Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

That evening Adam skyped his parents. They both looked worried.

"Is everything alright with you Adam?"

"Except for Jake missing."

"Things aren't going so well in multiverse. Take our home planet, earth."

"Go on."

"There have been a lot of natural disasters lately, truly bizarre things. Floods in deserts, icebergs in the equator and rivers like the Nile drying up. There's been lots of wars, too many."

"Why?"

"No idea," said his father. "It is connected with Jake's disappearance. The multiverse is edging towards chaos and none of the champions knows why. Adam, watch your back. I mean it, watch your back."

Adam leaned back. "So this is what you been keeping from me. I knew something bad was going on."

Both parents nodded sadly.

"We did not want you to worry," said his father. "We hoped the champions could contain it but the forces of chaos are getting worse. All the champions are busy dealing with it."

"Which leaves Jake where?"

"I am going to look for Jake," his mother said. "I will spend all my time and energy doing nothing else."

"Your mum's very capable," said his father. "If anyone can find Jake it's her."

Adam nodded. He knew it was the best he was going to get out of them right now. The skype ended and Adam felt cold. Adam thought about Jake and then thought about the menacing Clifford Watt. He considered all the strange and sometimes ghastly looking students at the Nexus. He shivered and was glad he had some good friends. He wondered what other things were going on in the multiverse, and was the Nexus about to get much stranger? Would those forces of cosmic chaos enter the school?

Adam felt if he hadn't his friends he might run screaming from this place.

Speaking of the devil, Malcolm strode in.

"I had a great time doing archery today. Look!"

He brandished a brand new bow and a quiver of arrows.

"The Nexus gave me this cool bow. It's not made of yew but some stuff, carbon something, I don't know, but it's stronger than yew, and springier. The arrows have steel tips instead of iron."

Malcolm sat on his bed and looked thoughtful.

"I need to learn this sorcery called electrickery. If I ever go back to Sherwood I will need it to defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham."

"It's not magic."

"It gives us light and heat and give us food and you say it is not magic? Then what is it?"

Adam tried to explain with the little he knew about electricity but Malcolm became even more baffled.

"You say we are made of little balls called atoms?"

"Yes," said Adam.

"And these balls have smaller balls flying around them called electrons, and it is these electrons, no longer spinning around atoms, but moving freely that are electrickery?"

"Yes."

"Are you mocking me?"

Adam closed his eyes. "No! And electricity isn't what we are here to learn."

"But I need to learn it. Tell me more Adam."

"It's getting near lights out so get ready for bed."

"But...."

Adam ignored him and took off his clothes and put on his pyjamas and got into bed. Malcolm prattled on asking question after question but Adam ignored him.

"Malcolm, you will learn all you need to know about electricity in time now be quiet will you and get to sleep."

The light went out and Malcolm gave up asking questions. Adam sighed and rolled over in the bed. Though he liked Malcolm, he wondered just what piece of luck had got him a room-mate from the Middle Ages. Adam suspected it had been deliberate and the Nexus was testing him in some way.

Despite the duvet, Adam felt cold. He felt frightened and wondered if he would suffer the same fate as Jake, snatched in the middle of night and made to vanish and nobody knowing where he was. He might be reunited with Jake but he felt that would be small comfort as he believed Jake was not anywhere pleasant.

With his mind still going over what his father had said about chaos in the multiverse, Adam fell asleep