Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Three

They approached the witch's cottage.

"At least she seems to be still here," said Barry. "All the same I don't think it's wise seeing her."

"No stone unturned," said Helen.

"Yes but this witch is a...."

"Barry! Language!"

"I get the sense she's not popular around here," said Adam.

"That would be an understatement," said George.

Adam saw the witch's cottage was put together out of numerous Mars Bars, Toblerones, Liquorice Allsorts, Smarties and various other confection. She had a sign on her garden gate saying, Trespassers will be stuck in an oven tray with onions and carrots, basted and cooked to delicious perfection over a slow heat.

"Joke?" said Adam.

"No," said George. "She totally means it."

George's father knocked on the door. It opened. A fat woman stood in the doorway wearing a black pointed hat with a small brim, and a black gown. She had a hook nose and one eye was bigger than the other.

"What do you want?" she croaked. She saw the two children. "What are those?"

George told her about the situation and how she was in danger of being turned into a CGI.

"Clear off!" she said and tried to close the door.

Barry stuck his foot in it.

"Go on," she said. "Sling your hook."

"I need you to use your magic powers to send my son and his friends back to the Nexus. You do that for me and I will owe you big time."

"As the multiverse is coming to an end, that's not much of a promise."

"Then I will huff and I puff and I will burn your house down," said Barry.

The witch positioned herself in front of her house.

"Go on then, but if you burn my house you'll have to burn me with it. I dare you! I double dare you!"

"You won't help us and you're prepared to die rather than help us? Are you that nasty?"

The witch grinned a toothless grin. "You have no idea."

Barry sighed and turned sadly away.

"I didn't think so," said the witch triumphant. She slammed the door. It fell to bits. "Now look what you done!" she shrieked.

"You shouldn't build your cottage out of sweets," said George's father. The troop made their way to the gate. "Stupid witch," muttered George's father under his breath.

They next went to Sir Fred's castle. This was a cartoon castle. There was a sign on the portcullis saying, I know about the CGI and I'm heading for the hills. Recommend you do the same. Lots of love. Sir Fred.

"The writing's on the door," said Barry. "And the rats so to speak are leaving the sinking ship. That witch is so nasty she will quite happily sit in her cottage and let the CGI do its work on her."

"What can we do now?" said Adam.

"Go back to the cottage," said Barry. "There is a marvellous wizard in a diamond city who could help us."

"Is he called the Wizard of Oz?" said Adam.

"No. He's just called the wizard. He lives at the end of a red brick road. We just got to find the road."

Adam looked at George.

"Is your father on the up and up?"

George shrugged. "I don't think he'd joke at a time like this. We may all die."

"Thank you for reminding us," said Brigitte.

"George you don't have to do this. Why kill yourself for us? It won't change anything. It certainly won't help us."

"Adam I could not live with myself and neither could my father and mother."

"This wizard," said Brigitte. "Do you know if he's still around?"

"I'll phone him," said Barry.

He put a cartoon mobile phone to his ear and listened into it. He sighed and put down the phone.

"He's gone as well. I'm out of ideas."

"Somehow we have to contact the Nexus," said Brigitte.

"Well duh!" said Adam. "How do we do that?"

"I'm thinking," mused Brigitte. "The cosmic net works through quantum synchronicity. Now if we were able to pass a phased pulse through a double coil mediator connected to capacitor induced transference which would in turn produce a tangential wave form and allow a pulsed modulator to variable phase with a....no it's a stupid idea."

"Brigitte, I didn't understand a word you said, but we got to try," said Adam. "If there's a shred of hope."

"No it's a stupid idea."

"We got to try."

"Adam I don't know if the same laws of physics work in this world. They probably don't."

"What do you need?" said Barry.

"I saw you got a portable radio."

"We do."

"I also need a tumble drier."

"Hang on!" said Adam. "A tumble drier? They won't have a tumble drier. If they want to dry clothes they'll stick it on a line and play a little a fire on them."

"We do have a tumble drier," said Barry.

Adam threw up his hands. "Let's do this thing,"

So they did, for three hours Brigitte toiled gutting the components of the radio and linking them through wires to the back of the tumble drier. She also hooked up a digital clock and an old ink jet printer.

"You use alternating current?" she asked.

"Of course," said Barry.

She worked quickly and dexterously using cartoon tools. George helped where he could. Finally Brigitte sat back.

"Okay boys and girls. I push this switch and we should be able to communicate with the Nexus." She blew on her fingers. "Wish me luck."

"Luck," said everyone.

Brigitte muttered a silent prayer and pushed the switch.