“I may have brought you this far but I’m not having you tell mum and dad that I got you drunk,” she growled.
Heen searched the room and her innocent gaze was met by dozens of smiles. No one appeared troubled by their unexpected appearance except for one man who was weaving between the dancers and heading their way. Heen recognised him from earlier, a policeman, one of those who had helped destroy the stalls. More worrying she was sure he was the policeman who had given her that evil smile. Did he remember her?
She tried to move but her escape was blocked by the mass of dancing bodies. Crouching down she tried to use her size to squeeze between the numerous legs that lay between her and freedom, but as she started to crawl the man grabbed her shirt between her shoulders and lifted her onto her feet. Seeing this Jaime flicked his wrist readying his tattoo for battle.
****
The skycart was now a few minutes from arriving at the space platform. Miles below, in the safety of his office, Mr Phobos watched the four suited children’s final moments as they slept at the table blissfully unaware of their fate. His grin broadened as he slammed a fist down on the biggest button in front of him (put there especially for the occasion).
The doors opened to the vacuum of space and all the air and loose objects including the spare suits and helmets, the lost bean, the table and the chairs were sucked towards the void. As it flew through the fleeing air the bean hit hard against the table resulting in an intense flash. Mr Phobos squealed with glee. This unexpected explosion all but made up for the lack of screams (he reminded himself to dispose of that useless sound engineer).
Chapter 16
The Battle
The policeman’s grip on Heen’s shoulders tightened. His face broadened to a huge frightening smile exposing wonky teeth stained with the yellow fluorescence from his drink.
“I know you! But from where?” he exclaimed unhurriedly. It was painful to watch his brain slowly making the right connections. “I know, I think you were one of the brats we were after.”
His eyes searched the room for the other rats. As he spotted them he counted each one on his fingers. Eventually he got to four.
“All four sewer rats here. Well how about that? I’ve caught you! The chief will be pleased and I might even get a medal.”
His voice grew to a triumphant shrill as he continued, “I arrest all four of you in the name of the Chief of Police of Goldilocks world!”
Jaime considered rubbing his wrists to summon his tattoo, but stopped when several strong hands gripped his arms and when he saw both Carina and Tycho suffering the same fate.
Then as the policeman checked his watch his smugness changed. He now looked quite sad and disappointed, and his voice lowered to a whisper.
“Lucky for you I’m off duty. I’m not allowed to arrest you until tomorrow. I order you to stay here until 9 o’clock tomorrow morning and then I’ll take you to meet the chief.”
His smile returned.
“Don’t forget. First thing tomorrow morning meet me here and I promise to make all your lives miserable. But for now enjoy the party!”
The policeman took a big gulp from a glass of fluorescent blue liquid that turned his teeth and lips green. Finally, he walked across the room disappearing into the crowd.
“Does he expect us to stay here until tomorrow morning just so he can arrest us and earn a medal?” Tycho pleaded in disbelief.
“Some hope!” Jaime muttered under his breath.
“But you have to stay here. You’ve been arrested. You have no choice,” interrupted a woman standing nearby.
“Listen lady, we do have a choice. I’m going. Are you coming Heen?” Carina snapped.
Without waiting for a reply she grasped her sister’s arm and took a step towards the door but found the rest of her way blocked. The drumming had stopped and the room was filled with angry muttering. Carina could feel the hatred behind the dozens of eyes as they all stared at her. While the crowd continued to murmur disapproval a familiar voice spoke.
“I’m afraid we cannot let you leave.” Jaime turned to Grimaldi, the stallholder they had helped earlier that day.
“Hey, Grimaldi. How’s business?”
Jaime expected the stallholder to show them sympathy.
“Business is good young sir, and I expect it to be even better tomorrow when I tell my customers the story of how I helped in your arrests. It’ll make me money for weeks so thank you for choosing my stall, but consider all favours paid in full.”
They gasped in disbelief and for several heartbeats all four children were speechless until eventually Carina spoke.
“These people are so strange. The police smash up their stalls and make their lives miserable yet they don’t complain, and what’s worse they seem to encourage it.”
