paving with short, scrubby plants clustered round rocks on both sides. In contrast to the Desert House, it looked tame and domestic.
“There’s definitely nobody in there,” said Greg. “You couldn’t hide a mouse in those shrubs.”
Another door marked Warm Temperate led to the next section of the corridor. Here the air was warmer and the plants more lush and colourful. The signs marked out olives, oleander and acanthuss. There were two more glasshouses on the right, but there was no one in there either.
The door leading into the last stretch of corridor was markedTropical. Here the air was stiflingly hot and moist. This area housed coffee, banana and papaya plants. The first door on the right was marked Display House. As soon as he glanced through the glass, Lewis hissed, “There he is!”
Everyone crouched low among the exotic foliage and watched the figure moving at the far end of the glasshouse. There was no mistake this time. It was Loki.
Makepeace craned his neck for a better look. “Say, that’s a Montague Burton tweed overcoat he’s wearing. I love those!”
“Down!” Thor commanded, grabbing the actor by the shoulder and forcing him to his knees. “Keep still, and keep quiet!”
Peeking through a screen of fronds, Lewis saw that Loki was standing in the midst of some potted plants and poster displays. He was gleefully tossing what looked like a large nut up and down in his hand.
“I think he’s found the Yggdrasil Seed,” said Lewis.
Thor’s broad face hardened. “Then we must take it from him by force.”
“Hold on a second,” Lewis cautioned him. “Last time we tackled him head on, he nearly buried us in an avalanche.”
“You’re right, Lewis,” said Greg. “We need to try something different this time.”
“How about Garth?” Susie suggested.
“What do you mean, Spinny?” asked Greg.
“Loki doesn’t know that Garth is on our side now,” Susie pointed out. “Maybe we can trick him.”
Lewis saw what she was getting at. “That’s right!” he exclaimed. “With a bit of luck, Garth could get close enough to snatch the seed.”
“How about it, Garth?” asked Greg. “Are you game?”
Makepeace looked uneasy. “I can’t say I feel good about it. Larry and I are buds, you know. Are you sure he’s out to destroy the universe?”
“Yes, we’re sure, Makepeace,” Thor insisted forcefully. “Now are you part of the solution or part of the problem?”
Makepeace squared his shoulders. “Hey, I’m with you guys.” He grinned. “I’ve saved the world a dozen times in my movies but I never thought I’d get to do it for real.”
“You need to con him into thinking you shook us off,” said Lewis. “And that you guessed he was coming here.”
“Don’t let on that you know who he really is,” Greg added.
“Relax,” said Makepeace. “I won an MTV award, you know. I can pull this off in my sleep.”
“You only have to keep it up long enough to grab the seed, then get back here fast,” said Greg.
“I’ll take care of the rest,” said Thor.
While the others crouched low in cover, Makepeace stood up and smoothed his hair. He opened the door and strolled down the length of the glasshouse as casually as if he were walking into a coffee shop.
Loki looked up in surprise, clenching the seed tightly in his fist. He asked a question in too low a voice for Lewis and the others to hear, but they could see Makepeace smiling and making friendly gestures. They could tell he had launched into a story about how he’d shaken off Thor and his friends. Loki laughed, and resumed tossing the seed up and down in the air.
Greg gave Lewis’ sleeve a tug. “I don’t get it. Why does he keep looking at Garth’s feet?”
Lewis’ heart skipped a beat. They had made a big mistake. “Oh no! We should have thought of that,” he groaned.
Loki raised a quizzical eyebrow as Makepeace pulled out a large wallet and talked excitedly. A few more words passed between them,
“There’s definitely nobody in there,” said Greg. “You couldn’t hide a mouse in those shrubs.”
Another door marked Warm Temperate led to the next section of the corridor. Here the air was warmer and the plants more lush and colourful. The signs marked out olives, oleander and acanthuss. There were two more glasshouses on the right, but there was no one in there either.
The door leading into the last stretch of corridor was markedTropical. Here the air was stiflingly hot and moist. This area housed coffee, banana and papaya plants. The first door on the right was marked Display House. As soon as he glanced through the glass, Lewis hissed, “There he is!”
Everyone crouched low among the exotic foliage and watched the figure moving at the far end of the glasshouse. There was no mistake this time. It was Loki.
Makepeace craned his neck for a better look. “Say, that’s a Montague Burton tweed overcoat he’s wearing. I love those!”
“Down!” Thor commanded, grabbing the actor by the shoulder and forcing him to his knees. “Keep still, and keep quiet!”
Peeking through a screen of fronds, Lewis saw that Loki was standing in the midst of some potted plants and poster displays. He was gleefully tossing what looked like a large nut up and down in his hand.
“I think he’s found the Yggdrasil Seed,” said Lewis.
Thor’s broad face hardened. “Then we must take it from him by force.”
“Hold on a second,” Lewis cautioned him. “Last time we tackled him head on, he nearly buried us in an avalanche.”
“You’re right, Lewis,” said Greg. “We need to try something different this time.”
“How about Garth?” Susie suggested.
“What do you mean, Spinny?” asked Greg.
“Loki doesn’t know that Garth is on our side now,” Susie pointed out. “Maybe we can trick him.”
Lewis saw what she was getting at. “That’s right!” he exclaimed. “With a bit of luck, Garth could get close enough to snatch the seed.”
“How about it, Garth?” asked Greg. “Are you game?”
Makepeace looked uneasy. “I can’t say I feel good about it. Larry and I are buds, you know. Are you sure he’s out to destroy the universe?”
“Yes, we’re sure, Makepeace,” Thor insisted forcefully. “Now are you part of the solution or part of the problem?”
Makepeace squared his shoulders. “Hey, I’m with you guys.” He grinned. “I’ve saved the world a dozen times in my movies but I never thought I’d get to do it for real.”
“You need to con him into thinking you shook us off,” said Lewis. “And that you guessed he was coming here.”
“Don’t let on that you know who he really is,” Greg added.
“Relax,” said Makepeace. “I won an MTV award, you know. I can pull this off in my sleep.”
“You only have to keep it up long enough to grab the seed, then get back here fast,” said Greg.
“I’ll take care of the rest,” said Thor.
While the others crouched low in cover, Makepeace stood up and smoothed his hair. He opened the door and strolled down the length of the glasshouse as casually as if he were walking into a coffee shop.
Loki looked up in surprise, clenching the seed tightly in his fist. He asked a question in too low a voice for Lewis and the others to hear, but they could see Makepeace smiling and making friendly gestures. They could tell he had launched into a story about how he’d shaken off Thor and his friends. Loki laughed, and resumed tossing the seed up and down in the air.
Greg gave Lewis’ sleeve a tug. “I don’t get it. Why does he keep looking at Garth’s feet?”
Lewis’ heart skipped a beat. They had made a big mistake. “Oh no! We should have thought of that,” he groaned.
Loki raised a quizzical eyebrow as Makepeace pulled out a large wallet and talked excitedly. A few more words passed between them,
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