The entire Banks family would like to be of service to you in any way they can. For example, it may interest you to know that we once owned a thriving business called BANKS BEAUTIFUL BUTTONS. We still have a lot of old stock available and it occurred to me that you might find it useful.
Also, Barbie happened to be in the Why Not Drop Inn stables today where she found your ShobGobbles sleeping. She gave them some Wake-UpBiotics and we thought you might like them returned to you.
Yours sincerely,
Horatio Banks
PS You may be wondering how we obtained this address. Barbie's mother went to school with a lady who plays Shobble-Ball with a lady who is in a recipe swap club with a lady who lives next door to Topaz's mother - and she was able to pass on Topaz's details. So her security is not in any way compromised. Topaz's mother asked if you could please ask Topaz and Joshua to bundle up tomorrow and keep their ears covered, as the wind can be so cold this time of year.
'Shobgobby!' Nicola looked up from Horatio's note to see Shimlara running out from the cave.
She was followed by Tyler calling out fondly, 'Fleet-foot!' and Sean hollering, 'Lethal Weapon!' Even Greta hurried out and said, 'Hey, you!' to her ShobGobble.
Topaz, Serena and Joshua were busy opening the boxes that Horatio had sent.
'Buttons!' called out Joshua. He lifted up a handful of chunky brightly coloured buttons and let them fall through his fingers.
'Thousands and thousands of extremely SCARY buttons!' cried Topaz and Serena, plunging their hands deep into the boxes.
'Well, you folks seem pretty happy with your delivery,' said the courier. 'I'll be on my way.'
As he went to climb on to his ShobGobble he said casually, 'Let's hope tomorrow is a nice day.' He winked and pushed back his hair so they could see the tiny 't' on his forehead. 'A very nice day.'
37
'There's nobody here,' said Topaz frantically. 'Do you think -'
Nicola interrupted her. 'It's only nine-thirty. They'll be here.' She tried to sound as if she really believed it.
It was the following morning and the Space Brigade, Topaz, Serena and Joshua were all sitting astride their ShobGobbles at the deserted Honey Sea Wharf. They had left Topaz's cave at dawn and made their way down the Cloud-Capped Mountain. It was a beautiful morning, and as their ShobGobbles crunched through the snow (quite slowly, because they were laden down with supplies for the day ahead), their moods had been upbeat. Sean and Joshua had made up a stupid song that they all chanted over and over again:
Enrico, Enrico, your day has come!
Enrico, Enrico, get ready to run!
We know all your phobias, every single one!
Enrico, Enrico, your day has come!
'The rhyme could be improved,' Greta had commented, but even she had joined in. But their moods had become serious as they all looked silently out at the Honey Sea, which was frozen, like all of Shobble's seas at this time of year, according to Serena. There was a huge frozen wave just near the wharf. It must have been just about to crash down when the temperatures plummeted and the sea froze. Now it was an incredible, translucent-green ice sculpture.
Sean squinted at something in the distance. 'What's that over there?'
There was a cloud of bobbing black dots on the horizon.
'They're Enrico's flags,' said Topaz. Her face was pale. 'They're coming.'
Joshua looked at his watch. 'I estimate it will take them about two hours to get here.'
'We'd better get everything ready for the protest march,' said Nicola.
'Nobody is coming,' said Greta emphatically.
'Of course they're coming!' said Katie, but Nicola could tell by the way she was clenching her hands that she was trying hard not to chew at her nails.
'If nobody comes,' said Greta, 'we've got no chance of -'
'Here comes somebody!' cried Tyler.