‘And your mum?’
‘She left when I was a kid.’
‘Do you remember much about her?’
‘Little things. Every Saturday morning, we’d fill the kitchen table with custard tarts, chocolate croissants and honey tea. We’d eat and laugh.’ Isabella frowned. ‘But sometimes I feel as if I’ve made it all up.’ She took a folded photo from her pocket. It was the only one she had of her parents and she carried it everywhere.
‘They look nice.’
‘They are.’ She winced in annoyance. ‘They were.’ She tucked it back into her pocket.
‘Maybe your mum will come back,’ Aleksander said carefully. ‘Maybe she’s looking for you right now.’
Isabella felt her stomach tighten. During their years in Grimsdon, they didn’t let themselves talk about anything they couldn’t have, like chocolate cake or being back with their parents.
But what if she did come back? What if there was a chance they could be together again? She’d barely let herself imagine it but lately, she realised how much she wished it could be true.
‘What about your parents?’
Aleksander looked into the distance and took a few moments to answer. ‘Lost to the floods.’
Before Isabella could say anything, horns sounded from the courtyard. Aleksander’s face brightened. ‘Race you there?’
He ran off without waiting for her to answer.
‘Hey! Not fair!’ Isabella tore after him, racing into the cold, dark night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A Grand Unveiling
‘Where are you, Isabella? You’re going to miss everything.’
Griffin wove through the crowd of laughing guests. The castle courtyard had the atmosphere of a carnival – lit by flickering drums of fire and strings of fairy lights crisscrossing beneath a large transparent roof. He ducked beneath fire-eaters and skirted around jugglers and magicians who pulled rabbits from hats. He passed food carts with sticks of fairy floss and waiters handing out cloudberry punch, steaming boxes of noodles and crispy spring rolls.
He couldn’t see her anywhere.
Turning his back on the party, Griffin entered one of the arches surrounding the courtyard and searched the corridor within. In the distance, he saw two figures standing in the gloom with the barest trickle of light spilling on their faces. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust and realise who they were.
It was Ariella and Professor Singh.
He stepped towards them when he heard Ariella’s voice echo against the stone. ‘But you agreed to help us.’
Griffin watched Professor Singh mumble something in reply, squirming uncomfortably.
He slipped behind a column and peeked out to see the professor stroking her dog. She cowered beneath Ariella’s imposing figure.
‘We had a deal.’
Even though Ariella was smiling, her words were anything but friendly.
‘That was when things were different.’ Professor Singh’s voice shook. ‘Before I discovered that …’
‘Nothing is different.’ Ariella moved even closer. ‘You will be helping save your planet, just as we explained.’
‘But if the technology falls into the wrong hands?’
Ariella gripped the professor’s arm. Griffin saw her flinch. ‘It won’t. You have my …’
A scramble of footsteps and laughter echoed off the walls.
Ariella’s head snapped round to where Griffin was hiding. He ducked back into the shadows, his heart pounding as he pressed against the stone.
‘Everything will be fine,’ Ariella said quickly. ‘Let’s go and enjoy the festivities.’
Griffin inched forward. He saw Ariella firmly draw her away, just as Isabella and Aleksander appeared from the stairwell.
‘Isabella. Where have you been?’ Griffin realised he’d been holding his breath and gasped as if he was the one who’d been running.
‘Sorry, my fault,’ Aleksander puffed. ‘It took longer than I thought.’
‘What’s that?’ Griffin saw the toy in Isabella’s hand.
‘Nothing.’
He watched her tuck it into her pocket as a cold breeze snaked into the corridor. The horns sounded again.
‘We’d better go.’ Aleksander said and the two of them hurried off, leaving Griffin trailing behind.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Halls of Government.’
If there was ever a name that matched its owner, it was Premier Reginald Albright. He positively shone with his slicked black hair, pink tie and aquamarine suit stretched over his generous belly.
