Kerallin, the scene outside looked as tranquil as it had when they had landed.
“Maybe there’s a big storm coming,” suggested Bareon. “Or an earthquake or something.”
“Don’t be daft, Bareon.” Sprawled across the back seat, Lishtig was the only student who looked relaxed. His long ponytail streamed behind him in the breeze. “I bet you a slice of Falarcake at Ska’s Café we were so totally awesome the scholars decided not to bother with any more tests,” he said brightly.
“More likely Tarz has already earned us a fail,” said Mordant.
Lishtig raised an eyebrow. “Is there any situation you can’t make worse just by opening your mouth, Talliver?” he demanded.
Before Mordant could retort, the hoverbus slowed to a halt at the pyramid ship. As it stopped, the wind dropped. The two scholars didn’t appear to notice that their words could now be heard by the students in the seats behind.
“But how did they find Kerallin?” Aristil whispered.
Socrat nodded his purple head towards the pyramid ship. “The students failed to activate the cloaking device,” he answered. “It seems they were tracked all the way here from Hyperspace High.”
In the seat beside John, Emmie let out a low groan. Her golden skin turned the colour of pale custard.
“I didn’t translate the cloaking device instruction,” she hissed. “Whatever’s happening, it’s my fault.”
“None of us translated it, Emmie,” Kaal replied quickly. “If it caused a problem, we’re all responsible.”
“No talking, please,” said Aristil sharply. “Quickly now, board the ship and get away from Kerallin. Please make sure that you activate the cloaking device immediately.”
John walked across the grass to the pyramid feeling deeply uneasy. Kaal was right; if something dangerous was happening because the class hadn’t turned on the ship’s cloak, then all the students were to blame. Running to safety while the elderly scholars dealt with whatever mess the students had caused made him feel like a coward.
“Are you sure we can’t stay and help?” he asked Aristil, as most of his classmates took their MorphSeats in the centre of the pyramid. Emmie, Kaal, and Raytanna ran to the far wall, where John had found the cloaking device instruction earlier.
Aristil shook her head. “It was you who first understood how to pilot the pyramid, was it not, John Riley?” she said.
“Uh, yes. Yes, I guess so.”
“Then you can help by flying the ship and getting your fellow students away from here as fast as possible.”
“But—”
“ Go !” she ordered.
With no choice but to obey, John followed the rest of the class inside the pyramid.
“Cloak activated,” said the ship’s computer.
From the inside, nothing looked different – through the shimmering purple-tinged walls, he could still see the landscape of Kerallin. From the little he knew of light-bending cloaking technology, he guessed that the ship had become invisible to anyone looking at it from the outside.
Taking his place opposite Lishtig, John waited while Raytanna fastened her safety harness.
“OK,” he said quietly as Emmie and Kaal took their positions. “Let’s get out of here.”
He was about to duck down and launch the pyramid upward, when Mordant screamed and pointed outside.
John whirled round. A spaceship was falling from the sky like a meteor. Red, and covered with cruel-looking spikes, its landing jets blasted the ground. In the distance, trees bent. Outside the pyramid, Aristil and Socrat huddled inside the hoverbus, their robes whipping wildly in the rush of hot winds. Another hoverbus came speeding across the meadow. Scholars spilled out onto the ground, pointing in panic as the red ship landed, crushing plants and flowers beneath.
A hatch opened. A ramp emerged. Marching two abreast, thirty soldier droids stamped down the ramp and spread out on the grass. Red metal armour, studded with spikes, glinted in the sunshine. Featureless metal
“Maybe there’s a big storm coming,” suggested Bareon. “Or an earthquake or something.”
“Don’t be daft, Bareon.” Sprawled across the back seat, Lishtig was the only student who looked relaxed. His long ponytail streamed behind him in the breeze. “I bet you a slice of Falarcake at Ska’s Café we were so totally awesome the scholars decided not to bother with any more tests,” he said brightly.
“More likely Tarz has already earned us a fail,” said Mordant.
Lishtig raised an eyebrow. “Is there any situation you can’t make worse just by opening your mouth, Talliver?” he demanded.
Before Mordant could retort, the hoverbus slowed to a halt at the pyramid ship. As it stopped, the wind dropped. The two scholars didn’t appear to notice that their words could now be heard by the students in the seats behind.
“But how did they find Kerallin?” Aristil whispered.
Socrat nodded his purple head towards the pyramid ship. “The students failed to activate the cloaking device,” he answered. “It seems they were tracked all the way here from Hyperspace High.”
In the seat beside John, Emmie let out a low groan. Her golden skin turned the colour of pale custard.
“I didn’t translate the cloaking device instruction,” she hissed. “Whatever’s happening, it’s my fault.”
“None of us translated it, Emmie,” Kaal replied quickly. “If it caused a problem, we’re all responsible.”
“No talking, please,” said Aristil sharply. “Quickly now, board the ship and get away from Kerallin. Please make sure that you activate the cloaking device immediately.”
John walked across the grass to the pyramid feeling deeply uneasy. Kaal was right; if something dangerous was happening because the class hadn’t turned on the ship’s cloak, then all the students were to blame. Running to safety while the elderly scholars dealt with whatever mess the students had caused made him feel like a coward.
“Are you sure we can’t stay and help?” he asked Aristil, as most of his classmates took their MorphSeats in the centre of the pyramid. Emmie, Kaal, and Raytanna ran to the far wall, where John had found the cloaking device instruction earlier.
Aristil shook her head. “It was you who first understood how to pilot the pyramid, was it not, John Riley?” she said.
“Uh, yes. Yes, I guess so.”
“Then you can help by flying the ship and getting your fellow students away from here as fast as possible.”
“But—”
“ Go !” she ordered.
With no choice but to obey, John followed the rest of the class inside the pyramid.
“Cloak activated,” said the ship’s computer.
From the inside, nothing looked different – through the shimmering purple-tinged walls, he could still see the landscape of Kerallin. From the little he knew of light-bending cloaking technology, he guessed that the ship had become invisible to anyone looking at it from the outside.
Taking his place opposite Lishtig, John waited while Raytanna fastened her safety harness.
“OK,” he said quietly as Emmie and Kaal took their positions. “Let’s get out of here.”
He was about to duck down and launch the pyramid upward, when Mordant screamed and pointed outside.
John whirled round. A spaceship was falling from the sky like a meteor. Red, and covered with cruel-looking spikes, its landing jets blasted the ground. In the distance, trees bent. Outside the pyramid, Aristil and Socrat huddled inside the hoverbus, their robes whipping wildly in the rush of hot winds. Another hoverbus came speeding across the meadow. Scholars spilled out onto the ground, pointing in panic as the red ship landed, crushing plants and flowers beneath.
A hatch opened. A ramp emerged. Marching two abreast, thirty soldier droids stamped down the ramp and spread out on the grass. Red metal armour, studded with spikes, glinted in the sunshine. Featureless metal
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