Phoenix by Sf Said

Author:Sf Said
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448157709
Publisher: RHCP

Chapter Twenty-Two

President Thorntree opened the door to her office. It looked heavy, but glided back on well-oiled hinges. She led Lucky out, and he followed her into a very grand hall.

High above, from a domed ceiling, hung the flags of every Human world in the galaxy. The walls were made of gleaming marble; the floor smelled of polish. It was so huge, Lucky could almost have believed he was on a real world and not a space station, were it not for the artificial-tasting air.

There was a Shadow Guard waiting for him in the hall. For a moment, Lucky felt a horrible flash of doubt. He tensed up, clutching the astrolabe in his hands. He feared the President was about to turn on him, betray him, order the Shadow Guard to get him – but it didn’t happen. She just smiled again.

‘I so wish I could come with you, my boy,’ she said softly. ‘But you go with the Shadow Guard now. He’ll take care of everything.’

She shook Lucky’s hand, and then they parted. The President went back into her office, and the Shadow Guard led Lucky away. His head was still spinning with her words; his mouth was still full of the taste of brownies.

The Shadow Guard led him to an elevator with no buttons on it, no markings at all. The doors closed, and they plunged down, down, down.

The doors opened to a very different view. A dim grey vault lined with cell doors, watched over by sentries. The Shadow Guard led Lucky out into the vault. The sentries saluted at once.

‘Where is the crew of the Alien ship Sunfire?’ the Shadow Guard asked them.

‘In there, sir,’ said a sentry, pointing at one of the cells.

The Shadow Guard nodded, and the sentry opened the door right away.

It was dark and cold inside the cell. Squinting into the gloom, Lucky could see Frollix and Bixa huddled in one corner; Mystica, the Captain and the Professor in another.

They looked up and saw Lucky standing in the doorway.

‘Hey – is that him?’ said Bixa, blinking in the sudden light.

‘Is that you, Lucky?’ croaked Mystica, peering out of the cell.

‘It’s me,’ he said.

Frollix and Bixa jumped up. Professor Byzantine and Captain Nox helped Mystica to rise. She stood with difficulty – she looked exhausted and pale – but she was beaming at Lucky, her golden eyes filling with an emotion so strong and pure, it gave him goosebumps.

‘We thought you were lost for ever,’ said the old lady. ‘But you made it, you made it, you made it! Come here, you lovely boy!’

She pulled him to her, embracing him, holding him close and warm. The others crowded round too, and in their happy faces there was such comfort, such relief. Bixa was calling him every name under the sun, but he didn’t mind it one bit.

‘We thought we’d never see you again, buddy!’ said Frollix, giving him a huge bear hug. ‘We were so worried about you—’

‘I was worried about you!’ protested Lucky.

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