Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"Full English Adam?" said Churchill.

"Thanks Winston."

"You are welcome, young man."

The top panel of the vending node slid across and a tray holding a plate of crispy bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans in tomato sauce and a small rack of toast, to one side, emerged. Beside the plate was a knife and fork wrapped in a paper napkin, and plastic sachets of mustard and brown sauce, and a pat of butter and a butter knife. He also had a glass of orange juice.

Adam took it and looked around. He had gone to the canteen for breakfast. He found it strange talking to Winston Churchill but reminded himself that he was speaking to a hologram that had been conjured up by a computer, so it could communicate with Adam.

The table came running up with its attendant chairs. Adam sat down and was aware of Brigitte sitting down beside him with her tray.

"What have you got?" said Adam.

"Strawberries and ice cream."

"Don't you ever eat anything hot?"

Brigitte nodded. "An ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce. I tend to eat a lot of sweet things but that's part and parcel of being a daughter of Father Christmas."

"How do you stop your teeth going bad?"

"Dental hygiene and magic."

It was a property of the multiverse that there were so many universes that just about anything was possible, and there were some universes which had magic. Brigitte lived in such a universe.

Her father had magic as he was Father Christmas, but not the elves who worked for him. Brigitte had no magic powers as the only member of her family who did was her father and he would eventually pass them on to her little brother. Her father had worked a few spells on her to make her life a little easier.

For Adam the problem with magic was that it was limited to a few universes, and then only to certain life forms in that universe. As Adam came from a universe with no magic, he would never be able to use magic and that annoyed him. Back on earth he would feel it cool to turn people he didn't like into toads.

"Have you met your roommate?"

Adam nodded. "H's from a parallel earth where everything is the same as my world but it's several hundred years earlier. He's from my Middle Ages, the son of Robin Hood."

"Shut up! The son of Robin Hood? What's his name?"

"Malcolm."

A student flew overhead and both children looked up. The student dropped down beside them. It was George. He folded his wings around himself and placed a cartoon bowl before him. In it was a very large, cartoon caterpillar.

"Hello. I did some research on our friend Watt. He comes from a universe with a parallel earth where his father is a supervillain called the Dominator. He was a cosmic champion, but he turned to evil."

"Why is Watt here?"

"It does seem wrong. Watt is a known trouble maker," said George.

George opened his huge jaws and picked up the caterpillar in his talons and dropped it into his mouth. His jaws closed and he chewed the caterpillar.

"Are you actually enjoying that?" said Adam.

George shook his head. "It needed salt."

George sat munching his caterpillar and Adam moved slightly from side to side.