spat the magician. “You used your special powers to murder those little creatures.”
People in the crowd looked fascinated but not yet worried. They just assumed Obi was in on the act.
Except for Fareeda. Her eyes were full of angry tears. “Leave him alone, you creep!” she yelled. “Bring his little birds back right now! You’ll give him nightmares!”
The magician did his creepy smile. “I didn’t bring those innocent creatures into this world and I can’t bring them back.”
“Then you’re a rubbish magician!” she yelled. “Come on, Obi, we’re going.”
The magician shook his head. “First he must see what he’s done!” Plunging his hands into the water he brought out three bedraggled, dripping little corpses and dramatically held them up.
Obi let out a wail. “Oh no! I really killed them!”
“Seize him!” cried the magician. It all sounded like part of the act but was really a signal to the waiting kidnappers.
Obi turned and ran.
I raced after him, but he was instantly swallowed by the crowd. Reubs and Brice came skidding after me.
The magician’s cronies were scanning the fairground trying to see where the bodhisattva had gone. One of the men had a ragged red cloth tied round his head. Fear and superstition were written across his face. Who knew what lies the PODS had put into his mind?
My heart almost jumped out of my mouth as I caught sight of Obi a few stalls away. Terrified in this sea of strangers, he’d simply frozen, not knowing where to run.
“Obi, wait !” I screamed. “I’m coming!”
I saw him spin round at the sound of my voice, frantically searching for me in the crowd.
The red-cloth guy spotted him at the same moment. He had a piece of rope or wire in his hands as he moved in stealthily like a trapper.
I couldn’t breathe suddenly. The crushing pressure on my chest was so unbearable I thought I might literally pass out. The fairground started to ripple and stretch like fabric. I was gasping like a fish, trying to get oxygen into my lungs.
The air went dark, a silky greenish kind of darkness, almost luminous, as if a storm was coming. For an instant I saw Obi outlined in the silky green light, like a terrified character in a cartoon. Then he was gone.
Chapter Nine
T he PODS got our bodhisattva . Who do we need to talk to?”
We were in a cafe used by the local angels as a meeting place. Brice’s blunt announcement caused an immediate uproar. Obi had been lost on their patch and their honour was at stake. Brice was in bits and trying to hide it. I was just in bits.
Reuben, though, was still thinking like an angel. “I don’t think the PODS got Obi,” he said very quietly.
Brice looked ready to thump him. “Of course they’ve freaking got him! Who else would know to kidnap a bodhisattva ? We knew we were being set up and we have been.”
“They meant to snatch him, yeah,” said Reuben in the same level tone, “but they didn’t get him. I’m sure of it.”
“And the ripple FX, what was that, Northern Lights?”
“Don’t know,” Reubs admitted. “But not PODS related.”
Brice yanked at his spiky hair as if he wanted to rip it out.
“Maybe it was mind games, like the ducklings?” I said.
I felt like I was floating above my own head, peering down in bewilderment through the swirls of steam and cigarette smoke. Still in shock, I wasn’t one hundred per cent sure I’d even spoken aloud. I actually jumped when Lalla said, “Mel might be right. If they made it look like he just vanished, POOF, you wouldn’t bother to look for him. That’s how they’d see it.”
“It wasn’t mind games,” said Reuben firmly. “I don’t know what it was, but that was real.”
“You’re not alone. Open your eyes…”
I’d programmed my phone to play our cosmic theme tune. I stared at my ringing bag like it was a snake.
“You should probably take that,” said Reuben.
“What if it’s the Agency?” I gulped.
“You’ll have to tell
People in the crowd looked fascinated but not yet worried. They just assumed Obi was in on the act.
Except for Fareeda. Her eyes were full of angry tears. “Leave him alone, you creep!” she yelled. “Bring his little birds back right now! You’ll give him nightmares!”
The magician did his creepy smile. “I didn’t bring those innocent creatures into this world and I can’t bring them back.”
“Then you’re a rubbish magician!” she yelled. “Come on, Obi, we’re going.”
The magician shook his head. “First he must see what he’s done!” Plunging his hands into the water he brought out three bedraggled, dripping little corpses and dramatically held them up.
Obi let out a wail. “Oh no! I really killed them!”
“Seize him!” cried the magician. It all sounded like part of the act but was really a signal to the waiting kidnappers.
Obi turned and ran.
I raced after him, but he was instantly swallowed by the crowd. Reubs and Brice came skidding after me.
The magician’s cronies were scanning the fairground trying to see where the bodhisattva had gone. One of the men had a ragged red cloth tied round his head. Fear and superstition were written across his face. Who knew what lies the PODS had put into his mind?
My heart almost jumped out of my mouth as I caught sight of Obi a few stalls away. Terrified in this sea of strangers, he’d simply frozen, not knowing where to run.
“Obi, wait !” I screamed. “I’m coming!”
I saw him spin round at the sound of my voice, frantically searching for me in the crowd.
The red-cloth guy spotted him at the same moment. He had a piece of rope or wire in his hands as he moved in stealthily like a trapper.
I couldn’t breathe suddenly. The crushing pressure on my chest was so unbearable I thought I might literally pass out. The fairground started to ripple and stretch like fabric. I was gasping like a fish, trying to get oxygen into my lungs.
The air went dark, a silky greenish kind of darkness, almost luminous, as if a storm was coming. For an instant I saw Obi outlined in the silky green light, like a terrified character in a cartoon. Then he was gone.
Chapter Nine
T he PODS got our bodhisattva . Who do we need to talk to?”
We were in a cafe used by the local angels as a meeting place. Brice’s blunt announcement caused an immediate uproar. Obi had been lost on their patch and their honour was at stake. Brice was in bits and trying to hide it. I was just in bits.
Reuben, though, was still thinking like an angel. “I don’t think the PODS got Obi,” he said very quietly.
Brice looked ready to thump him. “Of course they’ve freaking got him! Who else would know to kidnap a bodhisattva ? We knew we were being set up and we have been.”
“They meant to snatch him, yeah,” said Reuben in the same level tone, “but they didn’t get him. I’m sure of it.”
“And the ripple FX, what was that, Northern Lights?”
“Don’t know,” Reubs admitted. “But not PODS related.”
Brice yanked at his spiky hair as if he wanted to rip it out.
“Maybe it was mind games, like the ducklings?” I said.
I felt like I was floating above my own head, peering down in bewilderment through the swirls of steam and cigarette smoke. Still in shock, I wasn’t one hundred per cent sure I’d even spoken aloud. I actually jumped when Lalla said, “Mel might be right. If they made it look like he just vanished, POOF, you wouldn’t bother to look for him. That’s how they’d see it.”
“It wasn’t mind games,” said Reuben firmly. “I don’t know what it was, but that was real.”
“You’re not alone. Open your eyes…”
I’d programmed my phone to play our cosmic theme tune. I stared at my ringing bag like it was a snake.
“You should probably take that,” said Reuben.
“What if it’s the Agency?” I gulped.
“You’ll have to tell
Similar Books
