Martin King and the Space Angels (Martin King Series) (8 page)

The woman looked slightly more relaxed. She held out a hand towards Slater. ‘My name is Kara. Thank you for saving me.’

The teacher shook her hand. ‘I am Michael Slater, and this is Martin, Darcy and Tommy. We are seeking to stop XO5.’

When she heard the name, Kara’s eyes widened.

‘Oh,’ she said.

She led them past the plants, out of the greenhouse, over the lawn and towards the old crumbling house.

‘This is Shoscombe Hall,’ she said. ‘I own the place but I very rarely venture inside. I prefer being in my green cathedral, surrounded by all the flora and fauna of this most green, delightful world.’

They stepped over the threshold into the entrance hall. It was sumptuously decorated, and despite a thin layer of dust the place was astonishingly grand. A darkened chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Kara turned to Martin.

‘I believe I know you,’ she said. ‘Ah, yes, now I remember. I saw you at the Tube station! And you, too, I believe.’ She pointed at Darcy.

Martin suddenly remembered. He
had
seen her. She had been watching him from the other side of the station, dressed in a garish poncho.

‘I thought I sensed something about you,’ she said, ‘an aura—as if you were carrying something from my planet.’

Martin took the monocle from his pocket.

‘Ah,’ she said. ‘That would explain it.’

She shook his hand, and turned absent-mindedly, as if trying to remember something.

‘This way!’ she suddenly declared. ‘Into the lounge!’

*

Mr Slater lit a cigarette, and they began to listen to Kara’s story.

She had left the planet Hope for Earth around twelve years ago—wanting to settle down somewhere quiet she had purchased Shoscombe Hall and built the greenhouse alongside it.

The planet Hope was too big for her, but also too constricting. England appealed to her; she loved the green countryside.

For twelve years, she had cultivated her garden, and her greenhouse was a refuge of sorts for many rare species, including the endangered sand butterfly.

‘For twelve years I have enjoyed a most peaceful, comfortable existence,’ finished Kara. ‘Until the storms arrived, that is. Then it became apparent that something is terribly wrong on this planet. And then, things became even worse today.’

‘When that thing arrived,’ said Darcy.

‘Precisely.’

‘A few days ago we…’ Martin began, but tailed off.

Mr Slater nodded. ‘Go on, Martin, tell her.’

‘We’ve seen those robots—the Pendulum Officers—before. There was another Axis Lord, Levanté, and we saw them appear and try to capture him.’

Kara’s eyes grew bigger. She clutched Mr Slater’s hand.

‘You know what this means, don’t you, Michael? Someone is hunting down Axis Lords.’ She paused. ‘I believe XO5 is causing the storms.’

Tommy nodded. ‘We know it is.’

Kara’s face became white. ‘In my generation, we all learned about XO5 at school. Our sacred text, the
Chronicle of Spirits
, speaks of XO5 as the Evil One—a malevolent, immortal force that can never be crushed.’

Slater nodded. ‘But the new
Charter
of our people forbade any mention of the name XO5. The official position of the Axis Lords is that XO5 does not exist, even though clear evidence of its dealings can be seen right across the universe.

‘It is madness,’ said Kara, ‘and one of the reasons I wanted to be rid of the Axis Lords. No knowledge should be stifled, no matter how inconvenient.’ She paused. ‘So where do you three come into things?’

‘We’re looking for something,’ said Darcy. ‘Something that XO5 is also looking for.’

Kara smiled. ‘Well, I hope you find it.’

They spoke more with the Axis Lady for a while, and then Slater got up.

‘We should be going,’ he said.

‘You go on ahead,’ said Kara. ‘I would like a word with the humans alone.’

Slater nodded and left the room.

‘Now,’ said Kara, ‘I can speak frankly. I have to warn you about Michael Slater…’

Chapter 9: The Meteor Attack

‘I can’t hear the birds,’ said Tommy.

He tilted his neck to stare at the sky. Tommy and Martin were walking through the park on their way to school. They had awoken to find that the entire sky was coloured a stormy gold. Tommy was right. There was no birdsong.

‘Maybe the birds have just gone,’ said Martin. ‘Maybe they could sense the evil and just got the hell out of here.’

Tommy grimaced. ‘Thanks for that Martin. You always know the right things to say to cheer me up.’

They trudged onwards beneath their umbrellas; the rain was still pouring continuously from the golden clouds.

Martin kept thinking about the last thing Kara had told them, as soon as Slater had left the room…

‘
Do not trust Slater
,’ she had said. ‘
There is a great darkness inside of him. There is something truly… evil about the man.
’

Martin was inclined to believe her opinion of Mr Slater. He didn’t trust him either.

*

‘The City of Serenity,’ said Mr Slater. ‘As I said before, the great difficulty we must plan for is getting
out
of the city. There is nothing to stop one from
entering
. In fact, many Axis Lords have immigrated to the city over the years.’

