Francine, like her sister Catherine, had a habit of slowly extending her legs up the wall as she conversed on the phone. Her chat with Pokey had taken so long that she was almost to the point of standing on her head.
"I'll bet she's having all kinds of fun right now," the girl rambled. "Trying on pretty alien dresses, watching mile-high movies with her little alien friends, playing laser tag with real lasers…yeesh, I am so jealous of that stupid Muffy."
"Now, now, Frankie," said Pokey in a gently scolding tone. "When your heart's full of love, there's no room left over for jealousy."
"It's just not fair," Francine complained. "I always get the short end of the stick, while she gets the end with the lollipop. While she cavorts around on Planet Fun, I can't even tie my shoes without a Yordilian breathing down my neck, and I have to sit in the same classroom with Sue Ellen, who used to be my friend, who betrayed us all to the aliens, who thinks she's better than the rest of us put together."
"Try to look at the bright side," Pokey counseled her.
"There is no bright side," said Francine. "Just a lot of dark sides. Buster's whole family is gone, and so's Beat, and nobody knows where they are. All my friends are getting Yordilian moms, and I'll probably get one soon, and when I grow up, I'll have to share my husband with one."
"Don't give up hope, Frankie," said Pokey. "Everything will work out for the best, and even if it doesn't, you can always run away and join the R."
"What's the R?" Francine asked him.
"I can't use the full word, because the Yordilians may be tapping my line," Pokey explained. "But there are many people, God-fearing people, who refuse to submit to this new polygamous system, and they've formed a secret movement—that's the R. They believe that if they R the Yordilians every chance they get, they'll eventually overthrow the occupation and get their freedom back."
"I hope they succeed," said Francine. "Those Yordilians have got a swift kick in the butt coming."
Professor Frink, meanwhile, was continuing his deliberations with Alan, Tegan, Arthur, D.W., Vanessa, and the little Shih Tzu. "My other reason for coming to Elwood City is to see Prunella Prufrock," he told the kids. "By extracting the technology from the microchip in her brain, I hope to create a cranially implanted device that will nullify the powers of the Brainchildren, thus allowing them to re-integrate with normal society."
"Uh, yeah," said Arthur. "But wouldn't you have to cut open her brain to get at the chip?"
"Glavins, no," said Frink with horror. "I simply can't bear getting gray matter on my fingers, with the squishing and the foul smell and the death. No, I intend to scan the inside of her head non-invasively, using a nifty invention of my own inventing, which I like to call the Tomographic Gamma Blaster."
"Sounds dangerous," remarked Tegan.
"Sounds cool," enthused D.W.
"It's virtually risk-free," Frink went on. "Indeed, the chance of death is slightly less than the chance of developing super powers, ga-hey."
The doorbell rang yet again. "I'll get it," said Alan, rising. "Maybe it's the other Brainchildren."
He was a bit surprised to see Binky and Sue Ellen on the doorstep, hand in hand. "Oh, hi, Binky," he said to the boy. "Hi, traitor," he said to the girl.
"Hmph," said Sue Ellen arrogantly. "You can say it a million times, but that won't make it true."
"I see you've got company," said Binky, peering into the den. "I just want to ask you something, really quick." He cleared his throat. "I'm looking for a kid named Clive. Do you know him?"
Coincidence…or not? Alan asked himself. "Hmm…Clive, Clive…can you describe him to me?"
"Aardvark kid, about so high," said Binky, his hand level with his shoulders. "No glasses. It's really important that I find him."
"Tell me more," said Alan.
Binky thought and thought. What to say? I can't tell him the truth, not with Sue Ellen here. "Uh, well, he has…I mean, I've heard he has these weird powers…"
"Oh, now I know which Clive you're talking about," said Alan. "Could you do me a favor, Binky? When you find him, bring him here—I'd like to have a chat with him."
"Sure, Alan," said Binky.
Once the visitors had left, Alan hurried back to the den to report his news. "Binky's looking for Clive too," he told Professor Frink. "It sounds like they've actually met."
"Excellent," said the scientist with satisfaction. "We must proceed carefully. If Clive suspects that we know of him, he may lash out against us, with the changing and the confusion and the doo-doo-doo-doo Twilight Zone music…"
"Excuse me," Vanessa chimed in. "What are you planning to do to Clive once you find him?"
"Quite simple, small girl," replied Frink without hesitation. "I intend to see to it that he never, ever uses his powers again."
to be continued
