As Arthur and his father were seated on a jetliner on the way to Hollywood, the bleary-eyed Arthur continued his nonstop rehearsing.

"My name's Gilbert Sullivan, but you can call me Cyberpunk," he recited, clutching a script in his hands. "The same technology that brought you Bionic Bunny has made me the most powerful boy on Earth!"

An elephant woman in the seat behind him tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, young man," she said, "but if you have to practice out loud, then at least read the script through instead of repeating the same lines over and over. You're getting on our nerves."

"Sorry about that," said Arthur, then immediately proceeded to the next line. "Only one person can defeat me, and that's Bionic Bunny. And he can't defeat me either!"

In a nearby row, a rabbit couple was trying to relax and enjoy the flight.

"I wish that kid would shut up," said the rabbit woman impatiently.

"I think he's pretty good," said the rabbit man. "I'd like to know what happens next."

"Oh, you want me to put the bus down?" Arthur continued. "Fine! I'll put it down!"

----

In Mr. Frensky's apartment, Binky, Buster, and Muffy were carrying out the segments of Francine's drum kit. Mr. Frensky smiled at them as he sat on the couch, dressed in his nurse's uniform.

"I should have you all over to help when I move out of here," he said.

"You're moving?" said Buster, surprised.

"Well, I hardly need a two-bedroom apartment anymore," said Mr. Frensky. "And I want to save as much money as I can."

"Do you work on Saturdays?" Muffy asked.

"For the time being," Mr. Frensky replied.

"Gosh," Binky remarked, "you must have no free time at all."

Mr. Frensky sighed. "That's how it feels when you work two jobs. But I'm going to get back the money I lost, even if I have to kill myself..."

Buster and Muffy gasped in shock.

"...er, I mean, even if I have to work night and day."

Mr. Frensky stood and followed the kids as they moved the drum kit out of the apartment building and into the charter bus, which stood parked at the curb.

Muffy was the last to board the bus. "You have a good trip now," said Mr. Frensky to her.

"I hope things work out for you," said Muffy, smiling. "I'm still hoping that you and your family will be together again some day."

Mr. Frensky's voice was filled with resolve. "As long as there's a chance, I'm not letting go of it."

Muffy climbed aboard the bus and took a seat at the front. Mr. Ratburn, who had volunteered to accompany the kids, occupied the driver's seat. Behind Muffy sat more members of The Rat's third-grade class--Buster, Binky, Sue Ellen, Fern, George, and Jenna.

"Take us away, Mr. Ratburn," Muffy ordered, and shortly the bus was rolling down the highway in the direction of Town City.

"I don't understand why Prunella didn't want to come," Buster remarked.

"You'd think she would feel right at home in Town City," said Fern.

"I wonder what she's doing right now," said Binky.

"Maybe she's hanging out with fourth-graders for a change," Sue Ellen joked.

----

At that moment Prunella was seated at her crystal ball table, with Floyd on the opposite side.

"I still don't see anything," said Floyd, sounding quite bored.

"Keep looking," Prunella advised. "Sooner or later, a pattern will emerge. The spirits need time to adjust to your frequency."

Floyd rose from his chair and turned toward the stairway, saying, "I think this is all a crock."

"It's no wonder the spirits won't talk to you," said Prunella indignantly, "if that's your attitude."

By the time Prunella finished her sentence, Floyd had already descended the staircase.

----

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round..." sang the kids as the wheels on the bus went round and round.

Soon the bus passed a sign advertising the World's Largest UFO Museum.

"I've heard that half the people who live in Town City are really aliens," George commented.

"It's the only place where they can live without sticking out," Jenna added.

"Ooooh..." said Buster eagerly.

He imagined himself wandering around the center of Town City, examining the people who walked by. Some were clearly hiding antennae underneath their hats, or tails under their long cloaks. Then he saw a cat woman who was sitting on a bus bench, crying...

"What's wrong?" Buster asked her.

"I'll tell you what's wrong," said the woman tearfully and angrily. "I came to Town City thinking it was the only place on Earth where I would be accepted. But now I find out that the people here are as ignorant and narrow-minded as the people anywhere else. I can't do this anymore. I refuse to wear a mask!"

The woman abruptly stood up and pulled the mask from her face, revealing a mass of tentacles and eyestalks...

"Look at me, everyone!" she proclaimed. "This is what I look like! This is what I am!"

Buster, and the surrounding citizens, gasped in horror at the sight. Several people fainted.

