and picked up his backpack. It looked heavy with food and water. He gave Maxie a hug.
‘Don’t get fazed if it takes us longer, will you?’ he said. ‘We none of us know exactly what to expect out there. And it’s possible this Einstein dude might want to do some more shopping.’
‘Where exactly are you going then?’
‘The nerds checked out the suppliers for the museum labs, where they used to get all their chemicals and equipment from. And they’ve found where the suppliers was based. The best bet seems to be a place called Promithios out near Heathrow Airport. There’s some sort of science and technology park over there. Is only about ten miles away, straight down the M4. Should be a fairly safe route once we’re on the motorway.’
Blue seemed so together, so confident. Maxie resisted the urge to kiss him. She wasn’t sure if they were officially an item now. And none of the other Holloway kids knew that they’d got close during their time locked up together in the sick-bay at the palace.
Then, without warning, Blue suddenly kissed her. She must have looked surprised because he laughed.
‘Whassup, girl?’
‘Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting it.’
‘Well, you can expect a whole lot more where that came from.’
So that answered that one. She laughed now and threw her arms round him, giving him an over-the-top hug.
Big Mick made a rude comment and Blue swore at him, but before Maxie could say anything else Mick pointed down to where Einstein was marching along the corridorthat led from the orange zone with an entourage of kids in white coats. Justin was trotting along behind, trying to catch up.
Einstein had changed into a baggy tweed coat that flapped about him as he walked. He had an old leather bag slung over one shoulder, a tightly furled umbrella in one hand, and his untidy hair had been crammed into a wide-brimmed hat. He looked full of himself, happy and puffed up. This was his expedition after all.
‘Don’t let that guy screw things up,’ said Maxie. ‘Don’t let him take you anywhere stupid. Don’t let him take you away from me.’
19
Justin at last managed to draw level with Einstein and put a hand on his arm, holding him back from joining the main group. Einstein stopped and bared his green teeth at Justin in a horsey grin, wafting bad breath into his face.
‘I’ve told you, Justin, there’s no point in banging on and on about this. It’s getting bo-or-ring .’
‘All I’m saying is there’s nobody else here as clever as you, Einstein. We won’t get anywhere without you running the research department. You are the bloody research department.’
‘That’s why I have to lead the expedition,’ said Einstein. ‘It’s my party. I’m the only one who knows what we need to pick up. I can’t just send a shopping list out with these morons, it’s not that simple.’
Justin snorted with embarrassed laughter and shushed Einstein.
‘Don’t let them hear you calling them that,’ he said, keeping his voice low.
‘Well, they are morons,’ said Einstein. ‘Look at them!’
Achilleus was now trying to swipe a tennis ball off Paddy’s head with a lethal-looking sword. Justin sniggered.
‘I want this to go well,’ said Einstein. ‘It’s not every daywe get this opportunity. And because it’s important, I’m doing it.’
‘What you mean is you want the glory, don’t you?’ said Justin. ‘You want Chris Marker and his scribes to write you up in their history books.’
‘Look around you, Justin. All the great men in this museum, the scientists and doctors, Darwin and the rest of them, they made their names by going out and discovering stuff. So yes, that’s what I’m doing.’
‘All right. But I doubt we’ll get much done with you away.’
‘I’ve left notes, clear instructions. Gordy’s going to be in charge while I’m gone. You just carry on with what we’ve been doing, more of the same, and I’ll be back by tomorrow.’
‘There’s not
‘Don’t get fazed if it takes us longer, will you?’ he said. ‘We none of us know exactly what to expect out there. And it’s possible this Einstein dude might want to do some more shopping.’
‘Where exactly are you going then?’
‘The nerds checked out the suppliers for the museum labs, where they used to get all their chemicals and equipment from. And they’ve found where the suppliers was based. The best bet seems to be a place called Promithios out near Heathrow Airport. There’s some sort of science and technology park over there. Is only about ten miles away, straight down the M4. Should be a fairly safe route once we’re on the motorway.’
Blue seemed so together, so confident. Maxie resisted the urge to kiss him. She wasn’t sure if they were officially an item now. And none of the other Holloway kids knew that they’d got close during their time locked up together in the sick-bay at the palace.
Then, without warning, Blue suddenly kissed her. She must have looked surprised because he laughed.
‘Whassup, girl?’
‘Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting it.’
‘Well, you can expect a whole lot more where that came from.’
So that answered that one. She laughed now and threw her arms round him, giving him an over-the-top hug.
Big Mick made a rude comment and Blue swore at him, but before Maxie could say anything else Mick pointed down to where Einstein was marching along the corridorthat led from the orange zone with an entourage of kids in white coats. Justin was trotting along behind, trying to catch up.
Einstein had changed into a baggy tweed coat that flapped about him as he walked. He had an old leather bag slung over one shoulder, a tightly furled umbrella in one hand, and his untidy hair had been crammed into a wide-brimmed hat. He looked full of himself, happy and puffed up. This was his expedition after all.
‘Don’t let that guy screw things up,’ said Maxie. ‘Don’t let him take you anywhere stupid. Don’t let him take you away from me.’
19
Justin at last managed to draw level with Einstein and put a hand on his arm, holding him back from joining the main group. Einstein stopped and bared his green teeth at Justin in a horsey grin, wafting bad breath into his face.
‘I’ve told you, Justin, there’s no point in banging on and on about this. It’s getting bo-or-ring .’
‘All I’m saying is there’s nobody else here as clever as you, Einstein. We won’t get anywhere without you running the research department. You are the bloody research department.’
‘That’s why I have to lead the expedition,’ said Einstein. ‘It’s my party. I’m the only one who knows what we need to pick up. I can’t just send a shopping list out with these morons, it’s not that simple.’
Justin snorted with embarrassed laughter and shushed Einstein.
‘Don’t let them hear you calling them that,’ he said, keeping his voice low.
‘Well, they are morons,’ said Einstein. ‘Look at them!’
Achilleus was now trying to swipe a tennis ball off Paddy’s head with a lethal-looking sword. Justin sniggered.
‘I want this to go well,’ said Einstein. ‘It’s not every daywe get this opportunity. And because it’s important, I’m doing it.’
‘What you mean is you want the glory, don’t you?’ said Justin. ‘You want Chris Marker and his scribes to write you up in their history books.’
‘Look around you, Justin. All the great men in this museum, the scientists and doctors, Darwin and the rest of them, they made their names by going out and discovering stuff. So yes, that’s what I’m doing.’
‘All right. But I doubt we’ll get much done with you away.’
‘I’ve left notes, clear instructions. Gordy’s going to be in charge while I’m gone. You just carry on with what we’ve been doing, more of the same, and I’ll be back by tomorrow.’
‘There’s not
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