The Ministry of SUITs by Paul Gamble Page A

into both each other and the corner and collapsed, unconscious.
    Trudy continued running up the wall and, just as she reached the top, she placed a foot on the ceiling and pushed herself off. This allowed her to perform a perfect backflip and land gently on the floor.
    She turned around from the wall, and Jack noticed that she was barely out of breath. The two remaining Porcupods, having seen what had happened to their comrades, slowly approached Trudy. One moved toward her and lashed out with its lobsterlike claws. They cracked and snapped in the air around Trudy, but she dodged them easily, smiling as she did.
    The other Porcupod shuffled backward a foot or two. At first it looked afraid, but then Jack realized that it was going to take a run up and then launch itself at Trudy. Jack wanted to shout out and warn her, but his breath caught in his throat.
    Jack needn’t have worried. Although Trudy was still dodging blows from the nearest Porcupod, she noticed the other scuttling rapidly toward her. It leapt in the air, clacking its claws together like an insane maraca player. As it reached the peak of its leap Trudy bent backward. The Porcupod looked as startled as a creature can look when it has an armored snout for a face. It sailed over Trudy as she snapped into a backflip. Just as the Porcupod was directly over Trudy’s flipping body, she whirled her feet around and kicked it, forcefully propelling it into the wall and making its body crumple up like a concertina. Jack winced, almost feeling sorry for the animal.
    There was only one Porcupod left in the room now. It stopped trying to attack Trudy and looked at its three friends, all of whom were lying unconscious and battered around the room. It snapped its claws once in a rather thoughtful manner. It looked at Trudy again and then scuttled backward into a corner of the room before lying down and making a strange rasping-breathing noise. If Jack hadn’t known better, he would have thought that it was trying to whistle in an innocent manner.
    Trudy brushed down her school uniform and walked toward the glass door. Grey opened it and bowed to her as she exited the room. Jack had a million questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t seem to persuade them out of his mouth.
    Before Jack could say anything Grey looked at his watch. “I’m afraid we don’t have time for anything more tonight. If you two stay here any longer, your parents will be asking difficult questions. I’ll get a Ministry car to take you home.” Grey left to make the arrangements.
    Trudy and Jack were left standing in the corridor by themselves. Jack’s jaw was still hanging open in amazement. Trudy looked very pleased with herself, but Jack felt that that was understandable. She probably wasn’t allowed to use her amazing skills in everyday life and it must have been a wonderful feeling to be allowed to show off. It would be like winning a gold medal at the Olympics and not being able to tell anyone about it.
    Jack pulled himself together. “I’ve just got one question.”
    â€œYeah?” said Trudy. “What’s that?
    â€œWell, with all the skills you have, why on earth would you want to be my partner? I mean, surely there are better people you could be working with. Like a ninja or something?”
    Trudy sighed. “Not that many other people would agree to work with me. People tend to find me scary.”
    â€œI do find you scary,” confessed Jack. “But I still want to work with you. You’re … amazing.”
    Trudy smiled and stuck out her hand. Jack shook it. “I’m not sure I’m amazing,” said Trudy. “But I’m certainly Strange and Unusual. Maybe a little bit Impossible too … sometimes.”
    Grey came back to find them shaking hands. It seemed to make him happy.
    â€œI’ve got a Ministry car waiting for you outside.”
    Trudy’s shoulders slumped. “Do we have