLASS LAUGH

Look, everybody's laughing at you!

Do you know how long it'll take? Only my tea'll be ready soon.

Ancient Oracles don't fit into mealtimes, Bethany!

Infinite wisdom, it requires a bit of waiting around.

A waste of a sticky bun, that. It isn't going to ring now,

cos it never rang before!

-I thought we weren't going to tell anyone?

-I wish I hadn't now!

Nice pants, Daniel!

Because of Brandon, the entire world has seen my undies.

-And they weren't even clean on!

-Why weren't you at school, anyway?

I was trying to make myself cool again.

Mate, that really could've gone better.

Yeah! And this Oracle isn't exactly going to do it either!

We've been here the entire time you've been on detention,

and it hasn't rung once.

TELEPHONE RINGS

I don't think you're meant to read that.

I...picked up the wrong thing.

Is this the Ancient Oracle of Ballabungie?

-DISTORTED VOICE:

-'Yes.'

It's him!

Can you really answer any question in the whole world?

'Try me.'

What am I going to have for tea tonight?

'My favourite. Chilli con carne!'

TELEPHONE DISCONNECTS

Let's go and see if it's right!

Well? You find out or not?

It's a million times worse than I thought.

Alli! Where's Mum? We need to know what's for tea!

Hey, good timing. Dinner's nearly ready.

-What is it?

-Chilli con carne.

ALL: Yes!

Is that all right?

ALL: Yes!

I love you, man!

To think I nearly did lasagne!

Tomorrow, we ask it how to save Meryl.

COCKEREL CROWS

Here in Ballabungie, on the Isle of Dirgelmor,

is a portal to the very gods themselves,

and an answer to everything is only a few moments away!

-Sacrifices?

-But...

-Hand it over!

-What are you doing?

-Don't you get it?

The Oracle is going to make me cooler than ever.

We'll be legends by the end of the day!

Look, I just want to know how to save Meryl from Mr Jackson.

Then join the queue!

TELEPHONE RINGS

Behold!

Hey! We're going into Ferryhead. Want to come?

-Don't build your life around him, eh, Al?

-What?

Tyler. You'll only regret it.

He actually understands me!

-Erm, I understand you!

-He doesn't keep things from me!

Look, you know that I'm not allowed to tell you stuff about Brandon.

-But it's... it's nothing.

-Isn't it?

No. Come on. Come with us.

OK. I will.

You can drop me off on the way. I'm going to meet my boyfriend.

-ORACLE:

-'Cos you're a cry-baby and he doesn't like you...'

Hey, stop pushing in! There's a queue here!

OK, wise guy. If you're so clever, then what is going to happen

in the next half an hour?

-ORACLE:

-'You'll be in a serious accident.'

-What kind of accident?

-Hey, one sacrifice, one question!

Yes, but I'm all sticky-bunned out! When? How? Do I survive?!

Oi! No-one upsets my sister!

-Hey, that's mine!

-Yes, but I need it more than you!

I might only have minutes left! If I don't get home soon,

then I'm done for!

Oh!

BIRDS CALL

Oi!

Oracle, how do I save Meryl?

Trust me, Rocket, it's not going to know the answer to that one.

Peter Boulsworth here. I've got a question for you.

Who is this?

TELEPHONE DISCONNECTS

Isn't it obvious?

What?

He isn't like all the others, Rocket. He's an Untouchable.

-You read his file?!

-Well, if we're in danger,

-haven't we got a right to know?

-Who are the Untouchables?

Kids that've done something so bad that there's not a single family

on the whole of the mainland brave enough to take them!

-Well, what did he do?

-Alli! No.

-You're OK. I didn't get that far.

-Lucky for you.

There are some questions no-one wants answers to.

Brandon, you can't go round telling people

they're going to have accidents, all right? Jonathan very nearly did!

-Hey! Come on!

-Don't touch me!

Brandon!

Pete, just...

There was never an Oracle?

Well, duh! It was always going to be someone!

You didn't really believe it, did you?

TELEPHONE RINGS

Alli, wait!

-Rocket, you can't hang around with me any more, you know.

-Why?

-Because I've got a boyfriend.

-But...

What would you like to know?

It was you?!

HE LAUGHS

Hey, I never said there was no Oracle! He did.

I just rang the phone box cos I got this.

It makes your voice funny, I thought I'd spook someone.

Then he asked about that foster kid and I could see him from here.

-Well, everyone's got it in for Brandon now!

-So?

-I thought you'd changed!

-Where do you get off, eh?

I don't need to change. I'm Tyler McCray!

If you walk away...

-What?

-We're through.

It's Kim's phone. Brandon hasn't made any calls on it, though.

-Doubt he's got anyone to ring.

-So why would he take it?

Well, it looks like the island has made more of an impression on him

than you might realise.

Seems like we all owe him an apology.

Why? I mean, he did steal that. And he is an Untouchable!

He even has to have his own teacher!

That's not because of what he did. It's because of what he can't do.

Brandon didn't ignore the danger signs

when he went out onto the rocks. He just couldn't read them.

I think we're going to have to take Meryl to see Mr Jackson

in the morning. I'm sorry, Rocket, but what else can I do?

I just thought that sometimes things do happen

that no-one can actually explain. Like marvellous things.

Fantastic things.

-How stupid am I?

-Not as stupid as me. And maybe you were right.

Maybe an ancient Oracle did come back.

It might not have been Tyler all the time.

I don't ever remember telling him what we were having for tea!

You don't really believe that?

All of the things I did believe in turned out to be wrong, didn't they?

So why not?

SHEEP BLEATS

Whoa!

ENGINE ROARS

Come on. Come on, Oracle. Please!

I brought you your favourite!

TELEPHONE RINGS

Hello. Is this the Ancient Oracle of Ballabungie?

'It is.'

Yes! How do we save Meryl?

When a sheep isn't strong enough

to live with other sheep, what do I do?

'Rocket Boulsworth, you have the answer to everything.

'You know the one thing that can save Meryl.'

I know what can save her!

Me!

I know Dad can't look after her forever. But I can!

-She can live with us.

-Where?

Thanks, Wayne!

-And what about when you're not around?

-Then I will be.

And me!

We can't give up on her, Dad. She'll get better. You'll see.

We never give up on anyone. Do we?

HE SIGHS

-Well, she's your responsibility!

-Yes!

Come on, put her in there, then.

-Your new home, Meryl. Eh?

-Here we go.

I'm sorry, Brandon.

Yeah, we all are. Look, what happened before you came,

it doesn't matter. It's in the past now.

We all make mistakes.

Yeah? Well, I didn't.

I did it on purpose.

And I'll do it again, too.

You just wait...

Summat started following me.

When it ran, it were like breaking everything.

It's got to be a badger, hasn't it?

-I don't think so.

-Who's that?!

Well, that sheep had been hit with real force.

Never seen anything like it before.

I'm never going there again. Not on my own.