“You’re kids, you don’t understand,” Grimaldi snorted. “It’s the way things are done here on Goldilocks, always has been, always will be. We were rightly punished for helping you – the police and our politicians told us so. You can read it in our newspapers.”
Jaime almost choked, Grimaldi’s words made him so angry. No way would he give in without a fight. Shaking his arms free from his restrainers he stroked his tattoo, and after a few seconds an electric blue fireball rose into the air.
“Let us out. I promise one flick of my fingers and my tattoo will attack and kill anyone who tries to stop us,” he threatened.
Jaime’s fingers never got a chance to flick. A green thin line shone from Madam Monplaisir (who had been hiding behind her master) knocking Jaime flat against the floor. As he lifted himself up he gazed in horror at his wrist. His tattoo was now a dark red smouldering bruise.
Hanging above them the triumphant figure of Madam Monplaisir cackled and boasted about her victory. She was especially pleased to have got the better of the boy who had humiliated her earlier. Clearing her throat she began to sing her terrible lyrics loudly and tunelessly.
“These arklebinkers have lost the game,
Tomorrow they will die in terrible pain.
They’ll be cursing and jarsing the day,
That they ever dared insult Madam Monplaisir,
...Tattoo extraordinaire.”
The last line was garbled as she started to spin, slowly at first then faster and faster until her face became a purple blob. The tattoo sliced in to a large lump of green cheese causing the crowd to cheer ecstatically. As it slowed its shape changed into a spinning top.
“It’s Archimedes! The champion tattoo we saw on the news,” gasped Heen.
“Archimedes, Archimedes, Archimedes,” the crowd chanted.
“Kill the rats!” a woman cried.
“Slice them up Archimedes,” shouted a man.
“That’s right! Madam Monplaisir and Archimedes are the same. You were lucky she didn’t saw your arm off. Give me an excuse and she will!” Grimaldi boasted.
Tycho didn’t want Newton to suffer the same fate as Jaime’s tattoo so carefully pulled his shirt sleeve over his wrist, but Newton had other ideas and the tattoo, surrounded by an intense green aura, rose straight through Tycho’s shirt and into the air above.
“No Newton, Tycho stop him!” Heen shrieked, but the tattoo wasn’t listening.
Newton shot out a thin bright light that caught the spinning top smack in its middle.
Knocked off balance Archimedes spun out of control. Grimaldi winced with surprise before recovering his composure. Waving his hands he swung the top slicing the surrounding air as it fell towards Newton. Deadly blue rays sparkled from the twirling tattoo straight for Tycho’s wrist. Newton was ready and bathed the young boy in a protective yellow halo. However the distraction left Newton exposed and as he dived the spinning top caught him a glancing blow across his face leaving a black crater where the his nose had been.
Heen was glad that tattoos don’t bleed but then watched as an ugly red burn spread across Tycho’s wrist.
Newton s
crewed up his face then puffed it out restoring his nose to its normal shape, but he seemed dazed. Seizing its chance the spinning top slewed into the air almost crashing against the stunned tattoo. Heen covered her eyes.
Tycho was full of concentration and he hadn’t even noticed the pain in his wrist, this was the biggest game of his life and he didn’t intend to lose. He waited until his enemy was a fraction of a second away then flicked his fingers sending Newton out of the reach of the lethal top. With expert skill he guided Newton above the central pin that protruded from the top’s crown and ordered Newton to spin. As he hovered in the air Newton turned faster and faster until he drilled through the air towards Archimedes.
Grimaldi tilted his tattoo and Newton spun off in a shower of sparks. Weaving his hands as if he was painting a delicate picture he brought his top alongside a table where the three full bowls of fluorescent drinks rested. A pair of shining silver blades sprouted from Archimedes’ waist. Grimaldi manoeuvred the tattoo so close to the crowd that those standing nearby yelped with fear, but with his supreme skill Grimaldi kept his audience of admirers safe.
