Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

Adam, Brigitte, George and the Bug were in the library. They all sat around an extremely rickety table with one leg propped up by some old books. It still rocked slightly. The air was musty and dust laden and huge swatches of cobwebs hung from one stack of shelves to another. They were studying for their science finals.

"A few computers in here wouldn't go amiss," said Adam loudly.

Donald Larkin, standing behind his desk, peered over his spectacles and pointed to a sign saying silence hanging from the ceiling.

"Philip Larkin lived before computers," said Brigitte. "And faxes and copiers and the internet. On the world he's from I would imagine Donald lives in the same age, the Stone Age."

Three spiders were having a race across Adam's open book. He flicked them off.

"You'd think at least he'd clean up the place."

"Ah-hem!"

Larkin tapped the silence sign again.

"How's your dad?" said Adam.

"Still in custody," said the Bug. "The crime rate in the city has shot up because he isn't dealing with it."

"Have they revealed his secret identity?"

"Yes. He was required by law to remove his helmet. Not only is he being done for being a vigilante but the criminals he put away are bringing charges of assault against him. He did after all punch a few on the jaw."

"Of course I haven't heard what's going on in my world," said Brigitte. "But Father Christmas is at the heart of our culture. If he's gone then well it's a sorry world."

"As I said, these effects don't seem to be happening on my world," said George.

"Aren't you the lucky one?"

Donald Larkin was at their table. "I warned you people about the noise."

"What're you talking about?" said Adam. "We're the only ones here."

"I don't care, rules are rules. I must ask you all to leave and not to return until you can learn to use a library properly."

They reluctantly rose from the table and gathered up their books.

"I'll bet the Larkin on my world was glad he never had a brother," said Adam.

Donald glowered at him. Then he ushered them all out into the vast chamber outside the pokey little library. They were surrounded by thunderous flashes of lightning and gigantic blue spheres rushing noisily up and down past the walk way they stood on.

"He ought to stand out here," shouted Adam. "Was his brother like this?"

"I don't know," said Brigitte. "I think Donald has a chip on his shoulder his brother is a better poet, and he's taking it out on us."

Adam's nose wrinkled at the acrid stench of ozone created by the lightning flashes. It was making Brigitte cough.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

No sooner said than done. Three of them vanished and the Bug was left alone wondering where they had gone to.