The anxious Mr. Read, holding Kate in his arms, greeted his wife and other
children as they came into the house. "Thank goodness," he said with relief.
"When I heard what happened to the Sneers store, I couldn't believe it."
"We were inside when it started," Mrs. Read told him. "A voice told everybody to get out of the store."
As the entire Read family rushed to the TV to watch the ongoing broadcast of the bizarre event, Pal and The Professor followed after them.
"I had no idea Nemo was that powerful," Pal remarked.
"If I hadn't tracked his movements, hundreds of people might have died," replied The Professor telepathically. "Rascal put him up to it. She's trying to bully me into submission."
On the TV screen, the news camera showed a police line surrounding the vast empty hole where the Sneers department store had once stood. "Witnesses claim that the store floated into the sky, then flew over the city and fell into the ocean," said the newscaster. "The Coast Guard is investigating the wreckage. So far no casualties have been found. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism..."
"That's crazy," Mrs. Read commented. "Even terrorists can't make a whole building just float away."
"Unless they have some kind of anti-gravity weapon," Mr. Read responded.
"I wonder what Buster's thinking right now," Arthur mused.
Hundreds of miles away in a suburb of Chicago, Buster sat in his living room with his parents, Bitzi and Harry, watching the newscast from Elwood City.
"It must be some kind of anti-gravity weapon," Buster opinionated.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rang at the Read house. Arthur hurried to answer it, and was greeted by Greta the unicorn girl, whose horn was once again veiled.
"I came as soon as I heard the news," she said. "I want to help The Professor."
----
"We can't wait any longer," said Arthur as The Professor mentally dictated his words. "We must attack Rascal before she can do any more damage."
"But where is Rascal?" asked Greta, who sat with him and Francine in Arthur's bedroom.
"Rascal and her agents have a secret base in an old barn by the creek," Arthur replied. "There are guard dogs, but Greta should have no trouble convincing them to let us through. Once we get inside, I expect we'll have to face Jean, Wolfie, and Magnemo. It may be a little dangerous, but I should be able to hold them off with my telepathy. In the meantime, the three of you will capture Rascal. She's the Irish setter. Her mind control can't affect you, but her absorption power can, so don't let her lick you."
"And what do we do with Rascal after we capture her?" asked Francine.
"Leave that to me," said Arthur confidently.
"Can I blast her with pepper spray?"
Greta stared at Francine. "Where did you get pepper spray?"
Francine pulled the silver-metallic container from her pocket. "I stole it from Catherine while she was in the shower," she admitted.
"It may be good for one or two blasts," said Arthur, still channeling for The Professor, "but you shouldn't rely on it."
Francine narrowed her eyes. "Once this is over, I'm going to have a nice, long talk with my cat."
----
In the forest near the creek, Arthur, Francine, and Greta looked through the trees at the abandoned barn. More than a dozen large dogs of various breeds stood motionless on the structure's perimeter, sniffing the air and occasionally perking up their ears.
The Professor, carefully cradled in Arthur's arms, transmitted his thoughts into the boy's mind. "Rascal is there," said Arthur. "So are Magnemo, Jean, and Wolfie. As I expected, she's keeping them close at hand, while making the non-mutant animals do her leg work."
"Does she know we're coming?" asked Francine nervously.
"She knows, and she's expecting us," Arthur answered. "Walking into her trap is part of my plan."
"Then why waste time?" said Greta. "Let's get in there and take her down."
"I agree," Arthur responded. "You know what to do, Greta."
The three children strolled out of the forest and approached the barn, while Arthur tightened his grip on The Professor. As they drew closer, the guard dogs all turned their heads and began to bark and growl, but did not break formation.
Then Greta opened her mouth and let out the most beautiful, haunting howl that Arthur and Francine had ever heard. She followed it with a series of short barks, then another howl half as long as the first.
The guard dogs stopped growling and followed Greta with their eyes, as if enchanted by her vocalizations. Their tongues dangled from their mouths, and they made no attempt to stop the three children as they walked toward the barn door.
The kids stepped through the creaking barn door nervously and cautiously, looking in all directions. Straw crackled under their shoes. The inside of the structure was mostly dark, with beams of sunlight slipping through the windows on one side.