An ear-piercing screech echoed throughout the room as the blades touched the first glass bowl, but the liquid within it remained undisturbed. When the top had finished with the remaining two bowls the crowd gasped in admiration. Etched into the glass, one word on each bowl, were the letters ARCHIMEDES WINS AGAIN.
“Kill, kill, kill,” a voice shouted, and was soon followed by many more. Someone banged a drum to the beat, and soon the crowd began to clap. Tycho, undaunted, was still absorbed by the battle.
Newton had used the diversion to plan his next move. He decided to attack Archimedes from below, a dangerous challenge that could see the top drop on him at any moment. Newton aimed a shot at the tattoo’s spindle cutting it cleanly in half and spinning it perilously into the audience. Smoke poured from Archimedes body and Grimaldi twisted with pain. Heen shut her eyes expecting to see lots of blood. When she dared open her eyes again no one was injured and the top had transformed back to Madam Monplaisir. “That’s it! Destroy her now Newton,” Heen found herself shouting, but Newton remained motionless losing his advantage.
It was then that Heen remembered Newton’s claim that was not able to harm people and she knew that if he attacked now he might hit the crowd. By the time Grimaldi’s tattoo had moved away from his audience it had changed to the spinning top.
The onlookers hooted with laughter and contempt.
“What an amateur. He missed his chance. Now watch our champion destroy him.”
“This is too easy. Finish him off Archimedes!”
Tycho was tired and in contrast Grimaldi was covered with confidence. The crowd grew fidgety expecting a victory soon. Jostling they pushed Heen against her sister. In the squash she could feel some lumps pressing against her leg, she squeezed her fingers into her pocket and extracted a bean.
Squirming herself free from the partygoers Heen found she had enough room to swing her arms and throw the bean at Grimaldi with as much force as she could. She hit the stallholder squarely on his neck. The bean exploded breaking Grimaldi’s concentration and making Archimedes spin feebly in the air disconnecting him from his master. Newton chose this moment to attack and sliced the top into several pieces. Grimaldi cried out in pain before clutching his wrist and collapsing to the floor. Carina caught sight of the awful damage Newton had done to Grimaldi’s arm and quickly placed her hands over her sister’s eyes.
Newton hung victoriously over the stunned and now silent crowd and a broad smile broke over Tycho’s face as he realised the battle was over and he was the victor.
“Game over. I win!” Tycho spoke with a triumphant but exhausted voice.
“I wouldn’t call it game over quite yet. We’ve got to escape and I bet these people won’t let us leave. Call it level complete for now.” Jaime corrected.
He turned to the crowd. Some were attending to Grimaldi’s wounds, but most were staring angrily at the children.
“Anyone who tries to stop us will be killed by our tattoo,” Jaime lied, but he spoke loudly and confidently hoping it was enough to convince the crowd.
At first no one moved. Newton aimed a beam of light at the three bowls shattering Archimedes’ careful etchings into millions of tiny pieces and spilling the contents over the nearest partygoers.
Immediately a narrow aisle opened in the crowd a pathway that led to the door and freedom. Trusting that no one would have the bravado to challenge them they took the chance and ran.
Once he reached the door Jaime addressed the crowd.
“If anyone tries to follow us they will get a beating from my brother’s tattoo. It’s not just any tattoo, but the new champion of Goldilocks world!”
As they stepped into the warm night air they regarded each other quizzically.
“What now?” Carina looked to Jaime for inspiration.
“I think we should leave this world as soon as possible,” Jaime answered. “By morning the police will be hunting for us and when they know we didn’t fall for their last trap they will set others. We have to do whatever we can to catch the next skycart.”
On their journey to the skytugger depot Newton had never been so talkative, endlessly boasting about his victory. Tycho argued that they had worked together but Newton wouldn’t listen. They all told the insufferable tattoo to shut up.
At the depot robots were busy hoisting crates into the skycart and the few people that were there were, in the typical Goldilocks fashion, asleep or lazily supervising the activities from their deckchairs. It all appeared routine.
“I hope this is going to be easy.” whispered Jaime.
