‘Look! It’s all those crazy “hairity” fans again,’ said Sean. They were heading past the massive iron gates at the entrance to Enrico’s mansion.

‘They’ll wonder where Katie is,’ said Tyler.

He was right.

As soon as the people recognised the Space Brigade, they came running.

‘Where is your wonderful and amazing friend?’ one called. ‘Where is the beautiful and kind Katie Hobbs?’ called another.

‘They really love her,’ observed Greta sourly.

‘I bet it’s because most hairities are really snooty and full of themselves,’ said Shimlara.

Nicola pulled her ShobGobble to a stop and said to the crowd, ‘Sorry. Katie isn’t with us today.’

A rather handsome young boy carrying a single rose fell to his knees, sobbing.

‘But where is she?’ cried out an older woman plaintively. ‘I’ve baked her a cake!’

‘I’ll have it,’ offered Sean. ‘No need to let it go to waste.’ Nicola looked down at the pleading faces and thought, Why should I protect Enrico’s good name?

She spoke up in a clear voice. ‘Katie Hobbs has been taken hostage by the Commander-in-Chief.’

There was a gasp of horror from the crowd.

‘But Enrico wouldn’t do such a terrible thing,’ said the woman with the cake. ‘Especially not to a lovely hairity.’ She looked at the others. ‘Would he?’

A camera flashed and a microphone was shoved in Nicola’s face. An intense-looking woman said, ‘What’s your name?’

‘Nicola Berry.’

‘Nicola, why has Katie Hobbs been taken hostage?’

Nicola decided she shouldn’t reveal any more. ‘You’ll have to ask Enrico that. I have no further comment.’

She tapped her feather-whip against her ShobGobble as briskly as she dared. ‘We have to go!’

‘Wait, wait!’ called the reporter breathlessly, running alongside Nicola’s ShobGobble. As she ran, the breeze lifted the hair on her forehead and Nicola caught a glimpse of the letter ‘t’ – a Topaz supporter! She pushed a card into Nicola’s hand. ‘Contact me if you ever want to talk.’

Nicola managed to shove the card into her jeans pocket. She twisted her head and saw that her announcement had created something of an uproar. People were gesturing angrily, stamping their feet and raising their palms high above their heads.

She hoped she hadn’t made a terrible mistake and put Katie in more danger.

Her ShobGobble cantered along smoothly ahead of the others, as if he knew where he was going. Nicola squinted her eyes through the rainbows and saw another sign.

  24 VALLEY OF HIGH HOPES

‘That’s right! That’s where we’re going,’ she said out loud. She realised she hadn’t named her ShobGobble yet. She said, ‘Well done, um, Shobby!’

Her ShobGobble flattened his ears and gave a disapproving snort.

‘Oh, you don’t like that. Let me think of something better. What about . . . Gobby Boy?’

He gave an even louder snort.