church bell. Instantly folding over themselves, they formed next into a small copper sphere. And in the brief second before it started transforming again, as it sat perfectly still, Key could just make out words stamped across its surface.
The GadgetTronic Brothers, Est ∞
The sphere then began to unfold. Steam gushed out as it expanded into the shape of a steamer trunk, except it also had a seat long enough for two people to straddle, as if it were a motorcycle without wheels. One end then shaped into a steering column set with two wide-gripped handlebars while at the other end were the two smokestacks that had ornamented Miss Broomble’s back. Before they had spewed out steam; now they were actually belching out black smoke. A fire had begun roaring from within this transforming machine. It sounded alive, growling or snarling, as its engine revved.
Key had never seen anything like it. “What is this?” she asked, staring at it in wonder.
“The GadgetTronic Brothers call it,” Miss Broomble said, “the Veloci-Trixicle 2020.” She grinned, unable to hide her delight, or her pride, as it continued unfolding. “But I just call her my MotorHog.”
Right at that moment, Key heard a voice shouting from the other end of the castle wall. “There she is! There’s the Dungeon Troll.”
Emerging from the other turret was Raithe. She was pointing at Key and glaring at her with utter loathing. Following behind her were Crudgel and their gang of vampires, all as angry as Raithe, some perhaps mildly nastier.
“Throw the Troll into Melancholy Moat,” Raithe shouted with all her hate. “Throw her to the belly of Killjoy the Kraken!”
The MotorHog was still unfolding. Key knew she had to somehow slow down Raithe and her gang, so she looked around for something that might do just that, but the turret was practically empty. Then she happened to notice that Miss Broomble had hooked her dynabow onto her belt. Key quickly snatched it and gave it a new command: “Electronet.” Key had no idea what an electronet was, and she had no idea if the dynabow would know either, but her instinct had told her to say that, and she was beginning to trust herself again, the way she once did, before her tragic ninth birthday.
The dynabow produced another canister that rolled onto the firing groove and crackled with a bolt of electricity. The canister broke open and the electrical bolt fizzled along the shaft. Key aimed the dynabow at Raithe and her gang. Then, just before they reached the turret, she pulled the trigger. But instead of firing a single bolt of electricity, a burst of electric current spread out like a net. The nearer it flew towards Raithe, the wider it grew; and the wider it grew, the more electrical bolts wove together, fizzling and crackling as it flew. Yes, indeed, it had become the very thing Key had envisioned – an electronet.
It struck Raithe first, then wrapped around Crudgel and the other vampires. It bound them together and entangled them in a shocking net of electricity. They tumbled over one another and they fell to the floor in a stunned stupor. The electronet had slowed them down enough for the MotorHog to finish unfolding.
Miss Broomble hopped onto the seat, taking the dynabow from Key and hooking it back on to her belt. Then she took Key by the hand and helped her onto the MotorHog, too, saying as she did so, “Time flies and so do we.”
Key did not understand what the witch had meant, but she trusted her, so she straddled the seat behind her. The witch gunned the engine. Fire and thick black smoke spewed out from the smokestacks, although now they looked more like tailpipes. A few more pieces on the dashboard were still taking shape. They would be ready to go at any moment.
Miss Broomble glanced towards Raithe tangled with her gang on the ground. The electronet was losing power, flickering away, and leaving them panting in pain. Then she looked back over her shoulder at Key with an impressed
The GadgetTronic Brothers, Est ∞
The sphere then began to unfold. Steam gushed out as it expanded into the shape of a steamer trunk, except it also had a seat long enough for two people to straddle, as if it were a motorcycle without wheels. One end then shaped into a steering column set with two wide-gripped handlebars while at the other end were the two smokestacks that had ornamented Miss Broomble’s back. Before they had spewed out steam; now they were actually belching out black smoke. A fire had begun roaring from within this transforming machine. It sounded alive, growling or snarling, as its engine revved.
Key had never seen anything like it. “What is this?” she asked, staring at it in wonder.
“The GadgetTronic Brothers call it,” Miss Broomble said, “the Veloci-Trixicle 2020.” She grinned, unable to hide her delight, or her pride, as it continued unfolding. “But I just call her my MotorHog.”
Right at that moment, Key heard a voice shouting from the other end of the castle wall. “There she is! There’s the Dungeon Troll.”
Emerging from the other turret was Raithe. She was pointing at Key and glaring at her with utter loathing. Following behind her were Crudgel and their gang of vampires, all as angry as Raithe, some perhaps mildly nastier.
“Throw the Troll into Melancholy Moat,” Raithe shouted with all her hate. “Throw her to the belly of Killjoy the Kraken!”
The MotorHog was still unfolding. Key knew she had to somehow slow down Raithe and her gang, so she looked around for something that might do just that, but the turret was practically empty. Then she happened to notice that Miss Broomble had hooked her dynabow onto her belt. Key quickly snatched it and gave it a new command: “Electronet.” Key had no idea what an electronet was, and she had no idea if the dynabow would know either, but her instinct had told her to say that, and she was beginning to trust herself again, the way she once did, before her tragic ninth birthday.
The dynabow produced another canister that rolled onto the firing groove and crackled with a bolt of electricity. The canister broke open and the electrical bolt fizzled along the shaft. Key aimed the dynabow at Raithe and her gang. Then, just before they reached the turret, she pulled the trigger. But instead of firing a single bolt of electricity, a burst of electric current spread out like a net. The nearer it flew towards Raithe, the wider it grew; and the wider it grew, the more electrical bolts wove together, fizzling and crackling as it flew. Yes, indeed, it had become the very thing Key had envisioned – an electronet.
It struck Raithe first, then wrapped around Crudgel and the other vampires. It bound them together and entangled them in a shocking net of electricity. They tumbled over one another and they fell to the floor in a stunned stupor. The electronet had slowed them down enough for the MotorHog to finish unfolding.
Miss Broomble hopped onto the seat, taking the dynabow from Key and hooking it back on to her belt. Then she took Key by the hand and helped her onto the MotorHog, too, saying as she did so, “Time flies and so do we.”
Key did not understand what the witch had meant, but she trusted her, so she straddled the seat behind her. The witch gunned the engine. Fire and thick black smoke spewed out from the smokestacks, although now they looked more like tailpipes. A few more pieces on the dashboard were still taking shape. They would be ready to go at any moment.
Miss Broomble glanced towards Raithe tangled with her gang on the ground. The electronet was losing power, flickering away, and leaving them panting in pain. Then she looked back over her shoulder at Key with an impressed
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