Astrosaurs 2 by Steve Cole Page B

egg-snatchers. With a crash, he burst out of the learning hall and into the beautiful, snowy gardens. He shivered. Winter on Odo Minor was long and cold, and Teggs wishedhe’d worn his battle armour over his uniform to keep out the chill.

    The learning hall was built on a high hilltop with a terrific view. One glance at the churned-up snow at his feet told Teggs where the speedy oviraptors had gone – straight down the hillside.

    He charged off after them. Then a small oviraptor popped out from behind a tree – with a laser gun!
    Zzzapp!
A white-hot laser beam shot over Teggs’s head.
    â€œThanks for warming me up!” Teggs called as he dived for the cover of a nearby bush.
    â€œJust stay where you are, please!” said the oviraptor. He didn’t sound as fierce as his brother on the stage. “I hate guns, and I’m a lousy shot.”
    Teggs frowned. “So why don’t you just put down the gun and let me come out?”
    â€œI’d love to,” sighed the oviraptor. “But I can’t. Goopo would throw a fit. He told me to stop anyone following us while he fetches the ship.”
    Teggs chewed some frozen leaves for extra strength. “Do you always do what your brother tells” you?” he asked, creeping quietly closer.

    â€œGoopo’s the eldest. He’ll be king someday. The little figure sighed. “I’m Prince Shelly, the youngest – so I never get any say in what goes on. Now, stay back! I don’t want to hurt you!”
    â€œThat makes two of us!” called Teggs. Slowly, his big bony tail snaked out from the undergrowth and curled itself around Prince Shelly . . .
    â€œGot you!” Teggs cried.
    The oviraptor gasped as Teggs’s tail tightened round him – he was trapped!
    Teggs dragged his prisoner over to the top of the steep hillside. Goopo and his brothers were nearing the bottom of the slope. Soon they would vanish into the woods, and Teggs would never find them.
    He dangled Shelly over the edge of the hillside. “You know, I think it’s time you caught up with your brothers,” he grinned. “There’s
snow
time to lose!”
    With that, Teggs flung Shelly down the hillside after his brothers. The raptor hit the snow with a yelp. Unable to stop himself, he rolled over and over. And as he rolled, he gathered snow – faster and faster. Soon, he looked like a giant squawking snowball. As he tumbled towards the fleeing oviraptors he got bigger and rounder and heavier . . .

    Until finally –
Splat!
The snowball rolled right over Goopo and his brothers, squashing them into the snow.
    â€œDirect hit!” cheered Teggs. Then he sledged down the hill on his tummy to round up the oviraptors and recover the eggs. Luckily, the soft snow had stopped them from breaking – and the oviraptors were unharmed too.
    Up close, they were not pretty creatures. Their jaws were wide and toothless – instead, they used two bony prongs inside their mouths to crack open their food. Each of the creatures had a high, narrow crest rising up from its head.

    Teggs smiled at the dazed reptiles. “That should cool you off till the space police arrive!”
    â€œCurse you, Captain!” snarled Prince Goopo, half-buried by snow. “I command you to release us in the name of our king!”

    â€œNo way,” said Teggs. “Anyway, I’m sure your king would be very cross if he knew you were stealing such important eggs!”
    â€œPah!” cried Goopo. “It was his idea! King Albu will kill us if we don’t bring him those eggs!” ‘He’ll fry us with butter!” twittered another oviraptor.

    â€œHe’ll boil us in salty water for three minutes!” moaned a third.
    â€œAnd then he’ll crack our heads with a big spoon!” quaked one more.
    â€œIt’s quite exhausting,” sighed Prince Shelly, still stuck in his giant snowball. “Me and my