but the left grasped the floor, holding onto the edge of the pit.
Struggling with a gnashing of gears and hissing of putrid vapor, it fought to climb out. Will smashed it on the head with a brick, over and over. A green eye went dark, and he dented its metal face.
Giselle handed him the voormaaker, and he pounded it. A piece of metal flew off, and the red eyes went out. He hit its hands, but still it tried to climb out.
Gus raced up with a small can and squirted oil at every spot on the floor where the Shadovecht grabbed. Slipping, it fell into the pit with a tremendous clatter.
The Shadovecht leaped furiously but could not reach the top, and it went back down with a crash. Will heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It was stuck.
***
“Hoyzaa!” shouted Gustaavus. Hooray !
Holding his injured side, Will stared at the pit. “Shadovecht are real,” he thought again. Remembering his sister, he went through the hole and ran to the staircase to the second floor, followed by Gus.
“Angelica?” he called and started to make the secret knock on a wall, letting her know all was safe.
He gaped as a bronze steemcannon on a wheeled wooden carriage slowly rolled into position at the top of the steps. It normally pointed out the gun port, but his sister pushed it over.
“Stop!” he shouted. “It’s trapped now. Why aren’t you in your safe place?”
Angelica looked downstairs and gasped with astonishment. “Gus! You’re real!”
The little gnome froze in place.
“Don’t you dare!” she said, running down the steps. “I saw you move, just like that time before.”
“You realize you’re talking to a garden gnome,” Giselle said, still unsure of what she’d seen.
Angelica shrieked. The heavy cannon now rolled by itself, about come down the steps at her.
Unfreezing, little Gus dashed up the staircase amazingly fast. Grabbing a piece of splintered wood, he wedged it against one of the cannon’s wheels and stopped it. He turned to face Giselle.
“Garden gnome?” Gus huffed indignantly. “Noyn, Guardian gnome, I am.”
“I knew it!” Angelica said with delight. “I knew I saw you talking to Dad!”
“Ya, but seen I not should be. Hiding, ya? Hiding until the danger, then hoy! Guardian of the Steemjammers! Ya? Stand under me?”
“You mean do I understand? I think so.”
Seeing something, Gus froze again, becoming still.
“What on earth was that thing?” said a shaky voice behind them. “Or was it something from off this earth?”
The Steemjammer kids slowly turned. Ron Norman stood in the ruined doorway of Beverkenhaas. He wore a baby blue terrycloth robe, and his fuzzy slippers were on the wrong feet. His eyes were wide as saucers, and he wielded a mop like a medieval halberd.
“Uh oh,” thought Will.
Chapter 10
alfonz zeldemthoos
“Oh my,” said the white-haired man from across the street.
He stood there awkwardly, studying the damage. Will’s head filled with worry. Would the man call the police? How could he explain this, and what if someone noticed his parents were missing? Would they take him and his sister away?
“What are you doing?” Giselle asked the neighbor.
“Oh,” Ron said sheepishly, acknowledging the mop in his hands, “I came over to see if you needed help, and this was the only, er, weapon I could find.” He laughed nervously. “I was hoping ….” Embarrassed, he let his words trail off. “I was hoping to scare the robot away. Stupid idea, I guess. You took care of it, right?”
Assuming he meant the Shadovecht, Will nodded. The man relaxed a little but still had trouble making eye contact. His hands shook.
“You must tell me, p-please,” Ron pleaded. “What p-planet are you from?”
They stared at him like he was from Mars.
“What planet?” Giselle asked.
“You can’t hide it anymore,” he blurted. “You’re obviously aliens !”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air.
“Do we look like aliens?”
Struggling with a gnashing of gears and hissing of putrid vapor, it fought to climb out. Will smashed it on the head with a brick, over and over. A green eye went dark, and he dented its metal face.
Giselle handed him the voormaaker, and he pounded it. A piece of metal flew off, and the red eyes went out. He hit its hands, but still it tried to climb out.
Gus raced up with a small can and squirted oil at every spot on the floor where the Shadovecht grabbed. Slipping, it fell into the pit with a tremendous clatter.
The Shadovecht leaped furiously but could not reach the top, and it went back down with a crash. Will heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It was stuck.
***
“Hoyzaa!” shouted Gustaavus. Hooray !
Holding his injured side, Will stared at the pit. “Shadovecht are real,” he thought again. Remembering his sister, he went through the hole and ran to the staircase to the second floor, followed by Gus.
“Angelica?” he called and started to make the secret knock on a wall, letting her know all was safe.
He gaped as a bronze steemcannon on a wheeled wooden carriage slowly rolled into position at the top of the steps. It normally pointed out the gun port, but his sister pushed it over.
“Stop!” he shouted. “It’s trapped now. Why aren’t you in your safe place?”
Angelica looked downstairs and gasped with astonishment. “Gus! You’re real!”
The little gnome froze in place.
“Don’t you dare!” she said, running down the steps. “I saw you move, just like that time before.”
“You realize you’re talking to a garden gnome,” Giselle said, still unsure of what she’d seen.
Angelica shrieked. The heavy cannon now rolled by itself, about come down the steps at her.
Unfreezing, little Gus dashed up the staircase amazingly fast. Grabbing a piece of splintered wood, he wedged it against one of the cannon’s wheels and stopped it. He turned to face Giselle.
“Garden gnome?” Gus huffed indignantly. “Noyn, Guardian gnome, I am.”
“I knew it!” Angelica said with delight. “I knew I saw you talking to Dad!”
“Ya, but seen I not should be. Hiding, ya? Hiding until the danger, then hoy! Guardian of the Steemjammers! Ya? Stand under me?”
“You mean do I understand? I think so.”
Seeing something, Gus froze again, becoming still.
“What on earth was that thing?” said a shaky voice behind them. “Or was it something from off this earth?”
The Steemjammer kids slowly turned. Ron Norman stood in the ruined doorway of Beverkenhaas. He wore a baby blue terrycloth robe, and his fuzzy slippers were on the wrong feet. His eyes were wide as saucers, and he wielded a mop like a medieval halberd.
“Uh oh,” thought Will.
Chapter 10
alfonz zeldemthoos
“Oh my,” said the white-haired man from across the street.
He stood there awkwardly, studying the damage. Will’s head filled with worry. Would the man call the police? How could he explain this, and what if someone noticed his parents were missing? Would they take him and his sister away?
“What are you doing?” Giselle asked the neighbor.
“Oh,” Ron said sheepishly, acknowledging the mop in his hands, “I came over to see if you needed help, and this was the only, er, weapon I could find.” He laughed nervously. “I was hoping ….” Embarrassed, he let his words trail off. “I was hoping to scare the robot away. Stupid idea, I guess. You took care of it, right?”
Assuming he meant the Shadovecht, Will nodded. The man relaxed a little but still had trouble making eye contact. His hands shook.
“You must tell me, p-please,” Ron pleaded. “What p-planet are you from?”
They stared at him like he was from Mars.
“What planet?” Giselle asked.
“You can’t hide it anymore,” he blurted. “You’re obviously aliens !”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air.
“Do we look like aliens?”
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