Binky stepped backwards, gaping with shock and disbelief.
"He's...he's a robot..." he stammered.
"I knew it!" cried Buster. "He's not the real Arthur!"
The faceless Arthur robot continued to curiously probe the exposed circuitry with his fingers.
A moment later, Binky bumped into a black-clad man who stood behind him. The main raised his electronic device and placed it against the right side of Binky's neck. There was a brief noise not unlike a dentist's drill, and Binky suddenly became completely stiff.
Bella, Fern, Muffy, Francine, Buster, and Brain gasped collectively as the apparently inanimate Binky fell backwards into the arms of the man who had applied the gadget to him.
Then Francine's expression turned to one of rage.
"YOU KILLED BINKY!" she roared. Screaming with fury, she charged at the man, knocking both him and Binky over with tremendous force.
The black-clad attackers stepped away, looking a bit frightened. The kids, emboldened by Francine's example, turned and advanced menacingly.
"You're not taking us without a fight!" shouted Brain. "Come on, guys!"
Bella, Buster, Francine, Muffy, and Fern followed Brain as he lunged at one of the women in the circle. She sidestepped his attack and pointed her handheld device at him, but he deftly knocked it out of her hand. He and the other kids rushed through the opening in the circle, and were soon speeding around the corner of the apartment building, with the strangers in pursuit.
The kids had reached the sidewalk and run about half a block when Brain looked over his shoulder. He was startled to see that Bella was far behind them, struggling to catch up...and there were three black-clad men breathing down her neck.
Brain stopped and turned. "Wait!" he called to the others. "Bella's in trouble!"
The other kids stopped and looked behind them. There was clearly no way that they could reach Bella in time to save her from their pursuers.
Then, to their surprise, the three men sped past Bella, ignoring her.
"I guess they're only interested in us," Francine remarked.
"Keep running!" shouted Brain as the strange men drew closer.
The five remaining Elwood kids started to run down the street again. Two blocks later, they halted, turned, and observed that the men were nowhere to be seen. A block away, Bella was running with all her strength, trying to keep up with her friends.
The kids glanced around in every direction. "Where are they?" asked Muffy. "What happened to them?"
"I don't know," said Brain. "Probably hiding somewhere. We'd better be careful."
"They tried to trick us with an Arthur robot," said Fern. "That means the real Arthur may still be dead."
Moments later, the heavily breathing Bella reached their position, and flung her arms around Brain.
"How can...you...run so...fast?" she asked them, panting.
"How fast were we running?" asked Francine.
Brain became thoughtful as Bella removed her arms from his shoulders.
"We just outran three grown men," he observed. "We shouldn't be able to do that."
"Maybe the atmosphere of this planet gives us super powers," Buster suggested.
Fern fingered her chin pensively. "Hmm..."
"We can't go back to my apartment," said Bella. "They'll be looking for you there. A friend of mine lives four blocks from here. We'll stay at her place tonight."
As Bella started down the sidewalk, Muffy raised a hand to stop her. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "What about Binky? We can't leave him!"
"Binky's dead," said Francine dejectedly.
"We don't know that," said Brain. "Maybe those weapons just stun people and make them look dead. Maybe that's what happened to Arthur."
"We'd better keep moving," said Fern, "or they'll find us. Which way to your friend's house, Bella?"
"That way," said Bella, pointing down a side street.
The kids began to walk in silence through the darkened neighborhood. Bella placed her hand in Brain's. The boy smiled weakly.
(To be continued...)
"He's...he's a robot..." he stammered.
"I knew it!" cried Buster. "He's not the real Arthur!"
The faceless Arthur robot continued to curiously probe the exposed circuitry with his fingers.
A moment later, Binky bumped into a black-clad man who stood behind him. The main raised his electronic device and placed it against the right side of Binky's neck. There was a brief noise not unlike a dentist's drill, and Binky suddenly became completely stiff.
Bella, Fern, Muffy, Francine, Buster, and Brain gasped collectively as the apparently inanimate Binky fell backwards into the arms of the man who had applied the gadget to him.
Then Francine's expression turned to one of rage.
"YOU KILLED BINKY!" she roared. Screaming with fury, she charged at the man, knocking both him and Binky over with tremendous force.
The black-clad attackers stepped away, looking a bit frightened. The kids, emboldened by Francine's example, turned and advanced menacingly.
"You're not taking us without a fight!" shouted Brain. "Come on, guys!"
Bella, Buster, Francine, Muffy, and Fern followed Brain as he lunged at one of the women in the circle. She sidestepped his attack and pointed her handheld device at him, but he deftly knocked it out of her hand. He and the other kids rushed through the opening in the circle, and were soon speeding around the corner of the apartment building, with the strangers in pursuit.
The kids had reached the sidewalk and run about half a block when Brain looked over his shoulder. He was startled to see that Bella was far behind them, struggling to catch up...and there were three black-clad men breathing down her neck.
Brain stopped and turned. "Wait!" he called to the others. "Bella's in trouble!"
The other kids stopped and looked behind them. There was clearly no way that they could reach Bella in time to save her from their pursuers.
Then, to their surprise, the three men sped past Bella, ignoring her.
"I guess they're only interested in us," Francine remarked.
"Keep running!" shouted Brain as the strange men drew closer.
The five remaining Elwood kids started to run down the street again. Two blocks later, they halted, turned, and observed that the men were nowhere to be seen. A block away, Bella was running with all her strength, trying to keep up with her friends.
The kids glanced around in every direction. "Where are they?" asked Muffy. "What happened to them?"
"I don't know," said Brain. "Probably hiding somewhere. We'd better be careful."
"They tried to trick us with an Arthur robot," said Fern. "That means the real Arthur may still be dead."
Moments later, the heavily breathing Bella reached their position, and flung her arms around Brain.
"How can...you...run so...fast?" she asked them, panting.
"How fast were we running?" asked Francine.
Brain became thoughtful as Bella removed her arms from his shoulders.
"We just outran three grown men," he observed. "We shouldn't be able to do that."
"Maybe the atmosphere of this planet gives us super powers," Buster suggested.
Fern fingered her chin pensively. "Hmm..."
"We can't go back to my apartment," said Bella. "They'll be looking for you there. A friend of mine lives four blocks from here. We'll stay at her place tonight."
As Bella started down the sidewalk, Muffy raised a hand to stop her. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "What about Binky? We can't leave him!"
"Binky's dead," said Francine dejectedly.
"We don't know that," said Brain. "Maybe those weapons just stun people and make them look dead. Maybe that's what happened to Arthur."
"We'd better keep moving," said Fern, "or they'll find us. Which way to your friend's house, Bella?"
"That way," said Bella, pointing down a side street.
The kids began to walk in silence through the darkened neighborhood. Bella placed her hand in Brain's. The boy smiled weakly.
(To be continued...)