On the other end of the barn they could make out four small figures--an Irish setter, a greyhound, a pit bull terrier, and a striped cat.
"Nemo," mouthed Francine. She pulled the pepper spray container from her pocket and wrapped her fingers tightly around it.
Arthur bent down and placed The Professor on the floor. As he straightened up, he suddenly felt as if the wind was being squeezed from his lungs.
Francine gasped for breath. Greta opened her mouth to make more animal noises, but an invisible force slammed it shut, causing her to bite her tongue.
The three children were levitating above the floor as if suspended on strings. Arthur tried to move his arms, but the unseen force bound them to his sides. Then, all at once, they were hurled against the side wall of the barn.
The impact was jarring. Their backs pinned to the wall, their feet still several inches above the floor, their arms and legs immobilized, they felt as if they were being crushed.
"Professor, help us!" cried Francine. Greta tried to plead for assistance but could only mumble, as her mouth would not open.
The Professor did not look at them, but walked slowly and assuredly in the direction of the Irish setter. Strands of hay became wedged between the spokes of his canine wheelchair.
Rascal and The Professor glared at each other with pure hatred. Nemo sat motionlessly at Rascal's side, while Jean and Wolfie approached the helpless children menacingly.
"I don't think being squashed was part of the plan," remarked the gasping Arthur.
Then two voices made themselves heard in Arthur's and Francine's minds--one male, one female.
"So you've finally seen reason and come to surrender to me," spoke the female voice, which they assumed came from Rascal.
"On the contrary," said The Professor. "I've come to demand your surrender."
Rascal laughed wickedly. "You can't defeat me. The powers I absorbed from the rabbit girl have made me your superior."
The Professor continued to walk singlemindedly toward her. "I've been a telepath since before you were born. There's a great deal you don't know about my powers. I can wrest control of Jean and Wolfie from you in a heartbeat."
"Oh, can you?"
The three kids watched as Jean, who held them in a telekinetic vise grip, and Wolfie came and stood in front of them. Wolfie raised one of his paws and extended foot-long, razor-sharp blades from it.
"We'll see if you're as good as your word." Rascal turned her head in the direction of Jean and Wolfie. "Kill them."
(To be continued...)
"We were inside when it started," Mrs. Read told him. "A voice told everybody to get out of the store."
As the entire Read family rushed to the TV to watch the ongoing broadcast of the bizarre event, Pal and The Professor followed after them.
"I had no idea Nemo was that powerful," Pal remarked.
"If I hadn't tracked his movements, hundreds of people might have died," replied The Professor telepathically. "Rascal put him up to it. She's trying to bully me into submission."
On the TV screen, the news camera showed a police line surrounding the vast empty hole where the Sneers department store had once stood. "Witnesses claim that the store floated into the sky, then flew over the city and fell into the ocean," said the newscaster. "The Coast Guard is investigating the wreckage. So far no casualties have been found. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism..."
"That's crazy," Mrs. Read commented. "Even terrorists can't make a whole building just float away."
"Unless they have some kind of anti-gravity weapon," Mr. Read responded.
"I wonder what Buster's thinking right now," Arthur mused.
Hundreds of miles away in a suburb of Chicago, Buster sat in his living room with his parents, Bitzi and Harry, watching the newscast from Elwood City.
"It must be some kind of anti-gravity weapon," Buster opinionated.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rang at the Read house. Arthur hurried to answer it, and was greeted by Greta the unicorn girl, whose horn was once again veiled.
"I came as soon as I heard the news," she said. "I want to help The Professor."
----
"We can't wait any longer," said Arthur as The Professor mentally dictated his words. "We must attack Rascal before she can do any more damage."
"But where is Rascal?" asked Greta, who sat with him and Francine in Arthur's bedroom.
"Rascal and her agents have a secret base in an old barn by the creek," Arthur replied. "There are guard dogs, but Greta should have no trouble convincing them to let us through. Once we get inside, I expect we'll have to face Jean, Wolfie, and Magnemo. It may be a little dangerous, but I should be able to hold them off with my telepathy. In the meantime, the three of you will capture Rascal. She's the Irish setter. Her mind control can't affect you, but her absorption power can, so don't let her lick you."
