Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Forty Nine

"Why ask me?" snapped Brigitte. "I'm Father Christmas' daughter, not a tree surgeon."

"I fail to see how a tree surgeon entered this conversation," said George and he blew out cartoon fire.

"They're arguing again," said Adam to the Bug. "Those two are always arguing."

They were at breakfast the next day and Brigitte and George were in a heated discussion.

"You appear to be allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement," said George. "Use logic."

"There's that word again," said Brigitte rolling her eyes. "George, don't you have a heart?"

"I have two hearts, one at the base of my spine and one in my chest. To which were you referring?"

"Why you pointy eared, two dimensional, primary coloured reptile! You know what I mean."

"Children!" said Adam. "You are getting carried away."

"Who are you calling children?" said Brigitte. "If it hadn't been for George and me you wouldn't have got that trophy. You still haven't thanked us yet."

"Thank you," said Adam shaking Brigitte's hand. "From the bottom of my heart, my only one. I also thanked Malcolm and the Bug. Let's not forget them. We all pulled together as a team."

He nodded at George. "I can't shake your hand but many thanks. It was funny seeing Clifford Watt lose."

"It was amusing," said George.

"I'll go with that," said Brigitte.

Adam realised the Bug was shaking and strangled gasps came from within his helmet.

"Are you crying?" said Adam.

"No," said the Bug. "Yes. My father's been arrested and taken into custody as a vigilante."

"Isn't that exactly what he is?" said George.

"Be quiet George," said Brigitte.

"Technically yes," said the Bug. "But as a crime fighter, he's always worked with the police on our world. He's sort of been given a license to be a vigilante, but not anymore. He could run and hide as he is a super hero but he believes in the law and if the law says he's in the wrong then my dad accepts that. He's still in costume so nobody knows his secret identity but it's only a matter of time before they do now he's in custody, and then he is finished as a super hero."

"It is logical to assume that he could get another job."

"George, you're not helping," said Adam. "Look, this sort of thing happens all the time. Super heroes fall foul of the law from time to time and get banged up, but they always get free again and go on fighting crime."

"And when all is said and done," said Brigitte. "Making a citizen's arrest is not illegal. He's not hurt anyone has he?"

"Never," said the Bug. "If a villain resisted arrest dad would use knock out gas or tickle powder or imprison them in a net."

Brigitte frowned. "Something horrible is going on in the multiverse. I heard from other students that nasty things are happening on their worlds."

Malcolm sat at the table with a tray of food. He ate silently.

"Fortunately, nothing strange has happened on my world," said George. "Yet."

"On my planet," said Adam. "There are lots of wars breaking out. This must tie in with Jake vanishing."

Adam looked around the dining room and saw Captain Trinity, still in his costume sitting at a table pouring brown sauce on a plate of egg and chips. Opposite him sat Dr Armstrong whose tentacles were scooping up little scuttling crabs off his plate and then placing them in an open beak at the ring of tentacles' centre. It was disgusting.

Adam saw Clifford Watt at a table eating a bowl of chilli, his visor raised so he could put the chilli in his mouth. Whitesnake's daughter was eating noodles with chopsticks and Caliban had his snout in a trough and was eating noisily.

Looking up to the ceiling Adam sensed that beyond the ceiling and beyond the dome encircling the Nexus there were gathering large numbers of meat eating pterosaurs, and they wheeled around the dome above the school.

Something bad was on its way.

The room rocked slightly and the plates jumped on the table. Adam grabbed the edge of the table. The rocking stopped.

"That volcano! You'd think the cosmic champions could move it where it can do no harm."