'HA HA HA HA HA!'
The awful sound echoed across the snowy plain.
Enrico had climbed back to his feet, put his hands on his hips and was laughing hysterically.
41
It was all over.
Nicola could see the pack of Security Thugs galloping on their black ShobGobbles over to get her, their long greasy hair flying behind them.
There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
'You've been a good friend,' Nicola whispered in Quicksilver's ear.
There were about fifty Thugs coming towards Nicola. In fact, it seemed every single one of them was on his way over to her.
Gosh, thought Nicola. If she hadn't been terrified, she would have been flattered. They must really have believed she was an evil Earthling if they thought it would take that many of them to capture her.
'It's okay! I surrender! I surrender!'
she called out to the Thug leader as he got closer.
He shouted, 'Give me that petition!' and held out his hand.
Nicola handed over the scroll.
'Can I trouble you for a pen?'
Nicola thought she must have misheard him. 'I beg your pardon?'
'It's just that I don't have one on me,' said the leader, patting his shirt pockets.
Nicola blinked. A second ago this man's face had seemed like something from a horror movie. Now he suddenly looked like a kindly bus driver.
'You want to sign the petition?' she said incredulously.
'Yes! We've had it up to here!' The leader indicated the top of his forehead. 'Enrico is a terrible boss. Never says thank you. Never says please. I mean, I've got twenty years' experience as a Thug, I deserve a bit more respect.'
Nicola fished a pen out of her backpack and handed it over. She tightened her knees around her saddle because Quicksilver was quivering suspiciously, as if he was laughing.
'Thanks.' The lead Thug laboriously signed his name and handed the pen to the Thug behind him.
'And to be honest,' he said to Nicola confidentially, 'the guy has turned out to be a bit of a wimp. I mean, did you see him freaking out just because you threw a few little buttons at him? What was that all about?'
'I don't know,' said Nicola. She was watching the petition get longer and longer as each of the Thugs unrolled a little more parchment and signed their names (they all had very large handwriting), and she could feel an enormous grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
'Also, the wife and I used to like to disco dance,' said the Thug thoughtfully. 'I'd forgotten about that until you played the music. It's about time we got rid of that stupid Quiet-Please decree.'
'And I'm sick of being a hairity,' said another Thug. 'Strands of my hair are always getting stuck in the bath drain. I wouldn't mind a crew cut.'
The last Thug signed the petition and handed the pen back to Nicola.
'Let's see how long it is now.' The Thug leader rubbed his meaty hands together.
Nicola took the petition and flew Quicksilver to the end of the rainbow. She crouched down and placed the end of the petition in the splash of colourful light on the snowy ground.
It was exactly the right length.