Star Blaze by Keith Mansfield

Author:Keith Mansfield [Mansfield, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2013-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

10

Titan’s Secret

A great wet tongue slopped across Johnny’s face and around his ear, tickling as it rolled onto his neck. He opened one eye to see Bentley’s shaggy gray and white face pressed close to his own and wrapped his arms around the Old English sheepdog.

“He’s awake,” squealed Clara.

Gently, Johnny pushed Bentley off him and sat up, looking sheepishly across to where her voice had come from. His sister, the fear draining from her face, ran over, flinging her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. It was as if what he’d told her about Nicky didn’t matter at all—that everything was forgiven. A great wave of relief washed over him. Awkwardly, he patted her blond hair and squinted past her to take in his surroundings.

They were in a room looking out across the biggest, brightest, neatest cargo bay Johnny had ever seen. The first thing he spotted, fitting comfortably upright against one wall was the Spirit of London. All the lights in Johnny’s ship were still out. Above her, hanging from the roof, stacked as far as he could see were row after row of sleek white fighters, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice, while far in the distance was a collection of what looked like giant dandelion seeds. Closer at hand, beneath the floor-to-ceiling gap (which presumably contained a force field) and spoiling the neatness just a little, stood a rather grimy red double-decker bus—the Piccadilly.

“Welcome to the Calida Lucia, the Imperial Starcruiser. I hope she meets with your approval.” His Majesty Emperor Bram Khari stepped smiling into Johnny’s field of vision. He was tall, with a mass of gray hair that seemed to slowly weave through the air of its own accord, giving off a little silvery light as it moved. Just as when they’d spoken through the Wormhole, Johnny couldn’t help noticing that the Emperor’s face looked far older and more lined than he remembered, though there was no dulling of Bram’s piercing pale blue eyes. The Emperor of the galaxy wore a simple gray cloak, topping a pair of black trousers and boots.

“We’ve got to get back to Earth,” said Johnny. “The supernova …”

“I’m sure we can at least say hello first,” said Bram, smiling. “I was rather glad I caught you in time.”

“Not as glad as me,” Johnny replied.

“When you let go …” said Clara, lifting herself off and turning around so Johnny and Bram couldn’t see her face.

“Can you fix Sol?” Johnny asked, anxious to change the subject and looking to the Emperor. “I did something horrid to her.”

“In time I am sure she can be healed,” Bram replied. “But right now, time is something we do not have. Your distress signal won’t only have attracted the Calida Lucia. We must leave the Aldebaran system before drawing too much attention to our presence here. I will take you home where we can properly discuss the solar system’s defenses—Clara has reiterated your desire for ships to prevent another Star Blaze.

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