Chapter Ten!
While I'm doing this, can I just clarify something I though was obvious? I am English and will therefore spell words the English way. Sure, Tessa texting using UK English when she's based in the US was a little odd..., but my excuse for that is that having spent quite a bit of time in England, she slipped into an old habit; after all, who really double-checks spelling while texting?:)
That said, 'practise' is only the verb, so that might actually be something I have to work on.
Don't think I don't appreciate constructive criticism; it just annoys me when I can no longer correct the chapters with mistakes because they've been up too long.
...When you see mistakes, TELL ME AS SOON AS YOU SPOT THEM. I do get people to proof-read my chapters first before posting them up here, but that won't eliminate everything.
Yeah.
Phase One: Gecko-Proofing
"What's that?"
Tessa moved out the way. "See for yourself, it arrived yesterday evening."
It was the next day, and they were in the basement. Tessa had instantly gone over to a pile of what looked like cans of spray-paint. Mary moved forward and picked one up and read the label: "Multi-Purpose Teflon Coating." She looked up at Tessa. "What's this for?"
"Garrastazu ordered the stuff. We're supposed to coat the walls, windows, cars and other vertical surfaces in it."
"Why?"
"I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty certain it has something to do with geckos."
"Geckos?!"
"Yes, geckos."
"What do geckos have to do with anything?"
"You may not have noticed, but Randall's ability to walk on walls is similar to that of geckos. Gecko toes have special adaptations that allow them to adhere to most surfaces without the use of liquids or surface tension. About 60% of gecko species have adhesive toe-pads, which have been gained and lost repeatedly over the course of gecko evolution.
"The spatula-shaped setae arranged in lamellae on gecko footpads enable attractive van der Waals' forces between the β-keratin lamellae/setae/spatulae structures and the surface. The setae on the feet of geckos are also self-cleaning and will usually remove any clogging dirt within a few steps. Teflon, which has very low surface energy, is more difficult for geckos to adhere to than many other surfaces."
Mary blinked. "So basically, Randall's a gecko, and geckos can't stick to Teflon, so you're hoping Randall can't, either. I'm pretty sure he'll still be able to climb up ivy."
"The outer walls are smooth and ivy-free, and if he can't get past that, the rest won't matter. And no, he's not a gecko; geckos don't have eye-lids."
"How do you know so much about geckos?"
Silence.
###
Three hours later, aching and sore, they had successfully finished spraying the wall going round the perimeter of the grounds. It was hard work, bending down to get the bottom of the wall, making sure you didn't miss anything, getting the top of the wall. Tessa was especially stiff, as she had to be in her human disguise.
"Right," she said, straightening up, back clicking as she did so."I'm going in to make lunch; you can start work on the bottom windows if you want to, or recover in your room, I don't mind."
"I'll go recover." Mary moaned. "I think I've dislocated my spine."
###
After a moderate lunch of salad, smoked cheese and crackers – Tessa was big on light, healthy meals – they were back to work, spraying the windows and two cars. Phase One: Gecko-proofing was half-complete.
###
Rex was exhausted, aching and hungry. He had found a stream – unbeknownst to him, called Allerton Burn – so he wasn't thirsty, but the water tasted muddy and he wasn't sure how good it was for him. He also hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours, and his stomach felt uncomfortably empty. He needed nutrition, and fast. He would have to risk it. Go back into the human town and steal food.
###
That evening, Mary lay in her room as Tessa worked outside, attaching infra-red cameras around the grounds and house. She had wanted to help, but Tessa had insisted she get some sleep. Not that she could sleep – she was still too jet-lagged to fall asleep before ten. Instead she listened to music and stared at the ceiling. There wasn't a TV in the entire mansion, and Mary was bored out of her mind. Tessa had offered her laptop if Mary wanted to use it, but it was in Tessa's room, on the other side of the house, and Mary didn't feel like walking all that way and back. Eventually, though, she realized it might be a good idea.
Slipping out of bed, she paused her music, took out her ear-buds and stepped out onto the landing. Walking along the corridor, she jumped at every creak of the old house. Reaching Tessa's room, she picked up the laptop from Tessa's bed and made her way back to her room. After walking for ten minutes, she realized she was lost. She was confused: How could you get lost in a house? Forcing herself to stay calm, she tried to make her way back to Tessa's room. Succeeding in that, she tried again to get back to her room, this time successfully. Shaking and slightly on edge, she snuggled into the covers up to her chin as she powered up the laptop.
Checking her e-mails, she realized her mother had e-mailed her twice already. Composing a quick reply, she lay back on her bed. She was exhausted from the day of hard work, but she still couldn't sleep.
###
Rex had done it! Having retreated to the safety of the edge of a field, he proceeded to eat ravenously, knowing he would regret it later. The sun was setting, and he curled up, tail wrapped around his body in an attempt to combat the night chill. As a lizard, he couldn't regulate his body temperature, and got cold very quickly. He was miserable and freezing, and he was stuck in a world that wasn't his. What had his life become?