you have to Thruumpttttpt! "
"Forgive me. I've never heard of a flying elephant who talked. In fact, I've never before in my lifetime seen a flying elephant. You're my first one. But my cat seems to know you. His name is Isno Gravity."
"He is aptly named, Paul Winsome. My name is Reshape. I believe your flight instructor mentioned me."
"Hello, Reshape. Yes sir, Maken Fairchild mentioned you. Have you seen an eleven-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes? Her name is Vicki."
"Is she an exceptionally bright girl, one who could have a discussion with an elephant, and laugh when he Thruumpttttpted?"
A serge of excitement shot juices through his body. “Yes! Yes! That's her! Where is she? Can you lead us to her?"
"Of course I could, if I had ever met such a girl."
"That isn't fair!” Paul shouted. “Mister Maken Fairchild said you'd be our guide. If you don't know where Vicki is, how can you guide us?"
" Thruumpttttpt !"
Paul blinked. Faster than an eye can wink the elephant became a purple stag, its antlers changed to a magnificent regal red.
Isno purred.
Paul's dad had taught him: ‘Pleasure without its opposite is undefined.’ Pleasure became defined as it turned into pain the next instant. A disassociated voice echoed inside Paul's head—this threatening sound much different than the friendliness of the feminine voice who called him ‘master’ earlier. It sounded abrasive and demanding. Go home. Escape the burn. Ignore this warning and you die! Paul glanced at Isno. He didn't appear to hear the harsh warning. My son will demonstrate
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eight
Badd Attack
The translucent green-eyed boy flew out of a nearby cloud. His arms pressed against his body, legs unmoving, standing at military attention and riding downhill as if on a skateboard. The ramrod-straight posture almost made Paul laugh, until he heard Isno's hissing and spitting, his arched back hairs bristled like defensive porcupine quills.
Two beams of green light shot from the boy's eyes. They combined into a single laser lightning strike of intense brightness and flashed directly at Paul.
"Look out!” Paul shouted.
His cloud veered sideways away from the projectile beam. Liquid fire brushed the side of Paul's face and left arm and the green searing heat blazed past him. The scorching shot missed him by only inches and, unlike not feeling sky temperatures before, he experienced the hot sting scorch his skin. His eyelids slammed shut, the laser beam almost blinding him. The brightness illuminated the moment and through his eyelids Paul watched it miss Isno by less than a yard and flash toward Reshape, who instantly miniaturized into a golden-brown beetle. The violent green beam narrowly missed Reshape and shot into a nearby cloud, momentarily illuminating it into a static-charged emerald glow. Paul held his breath; the second shot would surely kill them all.
The attacking boy flew backwards through a cloud bank, still standing at stiff attention, facing Paul, and disappeared from view.
"Thank you, Paul,” the wee beetle said in a tiny voice.
Paul looked at Isno, who rested on top of his cloud puff.
"You have just met Kid Badd with two d's,” the beetle said in a wee beetle voice, delivered so unemotionally Paul raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “It is his job to destroy us before we can complete our mission."
"Won't he be back?"
"Give him time to recharge.” Little beetle legs wiggled to push it forward. The voice changed to a deep tone. “Do you see why I have to change shapes?” A large golden bear replaced the beetle. One moment a Reshape beetle, and the next a Reshape bear, without any in-between development. “Is there any shape you would like to see, Paul? I am open to requests."
"But you said the green shooting boy had to recharge. Why change shapes now?"
"What does that have to do with shape requests?” the bear said with a growl.
"It's my parallel-imagined-life, not yours. I request to
"Forgive me. I've never heard of a flying elephant who talked. In fact, I've never before in my lifetime seen a flying elephant. You're my first one. But my cat seems to know you. His name is Isno Gravity."
"He is aptly named, Paul Winsome. My name is Reshape. I believe your flight instructor mentioned me."
"Hello, Reshape. Yes sir, Maken Fairchild mentioned you. Have you seen an eleven-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes? Her name is Vicki."
"Is she an exceptionally bright girl, one who could have a discussion with an elephant, and laugh when he Thruumpttttpted?"
A serge of excitement shot juices through his body. “Yes! Yes! That's her! Where is she? Can you lead us to her?"
"Of course I could, if I had ever met such a girl."
"That isn't fair!” Paul shouted. “Mister Maken Fairchild said you'd be our guide. If you don't know where Vicki is, how can you guide us?"
" Thruumpttttpt !"
Paul blinked. Faster than an eye can wink the elephant became a purple stag, its antlers changed to a magnificent regal red.
Isno purred.
Paul's dad had taught him: ‘Pleasure without its opposite is undefined.’ Pleasure became defined as it turned into pain the next instant. A disassociated voice echoed inside Paul's head—this threatening sound much different than the friendliness of the feminine voice who called him ‘master’ earlier. It sounded abrasive and demanding. Go home. Escape the burn. Ignore this warning and you die! Paul glanced at Isno. He didn't appear to hear the harsh warning. My son will demonstrate
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eight
Badd Attack
The translucent green-eyed boy flew out of a nearby cloud. His arms pressed against his body, legs unmoving, standing at military attention and riding downhill as if on a skateboard. The ramrod-straight posture almost made Paul laugh, until he heard Isno's hissing and spitting, his arched back hairs bristled like defensive porcupine quills.
Two beams of green light shot from the boy's eyes. They combined into a single laser lightning strike of intense brightness and flashed directly at Paul.
"Look out!” Paul shouted.
His cloud veered sideways away from the projectile beam. Liquid fire brushed the side of Paul's face and left arm and the green searing heat blazed past him. The scorching shot missed him by only inches and, unlike not feeling sky temperatures before, he experienced the hot sting scorch his skin. His eyelids slammed shut, the laser beam almost blinding him. The brightness illuminated the moment and through his eyelids Paul watched it miss Isno by less than a yard and flash toward Reshape, who instantly miniaturized into a golden-brown beetle. The violent green beam narrowly missed Reshape and shot into a nearby cloud, momentarily illuminating it into a static-charged emerald glow. Paul held his breath; the second shot would surely kill them all.
The attacking boy flew backwards through a cloud bank, still standing at stiff attention, facing Paul, and disappeared from view.
"Thank you, Paul,” the wee beetle said in a tiny voice.
Paul looked at Isno, who rested on top of his cloud puff.
"You have just met Kid Badd with two d's,” the beetle said in a wee beetle voice, delivered so unemotionally Paul raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “It is his job to destroy us before we can complete our mission."
"Won't he be back?"
"Give him time to recharge.” Little beetle legs wiggled to push it forward. The voice changed to a deep tone. “Do you see why I have to change shapes?” A large golden bear replaced the beetle. One moment a Reshape beetle, and the next a Reshape bear, without any in-between development. “Is there any shape you would like to see, Paul? I am open to requests."
"But you said the green shooting boy had to recharge. Why change shapes now?"
"What does that have to do with shape requests?” the bear said with a growl.
"It's my parallel-imagined-life, not yours. I request to
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