Martin, Tommy and Darcy were sitting in Slater’s office, surrounded by his old books and trinkets.

‘We need to do something!’ said Martin. ‘Have you seen the sky this morning? We can’t have much time left.’

‘I understand our predicament,’ said Slater slowly, ‘but there is little point sending you into the City of Serenity before you have a plan of escape. If I do that, you may be trapped forever.’

‘But, sir,’ said Tommy, ‘you said yourself that Moonstone managed to escape from the City of Serenity. And you’re pretending to work for her. So why don’t you just ask her?’

‘A good point, Tommy. And I
have
asked her, but she refuses to give me any information.’

‘
That is correct.
’             

They were all startled by the sudden voice. It was the same voice Martin had heard before in Slater’s office. A red light filled the room. It didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, and yet it was so bright it made them squint.

‘
I have given you so much help,
’ said the deep, inhuman voice. ‘
And yet you have still failed me. Why should I give you any further assistance?
’

‘Because I’m doing it for you!’ said Slater. ‘I am looking for the Isis Crystal for you.’

The voice laughed. As it spoke again, the voice transformed, until it became the voice of a woman. Martin might have imagined it, but the voice sounded familiar.

‘
Do not mock me, Slater
,’ said Moonstone harshly. ‘
I see everything that happens on this world. I have known from the start that you have been trying to deceive me. I was simply using you. But you can consider this to be the termination of our association. You have already given me the name of the hidden object. From this point, I will proceed to find the Isis Crystal myself.
’

Moonstone fell silent, and the red light died away. Slater put his head in his hands.

‘Well,’ said Darcy slowly. ‘It looks like we’re on our own.’

*

‘…reports have been flooding in about the sudden disappearance of the birds. Some scientists have speculated that the phenomenon is linked to the freak storms we have recently been experiencing.

‘Neither is there yet any concrete explanation as to why the sky has turned gold, but meteorologists are currently investigating the situation. The public are urged to keep calm…’

Martin and Tommy were sitting in the school library, watching the TV. As they stared at the screen they were anything but calm. They had a huge burden—the burden of knowing what was happening yet being powerless.

‘It’s strange, right?’ said Tommy. ‘I mean, to know something that the rest of the world doesn’t. All the politicians, all the scientists… and we’re the only humans who know what—I mean
who
—is causing the storms.’

‘Yes,’ said Martin, ‘it does feel strange.’

His head was beginning to throb, and he closed his eyes against the pain. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

No scientist had yet managed to explain the freak storms, and there was widespread belief of a coming apocalypse. The newspapers did little to calm people’s nerves. An article in one of the day’s papers read:

THE END OF THE WORLD IS NIGH?

The Rev. Alexander Howell has caused a stir recently by declaring the recent storms an act of God and a warning of a coming apocalypse.

‘It’s clear to me that God is behind this,’ said the Rev. Howell. ‘It says in the Book of Luke that ‘fearful sights and great signs’ will appear in heaven. This storm is one of the great signs Jesus prophesied.

‘The only thing that we can do is pray for forgiveness of our sins and hope that our Lord will be merciful.’

Could these storms signal the start of God’s judgement on the Earth?

Many people think so. Since the storms began, many major churches have reported an increase in membership of up to 500%.

The Reverend Alexander Howell was half right. The storms weren’t an act of God, but they were certainly the mark of an imminent apocalypse.

Darcy burst into the library and ran towards them.

‘Guys!’ she panted. ‘You have to come and see this!’

‘What is it?’ said Martin.

‘Just come on!’

Darcy led them out of the school and towards the pond near the back of the building. They took shelter underneath a tree.

‘What did you want to show us?’ said Tommy.

‘I brought you outside so nobody else sees this,’ said Darcy. ‘Look!’

Darcy raised her arm, and thrust her hand towards an old newspaper that lay in the grass. A jet of flame splayed out from her fingertips, and the newspaper was consumed by the fire. The fire was so hot that the rain hissed as it evaporated. Martin and Tommy jumped back from the fire.

Some grass had also caught fire, and Darcy stamped it out.

‘So… what do you think?’

‘Amazing!’ said Tommy.             

‘You were right,’ she said. ‘I didn’t even have to think about it. The power just came to me. I felt this… heat, and then… I can’t believe it worked. I actually have a
superpower
!’

Martin knew he should be more excited by Darcy’s power, but he had seen so much in the last few weeks that he would never previously have believed possible. Surprises were beginning to lose their impact.

*

‘…meteors hurtling from the sky… major landmarks demolished… world is in turmoil…’

It was 10:35 PM. The destruction was being replayed on every channel of the television. At exactly 10:00 PM, smouldering rocks had plunged from the dark heavens, destroying six landmarks of human civilisation.

