Chapter Ten

"I can't believe this! He went back to the apartment to get Dimitri," Larry cried, running his fingers through his hair. "I thought you said the machine didn't work?"

"It didn't! Larry, I don't think he's at the apartment. I don't know where he is!" Bianca squeaked. "R.O.B.! I need my iPad stat!"

In less than a minute, the robot wheeled into the garage, holding a large flat screen. "Here you go, Bianca," it said.

"Thank you," she exhaled as she quickly turned it on.

"Exactly how many screens do you have and how exactly is that going to bring Balki back?" Larry asked.

"If I can communicate with the machine, I can try to pinpoint the location."

"Bianca, if I may be of some assistance, I can inform you that Mr. Bartokomous is on the small island of Atropos," R.O.B. stated.

Larry did a double take as a new wave of panic washed over him "What? Did you say Atropos? Bianca, we have to get him out of there! He has no idea that Mypos is gone!"

"R.O.B., you saw Balki?" Bianca gasped.

"Yes. He could not sleep and wanted to see a sheep."

Larry moved towards the waist-high robot slowly, his hands up as if he were planning to choke it. "You saw Balki and you didn't try to stop him?"

Bianca grabbed Larry's shoulder and gasped again. "Larry, I've found him. Now maybe I can communicate with him if he's close enough to the machine." Larry watched hopefully as she placed the flat screen closer to her lips. "Balki, can you hear me? Balki, talk to me if you can hear me. It's Bianca."

"Bianca?" came the static-filled response. "Is this an optical illusion?"

"Balki, get inside the machine and press the power button quickly! I think I can get you back!"

"Balki, listen to Bianca; she can help you!" Larry chimed in.

"Cousin, I'm scared! There are men here who want to hurt me! I don't wanna die!" he sobbed.

"Balki, get in the machine!" Larry urged.

"O–okay; I'm inside. Please hurry!"

Bianca tapped a button on her flat screen and within seconds, the egg-shaped machine returned with a terrified, disheveled Balki.

Larry threw open the doors and grabbed Balki for an embrace. "Oh, thank God you're alright!"

Balki then hugged Bianca before turning back to Larry. "Oh, Cousin, it was terrible! I only wanted Dimitri back, but I entered Mypos on the screen. Cousin, Mypos no longer exists! They ran my family out and renamed the island Atropos! When these men find that I am Myposian, they threaten me and say they want rid of me. Cousin, I was almost mint meat!"

Bianca looked at Larry, wide-eyed! "That's why you didn't want to tell him about Mypos!"

Larry glanced at her nervously. "Wha-what are talking about? I never said that."

"Cousin, I ask you to look up Mypos and you say the machine is broken," Balki reminded him.

Larry laughed nervously. "Did I say that? I really can't remember."

"You lied to Balki! You tell me that machine is broken when you knew the whole time that Mypos no longer exist! Why? Why you do such a terrible thing?"

"Balki, I–" Larry started, but Balki quickly turned and fled the room. Larry then turned to Bianca, fire in his eyes. "Why…did you do that?"

"I'm sorry. It slipped. You never told me Mypos was his home! I just thought maybe he knew someone from there! How was I supposed to know?"

"Well, now Balki will never talk to me again. Not that I blame him. I should've told him the truth from the very beginning," Larry turned away, his shoulders slumping miserably.

Bianca placed her arm around him. "Larry, it's okay. You just made an error in judgment. I'll talk to him. Things will work out again, you'll see.

Larry looked at her and gave her a weak smile. He was glad she was there, but he knew he had messed up big time. He walked back to the living room and fell onto the sofa with a plop. Last night, he'd felt on top of the world. Now–less than six hours later–he felt as if he were falling and the world was crashing all around him.