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was pulling on his ring-master’s costume.
    The chief judge introduced the team. ‘Welcome to Tournament of Minds. The next performance is by Team 2 from mount Street School. ‘ Art watched closely. During the last six weeks, he’d heard and seen only bits of this team’s performance. Their setting was a circus. Sawdust was glued on a rug, which Mario unrolled quickly.
    â€˜A sawdust ring,’ admired India as she leaned forward. Her two crutches slipped and banged on the floor. Art picked them up for he. Funny how the left felt heavier than the right. He placed them carefully against the seat.
    â€˜Fancy Mario thinking of that.’
    â€˜He’s not the only one in that team.’
    Mario’s ring-master spoke in Italian. The judges seemed impressed. The middle one bent over to tick something. Then it was the turn of Team 1.
    â€˜Well done, Mario,’ said Mrs. Tasker.’I got tied up with my tongue,’ explained a pleased Mario.’ Had to think in both languages.’
    Art gulped. His breath was a bit wheezy, but he was going to be fine. ’Where’s the cost form?’ He was good at figures. Only reading words mixed him up.
    â€˜Here,’ India handed it over. ’We didn’t count my cast or crutches.’
    â€˜And the style form?’ Style was worth extra points. Each team chose what it thought it was best at doing.
    â€˜We want to be judged on sound effects.’
    A woman walked past. ‘Good luck India.’ She nodded to Art, then the professor sat down to watch them perform. For India’s sake, Art was glad her aunty was there. He always liked it when his parents came to school events.
    They were ready! Art knew the words off by heart.
    One ring to rule them all,
    One ring to find them,
    One ring to bring them all
    And in the darkness, bind them.
    Sound effects and props were Art’s job. Everything had to be on at the right time.
    â€˜Wear these.’
    Quickly he pretended to give out the magic rings to the audience.
    â€˜Then you’ll be able to understand all the rings in our story.’
    â€˜I can’t see the ring!’ a little boy said to his mother.
    â€˜Shh. Just imagine it,’ smiled the professor.
    Art was sorry his mum was working. She wanted to come but she couldn’t swap shifts. His dad was still away driving.
    In their ring story, India’s team had used school things, which had happened. There was a school case on the floor. ‘This is ‘The Case of the Mystery Sound” announced India. Art pressed the audio button.
    â€˜AAHHHHH.’ The scream noises.
    Then came the phone noise. Ring. Ring. Ring.
    â€˜Do I hear a ring?’
    India opened the case and took out a ring. Green stuff was stuck on it to look like emeralds. Then they used the art-room bird.
    In their story, it carried a secret message in a ring on its leg. They didn’t use a real bird, of course. Just a feather duster.
    Plop! Plop! Plop!
    The audience laughed when the feather duster dropped the bird mess.
    Art threw on stage the squashed white bird mess lollies!
    Then Rae was a cat sitting on the phone to make it ring.
    â€˜I wonder where that idea came from?’ smiled Mrs. Tasker.
    Art did the best sound effects. He pressed the button.
    Ring. Ring. Ring.
    They had pre-recorded all the sounds, in the right order. It had taken ages. All the previous week!
    With her aunty watching, India got nervous. India glanced up at her and jumped form one bit to the next. She forgot some lines.
    â€˜Oh, no!’ groaned Art. Until then, he had been enjoying the audience liking them.
    Now the sound effects were out of order!
    â€˜India!’ muttered Art as he fast-forwarded.
    Squeals. The sounds were wrong. But the audience didn’t seem to notice. They clapped at the funny bits. They loved the phone switchboard-call centre, which Art had painted. He unrolled the poster quickly at the right time.
    â€˜One ring