A group of well-dressed dignitaries sat on stage behind him. Among a sea of stuffy suits was Principal Galloway and a woman wrapped in a furry pink stole and hat, with her petite nose pointing sharply in the air. This was Madeline Pinkerton, New City’s most popular newsreader and host of Pinkerton Tonight. Ariella Frost and a subdued Professor Singh slipped onto the chairs beside them.
‘Only a few short years ago,’ the premier continued, ‘our world faced challenges that some believed we’d never survive. But today, thanks to hard work and some very clever minds, the future of our planet is exceptionally bright.’
Albright drank in the applause, fairy lights glinting off his perfect teeth.
‘One of those clever minds is here tonight to unveil an exciting new invention.’ He swept a hand into the audience. ‘Please welcome from our very own Academy, Aleksander Larsen.’
Aleksander shot a quick smile at Isabella before he made his way to the stage.
‘Oh goody, another chance to hear about Wonder Boy’s genius.’ Xavier grabbed a chicken leg from a passing waiter and took a huge bite.
Aleksander was welcomed with an enthusiastic handshake. When the clapping died down, he began. ‘My idea is simple and hopefully will save lives.’
‘Lifesaver Larsen.’ Xavier took another bite.
Aleksander slipped a phone from his pocket and began typing. Moments later, two powerful beams of light sprang from an archway behind the stage and a tank-like vehicle rumbled into the courtyard.
‘This is the Armapod.’
‘That’s his top-secret project?’ Xavier was unimpressed. ‘Someone needs to tell him Armavans have already been invented.’
As if in answer, Aleksander said, ‘I know this looks like an Armavan, but it has a few extra features I think are very exciting.’
The machine came to a stop beside the stage.
‘Armavans are one of our proudest creations, but they have limitations. They’re driven by humans, who make mistakes and cause accidents, and who have to be a certain age to drive them, so we’ve programmed the Armapod to drive itself.’
Aleksander tapped his phone and lights glowed inside the empty cabin. ‘Enter your destination, sit back and enjoy the ride.’
‘Please, can we get one?’ Raffy’s eyes lit up.
‘Steady on,’ Jeremiah replied. ‘Let’s hear more before you start planning any escapades.’
Aleksander waited until the din of excited chatter died down. ‘Then there’s the problem of the wheels, which can get bogged or struggle over rough terrain. Armavans have metal claws which sprout from the body and anchor it to the ground in bad weather, but during a biology class where I was studying crabs, I wondered if these claws could be even more useful.’
On cue, legs sprouted from the side and the Armapod began to move like an oversized metallic spider. ‘I call this trekking mode.’
The audience watched in awe.
‘Remarkable,’ Jeremiah muttered.
‘It’s okay.’ Xavier finished his chicken and hurled the bone into a nearby bin.
‘That’s not all,’ Aleksander said. ‘The ends of the legs open out like a claw, and can be used to rescue people.’
The audience parted as the Armapod stepped across the courtyard. One of the claws hovered high above them before plucking Isabella into the air.
‘Oh dear.’ Jeremiah wasn’t one for heights, even when it was happening
to other people. ‘Hold on tight, Isabella!’
Griffin reached out, trying to grab her, while the twins simply shouted. ‘Go, Izzy!’
Isabella was lifted above the mesmerised crowd. Her legs swung through the air, before the arm placed her on the podium beside Aleksander.
‘Nice of you to pop in,’ he said with a bow, before lifting her hand in the air.
There was no stopping the cheers and cries of, ‘Bravo!’
Xavier had had enough of Aleksander and his irritating brilliance. He turned and picked his way through the adoring guests, while Aleksander announced one final surprise.
‘If a person can’t be lifted safely because of dangerous weather, there’s something else the Armapod can do.’
Xavier had reached the edge of the crowd, mumbling and complaining, when he felt something behind him. He looked up in time to see a claw hovering above him. It released a transparent capsule that covered him like a giant bug catcher.
‘The shield is weatherproof,’ Aleksander announced. ‘And will keep the person safe until the danger has passed.’
