He was just about to barge into the room when Lucas sharply turned. Through the small crack, Oliver knew hed been caught. Lucass grin was sinister, and it grew even darker when he realized that Oliver had just witnessed him taking the credit for all his hard work.

With a final haughty glare, Lucas reached over and slammed the door in Olivers face, blocking him out and away from Armando before the inventor could even see he was there.

CHAPTER NINE

Oliver stood with his nose to the door for a moment, too shocked by Lucass betrayal to even move. But just as he regained his senses, there came a noise from the other side of the factory.

Oliver startled and turned. There were men inside the factory! Men in suits. He gasped. Surely they werent supposed to be there. A horrible thought crossed his mind: were they looking for him?

He ducked, not wanting to be seen, and peered through the balustrade at the men as they walked with purpose about the place. One was holding a clipboard, another a briefcase. Oliver managed to hear a snippet of their conversation.

So you can see, a man with a pot belly and white hair was saying, theres great potential here for redevelopment. We have planning permission to add another floor, and theres plumbing and electricity throughout the entire property.

Oliver realized then what was happening. One of these men was the landlord, and he was showing prospective buyers around the factory! Was he trying to sell it from under Armandos nose? Or did Armando know? Perhaps they were in financial difficulties.

Olivers stomach clenched painfully. Hed only just decided the factory was where he belonged and now it might be taken away too. The thought of the factory disappearing just when hed found it was too much to bear.

He watched on helplessly as the landlord continued talking to the suited men, discussing finances. Then they all shook hands and headed back to the fake wall.

We can get this silly wall removed, the landlord added as he operated the mechanism to make it turn.

Then they disappeared around the other side of the rotating wall.

Oliver unfurled himself from his crouching position. He had to talk to Armando; about the men, about the invention. He couldnt just stand by and watch his world crumble around him.

He turned back to the door and knocked purposefully. The sound of muffled voices on the other side stopped.

Come in, Armando called out.

Oliver barged his way through the door and into Armandos office. It was the first time hed been inside and fully seen the extent of chaos.

Armando had several desks of varying sizes dotted about the outer walls. Each was covered in stacks of paper, some high and teetering. There were books everywhere, strewn on chairs, crammed onto shelves, stacked in piles on the floor, and four computers, each from different eras.