Then two aardvark men wearing black suits and dark sunglasses appeared out of nowhere, and stood before the alien woman.

"Sister, you need therapy," said one of the men in black suits.

"Please don't resist," said the other.

The alien woman bowed her scaly head submissively, and started to replace her mask.

The men in black suits then pulled tubular devices from their pockets, and pointed them at Buster and the passers-by. There was a flash of white light, and Buster felt a warm, peaceful feeling fill his mind and body...

"You didn't see any of this," said one of the men in black suits.

"We're fine with aliens, as long as they act human," said the other.

And suddenly the men were gone, along with the cat woman and Buster's recollection of having seen them...

"Huh?" he mumbled in confusion as his daydream faded.

Shortly thereafter, the bus arrived in front of the apartment building where Mrs. Frensky and her daughters were staying. Francine, who had seen them from her window, rushed out to greet them.

"Muffy, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed as Muffy disembarked from the bus. "And Mr. Ratburn! I never thought I'd be happy to see you!"

As the kids greeted Francine, Buster and Binky started to unload Francine's drum kit from the back of the bus.

"My drums!" cried Francine with joy. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"There goes the neighborhood," Fern quipped.

As the kids started to move Francine's drums and miscellaneous other belongings toward the apartment building, a few of Francine's new friends came out to meet the group. They included Minerva, Thor, and Janet.

"Hey, guys," Francine said to them. "These are my friends..."

"Which of you is The Brain?" asked Minerva.

"And where's the diplobrat?" Thor demanded.

"Uh...that would be me, I guess," said Sue Ellen sheepishly.

"Oh, I didn't tell you," said Francine to Minerva. "Brain couldn't come. He's still recuperating from his little water adventure."

"Oh, no," Minerva moaned. "I was so looking forward to meeting an intellectual equal."

"You'll just have to settle for Mr. Ratburn," said Francine jokingly.

"And what's your name?" asked Muffy as she approached Janet.

Janet pulled a monkey-like ventriloquist's dummy from her blouse pocket and started to talk through it. "My name's Glubglub. Would you like to be my friend?"

Muffy scowled. "Monkeys are NOT funny."

As Muffy walked past her, George approached her with Wally, his giraffe dummy, in hand. Soon the two dummies were engaged in lively conversation.

Moments later, in the Frenskys' apartment, the kids from Elwood City were chatting excitedly with the kids from Town City, while Mr. Ratburn caught up on old times with Mrs. Frensky.

"My dad became a millionaire just before the dot-com crash," said Cliff to Muffy. "I go to school every day in a chauffeured limo."

"Really?" said Muffy, dreamy-eyed. "So do I."

"So I says to him, 'You're lucky you're a boy, or else I'd clobber you,'" said Summer to Binky.

"You lived in Nigeria?" said Thor to Sue Ellen. "We lived in Kenya for six months. I learned to speak the native dialect."

"By the shores of Gitche Gumee, by the shining Big Sea Water..." said Nick, the Pomeranian boy.

"...stood the wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis," Fern added.

"I think the percentage of aliens is more like seventy-five," said Mary Elaine to Buster. "They tell us it's only half just so we won't worry."

"Whoa," said Buster with amazement. "It's, like, the melting pot of the galaxy."

"Why do you have so many shirts?" Francine asked Howard the gazelle boy, who was wearing a shirt with the slogan KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY SHIRT.

"I keep poking holes in them with my antlers while putting them on," Howard explained.

Meanwhile, Jenna had become visibly bored with Minerva's scientific discourse.

"...according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, if you exactly pinpoint the location of a subatomic particle, then you completely lose all certainty with regard to its velocity, and vice versa..."

"I have a bedwetting problem," said Jenna bluntly.

Minerva fell silent. Her expression turned to one of embarrassment.

"I agree that nursing is an unconventional career choice for a man," said Mr. Ratburn to Mrs. Frensky. "On the other hand, they said the same thing to me when I decided on a teaching career."

The various conversations were suddenly interrupted when the door to the apartment opened, and Ms. Ropeburn stepped inside, wearing her usual natural fiber dress and peace necklace.

"Am I late?" she asked, smiling. "I have a very creative approach to telling time..."

When Mr. Ratburn saw her, he leaped to his feet. Fire seemed to flash from his eyes.

"YOU!" he roared angrily.

Ms. Ropeburn began to seethe with fury...

(to be continued)