Griffin saw Xavier slam a fist against the glass. ‘Do you still think they’ll be friends after this?’
‘Maybe not,’ Fly said with a smirk.
‘The Armapod is quiet, eco-friendly and spacious,’ Aleksander said. ‘And if testing continues to go well, we’re hoping to have them on the road in the next few months.’
Premier Albright breezed across the stage, leading the rapturous applause and inviting everyone to enjoy the party. Xavier was fuming but the crowd was too busy raising their glasses to even notice.
Isabella spied the journalists and officials hurrying Aleksander’s way. ‘I think you’re about to get swamped.’
‘Stay and help me?’
‘Sorry.’ Isabella shook her head. ‘If you weren’t so clever this would never have happened. And I’d better check on Xavier.’
‘I forgot!’ Aleksander scrambled for his phone and the dome lifted from a very disgruntled Xavier. ‘He’ll be okay, I promise.’
‘Physically maybe, but his ego might be a bit bruised.’
Isabella squeezed past the men and women who surrounded Aleksander, eager to congratulate him and ask questions. Madeline Pinkerton elbowed her way to the front, dragging her cameraman behind her.
Fire-eaters sparkled, waiters flowed into the courtyard and music spilled from loudspeakers. While magicians amazed and jugglers impressed, the mood of the party was buoyant.
Except for a small corner of the yard, where Isabella helped the others try to cheer up a miserable Xavier.
Among the revellers, a bent figure in a heavy winter coat mingled nearby. His face was hidden behind thick glasses and a black, bushy nest of a beard. He held a cane and stepped carefully, deliberately, between the partygoers, with his eyes fixed on just one thing.
One person.
‘Isabella Charm.’ The voice was a melodious whisper. ‘How lovely to see you.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
A Curious Incident
The wind whipped Isabella’s face as the storm brewed and thrashed. Rain battered against her as she ran, sinking into her bones with a bitter cold. Her boots slipped on the uneven stones of the castle rampart, threatening to trip her up at any minute.
From behind, footsteps pounded closer.
A blast of wind threw her sideways and she slammed into the wall. The sickening crack was unmistakable. She fell to the ground, clutching her arm, doubled over in pain.
When the castle began to crumble. The ancient stones, punished by centuries of harsh weather, started to fall away.
And she with it.
Isabella tried to scramble to her feet but it was no use. The fortress was collapsing beneath her.
Rolling thunder and grinding stone filled the air. She reached out with her good arm, hoping to grab hold of something, anything, that would help pull her away from the collapsing edge. Her fingers dug into the nooks between the stones. The rampart broke away beneath her feet, leaving them dangling above an inky, yawning blackness.
This was it. She was finished. Her fingers slipped and her muscles ached. She’d never be able to drag herself away in time.
Laughter rose above her. Just out of sight. Gleeful, malicious laughter.
Someone called her name.
Isabella.
She wondered if she’d imagined it but she heard it again.
Isabella.
A hand appeared through the storm. She saw a face blurred by the driving rain, but the long blond curls were unmistakable.
Mum?
Isabella’s sodden clothes were heavy and her boots filled with water, making it harder to hold on.
The hand reached closer.
Mum?
But it was too late. Her breath was snatched from her as the stone floor crumbled and she plummeted into the dark.
Isabella sat up.
Her mind was a muddle of images.
The rampart. The storm. Her mother’s hand.
As the nightmare faded, she realised she was in bed. At home. The blankets twisted around her.
She switched on the lamp and peeked through the curtains. It was snowing. In the past, when they’d had seasons, it would be summer now. But none of that mattered anymore.
Isabella pushed the blankets away and slipped on her dressing-gown. Tiptoeing across the corridor, she poked her head into the twins’ room. Raffy had pushed his bed against Bea’s and they slept soundly.
Maybe Aleksander was right. For the first time in years, they were safe. And there was nothing to worry about.
She sighed. If only someone would tell her nightmares that.
