The Extraordinary Colors of Auden Dare by Zillah Bethell

Author:Zillah Bethell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

CHAPTER 14

THE TRUTH

The following evening, rather than hide Paragon away in its underground bunker under the shed at the bottom of the garden, I took it all the way back to Sunny Vale. As the light started to dim, we made our way across to one of the long-abandoned caravans with the cracked glass and the soggy walls. I turned the handle on the door and it opened easily. Stepping inside, I was hit by a fog of cold, stale air and dust that had probably not been disturbed for a number of years.

The furniture had been left to rot and, at some point, someone had clearly come in and smashed up everything they could get their hands on. Splintered wood and badly snapped and bent plastic were strewn all over the place. Cushions and bedding had been ripped apart, sending fluff and feathers and hunks of polystyrene across the floor. The little gas cooker had been pulled out from its mooring and now lay blocking the passageway to the equally vandalized bedrooms.

“Hmm,” Paragon said. “This is nice.”

I turned and looked at its face. “Is that sarcasm?”

“I suppose. Got a good teacher.”

I laughed.

“Okay, now, I’ll be back before sunrise. You wait here and then we’ll put our plan into action. Understand?”

“Yes, boss.”

I tugged the top part of Paragon’s coat to one side.

“You know what, Paragon,” I said before pushing the on/off button.

“What?”

“I think I misjudged you at first. Actually, you’re okay. You’re all right.”

I punched the button and he powered down.

*   *   *

In the morning, I scarfed a quinoa bun, patted Sandwich on top of her yawning head, and softly closed the back door behind me. I didn’t want to wake Mum up. She would wonder what I was up to. I didn’t think she’d look too kindly on me sneaking out first thing to play a trick on a school bully, aided and abetted by a poetry-quoting robot.

Twenty minutes later, I was pulling open the door to the caravan and powering up Paragon.

“Good morning, Auden,” it said as the lights stuttered to life. It peered down at its chest and gently tapped the one light that still wasn’t working. “Nope. Still nothing. I really don’t know what that is, you know. I wish I did, but I don’t.” Paragon looked up at me. “It still worries me.”

“Never mind that now. It may just start itself up at some point. I wouldn’t worry. We’ve got a trick to play. Are you ready?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

It was still dark outside, but that was good because I could see so well. Everything was clear to me. Even the smallest of detail. As crisp as it was to a “normal” person in the bright light of day.

We silently worked our way over the park toward Boyle’s cottage. There were no lights on in any of the caravans. If there was anyone in any of them, then they were still asleep. Even the birds in the trees hadn’t bothered to rouse themselves quite yet, and the early-morning breeze was still trying to summon up its own strength.

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