The Houses of Parliament. The Statue of Liberty. The Eiffel Tower. The Sydney Opera House. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Golden Gate Bridge. They had all been obliterated.

‘Six major world monuments have been destroyed by what appeared to be asteroids—’

The screen dissolved into static. The door of the flat banged open suddenly. A tall, wiry man stepped into the flat and walked across the room.

It was Martin’s dad, but he looked different. His brown eyes were alert and serious. He lowered himself into the tattered armchair, and looked his son straight in the eye. The intensity of his gaze was so strong that Martin had to look away.

‘Hello, Martin,’ he said, switching off the TV. ‘I see you’ve been watching the news.’

‘But you’re…’

‘Sober?’ His dad smiled faintly. ‘Yes I am. And I’m paying for it. I feel terrible. Look.’ He held up one of his hands, which was shaking. ‘I must look a terrible state.’

‘You… look great,’ said Martin.

‘I’m… I’m… I’m sorry.’

‘You don’t have to—’

‘No, I am sorry. I’ve been so…  selfish.’

Martin didn’t know what to say.

‘I won’t drink from now on, I promise. If this is Armageddon, as everyone seems to think it is, I want to die as myself.’

‘You don’t need to—’

His dad shook his head. ‘No. I promise. If we’ve only got a few hours left anyway it’s not much to promise.’

Martin didn’t reply.

‘You look so much like your mother.’

Martin still did not answer. Even if his dad did stop drinking, it would be a long time before they could have anything like a normal relationship.

The television suddenly crackled back into life. A person wearing a featureless golden mask sat in front of the camera. When it began to speak, it was undoubtedly the low, pulsing voice he had heard twice in Slater’s office—the disguised voice of Moonstone.

‘People of Earth—look around you. Ask yourselves what hope you could possibly have of defiance. In six short strokes, your civilisation has been brought to the point of collapse.

‘This destruction is the work of my master, a force called XO5. And nobody can save you. Not even your primitive gods.

‘In three hours XO5 plans to wipe out the city of London. But there is a way out for you. I am looking for a particular human in your city. His name is Martin King. Bring Martin King to Westminster Bridge at exactly 11:00PM and London will be spared.’

The TV faded to static. Martin’s phone began to ring; his hand shook a little as he held it to his ear. It was Moonstone, her voice no longer disguised.

‘
I hope you saw my little broadcast
,’ she said.

Martin tried to control his voice. ‘So you’re working for XO5? It makes sense, I suppose.’

‘
Yes
,’ said Moonstone. ‘
I am working for XO5. It is XO5 that wants to gain possession of the Isis Crystal. I simply serve.
’

‘Then why call me? What do you want with me?’

‘
XO5 has commanded me to contact you.
’

‘Why?’

Moonstone paused. ‘
XO5 speaks of you.
’

‘What did you say?’

‘
XO5 speaks constantly of Martin King. XO5 has great admiration for you. XO5 proposes an alliance in return for your life.
’

Martin grimaced. ‘No thanks.’

‘
Ah, I see
,’ said Moonstone. ‘
You are too good—too virtuous—to make such a bargain. And I suppose you also have some ingenious plan to stop me.
’

‘Actually, yes, I do,’ lied Martin.

‘
Of course.
’

A crack of vicious lightning illuminated the dark sky beyond the window.

‘
Look out at the storm
,’ said Moonstone. ‘
This planet will burn. Join us.
’

‘Never.’

‘
Then I will simply have to wait for the inevitable mob of humans to capture you and bring you to me by force. Goodbye.
’

The phone went dead. Martin turned to his dad, ready to explain everything that had just happened, but suddenly, with a pop, a young man appeared in the living room. He was wearing a velvet jacket and pinstriped trousers.

‘How’s it going?’ said Levanté. ‘I saw the broadcast just now, and I knew I had to come to help. In a few minutes half of London is going to be on your doorstep demanding your blood.’

‘How did you know where I live?’ said Martin.

‘I’m an Axis Lord. I know pretty much everything.’ Levanté grinned. ‘We need to gather your friends. And then we need to pay a visit to my old Uncle Slater.’

Martin turned to his dad. ‘I
’m sorry, dad… I have to go.’

His dad placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. ‘Go.’

Martin and Levanté ran.’

*

So here’s the plan,’ said Levanté.

Martin, Darcy, Tommy and Levanté were sitting in the lounge of
Valiant Star. Mr Slater stood beside them, his hands clasped behind his back.

‘Michael has told me everything,’ the magician went on. ‘He has told me all about the Isis Crystal, and where it is located. I’ll come with you, and once we’ve found the crystal I can try to teleport us all out of the city.’

‘That is the element of the plan that worries me the most,’ said Slater, lighting a cigarette. ‘There is no way of knowing if your abilities will be sufficient to allow you to escape the city. In fact, it seems highly likely that they will
not
be sufficient. Then you will all be trapped.’