****
By the time Mr Phobos heard about the battle the skycart had reached the space platform. He ordered a thorough search for the stowaways but the only evidence they had ever been there was the absence of all the jumpsuits from their pegs. Reluctantly he called his boss to give him the bad news. On a shiny metallic shelf the three dimensional image of General Bluetash sat at his desk.
“Hello boss,” Mr Phobos cringed as he spoke.
“Well is it done? Did you dispose of our little problems?” the general barked.
“Uh no, I’m sorry, they managed to give us the slip,” Mr Phobos shrank behind his desk ready for the inevitable angry rebuke, but General Bluetash remained calm.
“It doesn’t matter,” replied the general, “I suspected as much. Those rats are so crafty and resourceful; that’s why I took out some insurance of my own. I made sure that wherever they try to go next they will end up here. I’m expecting them any minute now. Welcome back to my home, my sewer rats.”
Chapter 17
The Crates
“No! They can’t say that!” complained Tycho. Jaime was examining the star-hopper controls while the girls were busy collecting the suits. They stopped their jobs for a moment.
“I got Newton to show me the latest news from Goldilocks, and it’s not fair!”
The headline hovering above his wrist read, ‘CHEATING TATTOO ATTACKS OUR CHAMPION.’ It continued by telling how gallant hero Archimedes (everyone’s favourite fighting tattoo) was last night slain by a group of cheating criminal youngsters and their cowardly tattoo. These deceitful juvenile delinquents, who had been invited there by the good people of Goldilocks, had escaped justice by threatening their hosts and sneaking illegally onto the skycart. Underneath there was a picture of Tycho and Jaime gazing up at Newton. In large bold letters the caption read
REWARD FOR THEIR CAPTURE AND RETURN TO GOLDILOCKS
These children are dangerous -- approach with extreme caution.
Jaime was worried. In all their travels they had never been hunted like this and he felt even more vulnerable now he had lost his tattoo.
“I think you girls should go home. It’s Tycho and me they are after, not you. If I can I’ll send you home,” Jaime had a note of sadness in his voice.
&nbs
p; Jaime turned to the star-hopper consul which was covered in a strange wavy script. He pushed a few buttons at random but as usual there was nothing to help him choose their destination. After several minutes of exasperated cursing he shrugged his shoulders.
“I’ve no idea where we’re going, but I know that we can’t stay here. Newton can you help Carina and Heen return home?” Jaime spoke to Tycho’s wrist.
They waited for an answer but the tattoo remained silent.
“What are you sulking about now Mr Grumpy?” Jaime demanded, but still the tattoo refused to speak.
Carina stepped forward. “If I have a go at operating the controls no one can blame you if we end up worse off.”
She stood in front of the flashing lights, shut her eyes and poked the buttons at random. Satisfied she held her hand over the big green button.
“Are you ready?” she asked. Three thumbs went up.
“OK. Let’s go!”
Heen took one last glance at planet Goldilocks below them. She steadied herself against a table as the room spun. The walls changed from red to gold and on the planet below the extensive dark patches of wasteland that had covered Goldilocks were replaced by a world with no sign of any deserts, oceans or seas. The surface sparkled, as windows from millions of buildings caught the light from a dim red star.
“Oh I don’t like this. We have to try again now!” Jaime fretted.
In his haste he pushed Carina aside tapping madly at the consul. He stabbed at the big green button again and again. Several times the room spun, but each time they ended up back where they started. To the girls the world below seemed both beautiful and inviting.
“There can’t be two places like this,” Tycho shouted, sharing his brother’s distress. He stood gazing out the window wishing that the scene would change.
“I think we’ve returned to Hub-World and that’s the worst news possible. Newton help us you stupid tattoo.” Jaime showed his frustration, but Newton refused to answer.
Jaime had sadness as he spoke. “I’m afraid General Bluetash may have disabled your tattoo.”
Carina and Heen gazed in silence at a tearful Tycho. Jaime was secretly relieved at the tattoo’s silence, he had a suspicion that General Bluetash might decide to use Newton against them.