At the end of the corridor, light spilled from Jeremiah’s study. He was up late again. Isabella crept closer and heard muffled, angry voices. She poked her head around the door. Jeremiah faced a bank of computers. His reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, fists clenched against his lips.
A woman wearing a flaming red shirt with equally red cheeks was fuming on the set of a TV studio. ‘They should be fired. All of them! We leave our homes every morning relying on them to keep us safe, but most of the time they have no idea what’s going to happen.’
‘Don’t we need to make allowances?’ The host was a bald man with weary eyes and seemingly endless patience. ‘We’re living in extraordinary times, unlike at any point in history.’
‘Which is where the Bureau should be! Part of history.’
The audience cheered and chanted, ‘Shut them down! Shut them down!’
Jeremiah hunched forward and rested his face in his hands.
‘Is everything okay?’ Isabella’s voice made him jump.
‘Of course, yes, perfectly fine.’ He closed the video. ‘I was just catching up on some work.’
‘Why do adults do that?’
‘They’re angry, they start yelling –’
‘No,’ Isabella interrupted. ‘Why do adults lie when it’s so obvious that’s what they’re doing?’
Jeremiah smiled, as if he knew he’d been sprung. ‘Why are some kids more perceptive than others?’
‘Just lucky, I guess.’
Isabella dragged a chair beside him. His eyes were rimmed with dark shadows, his hair was wild and his beard scruffy.
Almost every surface of the room was crammed with books and papers. There were notepads scrawled with diagrams and equations and on the walls were charts stuck with post-it notes, beside drawings by Fly and the twins. One was simply a heart with the words, We love Jeremiah and Snowy.
Snowy was a toy bear that sat among the mess. When Isabella had first met Jeremiah in Grimsdon, Snowy had been his only companion for three years. He often used to speak to him and ask his advice.
‘Will you tell me what’s going on?’
Jeremiah sighed as if he wasn’t sure where to begin.
‘I don’t know why we’re having this cold snap. All the modelling says it shouldn’t be happening.’ There was an air of d
efeat in his voice. ‘And yet, it is. They have a right to be angry. It is my job to keep them safe and I’m failing. Again.’
Isabella knew Jeremiah still carried the blame for not stopping the floods in Grimsdon. ‘But it’s not your fault. The weather is wilder than ever before.’
‘Wild or not, it’s my job to predict it.’
Jeremiah’s computers showed maps and live satellite images of weather around New City and beyond. Isabella watched clouds form and snow fall in real time.
‘Even with the unpredictability, we used to get most forecasts right, partly due to better science and computing. But now –’ Jeremiah’s eyes filled with a deep disquiet ‘– nothing seems to work. Maybe the weather really is broken and it’s beyond us to predict it anymore.’ He lowered his head. ‘Or beyond me.’
‘That’s not true. You’re amazing. If anyone can do this, you can.’
‘We’ve messed things up for you kids, haven’t we?’
‘But we’re dealing with it. Aleksander says New City is one of the safest places we could be.’
Jeremiah eyed Isabella over the top of his glasses. ‘Aleksander, eh? He’s quite dashing.’
‘I hadn’t noticed,’ Isabella said, as if she had no idea what Jeremiah was talking about. ‘Plus, no one uses the word dashing.’
‘Don’t they?’ Jeremiah pretended to be shocked. ‘I think dashing is a good word, in fact –’
‘Who’s dashing?’ Griffin stood in the doorway holding his laptop, his hair and pyjamas a crumpled mess.
There was a brief, awkward silence before Jeremiah removed his glasses and flicked back his hair. ‘Me. I was quite a catch in my younger days. All the girls said so.’
Isabella laughed and sent Jeremiah a grateful look.
Griffin eyed them both, not sure exactly what was going on.
‘Why aren’t you asleep?’ Jeremiah asked.
‘I got carried away with homework. Can I show you something?’
‘Be my guest.’ Jeremiah moved papers aside and Griffin opened his laptop. ‘We have to study a recent weather event for Climatology using footage from the city’s weathercams, and I found this.’
Final Storm Page 5