"And what do we do with Rascal after we capture her?" asked Francine.
"Leave that to me," said Arthur confidently.
"Can I blast her with pepper spray?"
Greta stared at Francine. "Where did you get pepper spray?"
Francine pulled the silver-metallic container from her pocket. "I stole it from Catherine while she was in the shower," she admitted.
"It may be good for one or two blasts," said Arthur, still channeling for The Professor, "but you shouldn't rely on it."
Francine narrowed her eyes. "Once this is over, I'm going to have a nice, long talk with my cat."
----
In the forest near the creek, Arthur, Francine, and Greta looked through the trees at the abandoned barn. More than a dozen large dogs of various breeds stood motionless on the structure's perimeter, sniffing the air and occasionally perking up their ears.
The Professor, carefully cradled in Arthur's arms, transmitted his thoughts into the boy's mind. "Rascal is there," said Arthur. "So are Magnemo, Jean, and Wolfie. As I expected, she's keeping them close at hand, while making the non-mutant animals do her leg work."
"Does she know we're coming?" asked Francine nervously.
"She knows, and she's expecting us," Arthur answered. "Walking into her trap is part of my plan."
"Then why waste time?" said Greta. "Let's get in there and take her down."
"I agree," Arthur responded. "You know what to do, Greta."
The three children strolled out of the forest and approached the barn, while Arthur tightened his grip on The Professor. As they drew closer, the guard dogs all turned their heads and began to bark and growl, but did not break formation.
Then Greta opened her mouth and let out the most beautiful, haunting howl that Arthur and Francine had ever heard. She followed it with a series of short barks, then another howl half as long as the first.
The guard dogs stopped growling and followed Greta with their eyes, as if enchanted by her vocalizations. Their tongues dangled from their mouths, and they made no attempt to stop the three children as they walked toward the barn door.
The kids stepped through the creaking barn door nervously and cautiously, looking in all directions. Straw crackled under their shoes. The inside of the structure was mostly dark, with beams of sunlight slipping through the windows on one side.
On the other end of the barn they could make out four small figures--an Irish setter, a greyhound, a pit bull terrier, and a striped cat.
"Nemo," mouthed Francine. She pulled the pepper spray container from her pocket and wrapped her fingers tightly around it.
Arthur bent down and placed The Professor on the floor. As he straightened up, he suddenly felt as if the wind was being squeezed from his lungs.
Francine gasped for breath. Greta opened her mouth to make more animal noises, but an invisible force slammed it shut, causing her to bite her tongue.
The three children were levitating above the floor as if suspended on strings. Arthur tried to move his arms, but the unseen force bound them to his sides. Then, all at once, they were hurled against the side wall of the barn.
The impact was jarring. Their backs pinned to the wall, their feet still several inches above the floor, their arms and legs immobilized, they felt as if they were being crushed.
"Professor, help us!" cried Francine. Greta tried to plead for assistance but could only mumble, as her mouth would not open.
The Professor did not look at them, but walked slowly and assuredly in the direction of the Irish setter. Strands of hay became wedged between the spokes of his canine wheelchair.
Rascal and The Professor glared at each other with pure hatred. Nemo sat motionlessly at Rascal's side, while Jean and Wolfie approached the helpless children menacingly.
"I don't think being squashed was part of the plan," remarked the gasping Arthur.
Then two voices made themselves heard in Arthur's and Francine's minds--one male, one female.
"So you've finally seen reason and come to surrender to me," spoke the female voice, which they assumed came from Rascal.
"On the contrary," said The Professor. "I've come to demand your surrender."
Rascal laughed wickedly. "You can't defeat me. The powers I absorbed from the rabbit girl have made me your superior."
The Professor continued to walk singlemindedly toward her. "I've been a telepath since before you were born. There's a great deal you don't know about my powers. I can wrest control of Jean and Wolfie from you in a heartbeat."
"Oh, can you?"
The three kids watched as Jean, who held them in a telekinetic vise grip, and Wolfie came and stood in front of them. Wolfie raised one of his paws and extended foot-long, razor-sharp blades from it.
"We'll see if you're as good as your word." Rascal turned her head in the direction of Jean and Wolfie. "Kill them."
(To be continued...)
