pointed to the ditch and counted down on his fingers. 3 . . . 2 . . . 1!
They ran to the ditch, where a figure in a cowboy hat was crouching. Peri, Diesel and Selene jumped down into the ditch and wrestled the alien to the ground.
‘You’re outnumbered!’ Peri said. ‘Do you give in?’
The head beneath the cowboy hat nodded. Peri whipped off the hat and saw the startled face of . . .
‘Dexter!’ Selene said. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I didn’t mean any harm – I just wanted to see you take off in your space-boat!’
‘Ship, not boat,’ Peri said.
Diesel looked accusingly at Peri. ‘You told him? That’s against IF rules!’
‘We can trust Dexter,’ Peri said.
‘That’s right, I won’t tell a living soul,’ Dexter said. ‘Can’t I just take a tiny peek?’
‘He has earned it, hasn’t he?’ Peri said to the others.
‘Of course he has,’ Selene said.
Diesel nodded grudgingly. ‘I suppose.’
‘Come on, then,’ Peri said.
They all climbed out of the ditch.
‘I think we’re far enough away now.’ Peri placed the Phoenix on a patch of clear ground. ‘Stand well back, everyone – it’s going to get a lot bigger!’
He twisted the ‘Expansion Packs’ dial on his control strip.
And the ship began to grow.
Dexter gasped. ‘That is just a plain, plumb impossible miracle!’
Soon the vast oval shape of the Phoenix dwarfed them. Its smooth surface shone like silver fire in the afternoon sun.
The door silently opened and there stood Otto. He had his hands on his hips, with all four elbows sticking out angrily. He craned his long crimson neck towards them.
‘About time! And who’s this you’ve brought with you?’ Otto boomed.
‘Oh my goodness!’ Dexter said. ‘Is that the same alien I saw when he was an insect?’
‘What do you mean, insect?’ Otto said furiously.
‘Sorry,’ Dexter said, taking off his hat. ‘I only meant I saw you when you were little. I sure am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr Alien, sir.’
‘I’m not an alien,’ Otto said. ‘You are.’
‘We’re all aliens here, except for Dexter,’ Peri pointed out. ‘It’s his planet.’ He turned to Dexter. ‘Would you like to come on board and see what it’s like inside?’
Otto spread out his long arms to bar the way. ‘He can’t come aboard – we don’t have time!’
Dexter looked uncertain. ‘Is he – I mean, is it going to be safe?’
‘Oh, don’t mind Otto,’ Selene said. ‘He looks scary, but he’s not really evil.’
‘Well, he is a bit evil,’ Diesel said.
‘But you’ll be safe with us,’ Peri said. ‘Come on!’
They went up the ramp and Otto reluctantly moved aside to let them pass.
Peri grinned at how awestruck Dexter was. The alien boy’s mouth was open in a permanent ‘O’ of wonder as he walked along the mauve-lit corridors, touching the smooth, curved walls.
‘Come and see the Bridge!’ Peri said.
A section of wall slid open and they entered the nerve centre of the ship. Dexter gazed around at the seats that rose up from the deck and the giant, hovering control panel with its display of winking lights and banks of monitor screens.
‘Oh, this is like the greatest dream ever!’ Dexter said.
An idea came to Peri. ‘How would you like to take a trip with us? Just a quick one, to see a little bit of outer space?’
Dexter’s face glowed with excitement. ‘Oh, I’d love that more than anything else in the whole of Westrenia!’
‘Only if you promise to never, ever tell anyone,’ Diesel said.
‘I promise!’
‘Sit here, like this.’ Peri showed Dexter to a seat. Dexter gave a yelp of surprise as an astro-harness snaked around him.
They all sat down at their stations. Peri beckoned the control panel over, initiated the lift-off sequence and pressed the pyramid-shaped button.
The Phoenix took off from the desert and the silent g-force pressed them all back in their seats. In the 360-monitor, Westrenia fell away. Within
They ran to the ditch, where a figure in a cowboy hat was crouching. Peri, Diesel and Selene jumped down into the ditch and wrestled the alien to the ground.
‘You’re outnumbered!’ Peri said. ‘Do you give in?’
The head beneath the cowboy hat nodded. Peri whipped off the hat and saw the startled face of . . .
‘Dexter!’ Selene said. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I didn’t mean any harm – I just wanted to see you take off in your space-boat!’
‘Ship, not boat,’ Peri said.
Diesel looked accusingly at Peri. ‘You told him? That’s against IF rules!’
‘We can trust Dexter,’ Peri said.
‘That’s right, I won’t tell a living soul,’ Dexter said. ‘Can’t I just take a tiny peek?’
‘He has earned it, hasn’t he?’ Peri said to the others.
‘Of course he has,’ Selene said.
Diesel nodded grudgingly. ‘I suppose.’
‘Come on, then,’ Peri said.
They all climbed out of the ditch.
‘I think we’re far enough away now.’ Peri placed the Phoenix on a patch of clear ground. ‘Stand well back, everyone – it’s going to get a lot bigger!’
He twisted the ‘Expansion Packs’ dial on his control strip.
And the ship began to grow.
Dexter gasped. ‘That is just a plain, plumb impossible miracle!’
Soon the vast oval shape of the Phoenix dwarfed them. Its smooth surface shone like silver fire in the afternoon sun.
The door silently opened and there stood Otto. He had his hands on his hips, with all four elbows sticking out angrily. He craned his long crimson neck towards them.
‘About time! And who’s this you’ve brought with you?’ Otto boomed.
‘Oh my goodness!’ Dexter said. ‘Is that the same alien I saw when he was an insect?’
‘What do you mean, insect?’ Otto said furiously.
‘Sorry,’ Dexter said, taking off his hat. ‘I only meant I saw you when you were little. I sure am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr Alien, sir.’
‘I’m not an alien,’ Otto said. ‘You are.’
‘We’re all aliens here, except for Dexter,’ Peri pointed out. ‘It’s his planet.’ He turned to Dexter. ‘Would you like to come on board and see what it’s like inside?’
Otto spread out his long arms to bar the way. ‘He can’t come aboard – we don’t have time!’
Dexter looked uncertain. ‘Is he – I mean, is it going to be safe?’
‘Oh, don’t mind Otto,’ Selene said. ‘He looks scary, but he’s not really evil.’
‘Well, he is a bit evil,’ Diesel said.
‘But you’ll be safe with us,’ Peri said. ‘Come on!’
They went up the ramp and Otto reluctantly moved aside to let them pass.
Peri grinned at how awestruck Dexter was. The alien boy’s mouth was open in a permanent ‘O’ of wonder as he walked along the mauve-lit corridors, touching the smooth, curved walls.
‘Come and see the Bridge!’ Peri said.
A section of wall slid open and they entered the nerve centre of the ship. Dexter gazed around at the seats that rose up from the deck and the giant, hovering control panel with its display of winking lights and banks of monitor screens.
‘Oh, this is like the greatest dream ever!’ Dexter said.
An idea came to Peri. ‘How would you like to take a trip with us? Just a quick one, to see a little bit of outer space?’
Dexter’s face glowed with excitement. ‘Oh, I’d love that more than anything else in the whole of Westrenia!’
‘Only if you promise to never, ever tell anyone,’ Diesel said.
‘I promise!’
‘Sit here, like this.’ Peri showed Dexter to a seat. Dexter gave a yelp of surprise as an astro-harness snaked around him.
They all sat down at their stations. Peri beckoned the control panel over, initiated the lift-off sequence and pressed the pyramid-shaped button.
The Phoenix took off from the desert and the silent g-force pressed them all back in their seats. In the 360-monitor, Westrenia fell away. Within
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