‘I always told him that he needed to stop letting his phobias rule his life but he wouldn’t listen. And now the little scamp is in charge of Shobble, eh? Does he do a good job?’ Horatio took a massive bite of the sandwich.

‘Well,’ said Nicola. ‘We’re from another planet so we don’t really know, but the thing is, the marshmallow miners and chocolate drillers don’t get paid for their work.’

‘They don’t need any money,’ said Horatio cheerfully. ‘They just go along to the Department of Free Goods and Services for anything they need – clothing, building materials, medicine, food other than chocolate . . . It’s an enormous building. You just wheel your trolley about and help yourself. Wonderful place.’

Nicola thought back to the building they’d passed when they first arrived in Shobble.

‘I think Enrico closed it,’ said Nicola.

‘Oh.’ Horatio’s bushy eyebrows drew together to form a ‘v’ shape. ‘But then what does he do with all the money from the sales of ShobbleChoc?’

‘He spends it on himself and his family and other hairities,’ said Greta.

‘What’s a hairity?’ asked Horatio.

‘It’s someone with long straight brown hair,’ explained Nicola. ‘They’re like celebrities on this planet. People take photos of them.’

Horatio clapped his hands together. ‘What a turn up for the books! Once upon a time children would make fun of people with long brown hair just because they were unusual. Enrico, for example, was teased terribly at school because of his hair. He used to get very upset.’ Horatio paused. He seemed to be thinking. ‘Perhaps that’s what this is all about. Naughty Enrico is taking revenge on all those people who teased him at school.’

‘I thought Shobble people were the nicest people in the galaxy,’ said Shimlara. ‘Why did the other children tease him?’

‘Well, I must admit that’s something of a myth we do like to encourage. While we are extremely nice, easygoing people, there are exceptions to every rule,’ said Horatio. ‘But tell me, why are the people of Shobble putting up with this shabby treatment by Naughty Enrico?’

‘It’s not that easy to get rid of a Commander-in-Chief,’ said Nicola, thinking of Enrico’s huge Security Thugs.

‘Oh, I shouldn’t think it would be that much trouble,’ said Horatio airily.

The members of the Space Brigade exchanged looks that meant, Huh, what does he know!

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ said Horatio. ‘You’re thinking, He’s just an old man, what would he know?’

‘Oh, no, not at all!’ they protested.

‘Well I actually know quite a lot,’ said Horatio. ‘My great-grandmother was one of the people who helped draft Shobble’s Constitution. I know every word of the Constitution off by heart. You might be interested in clause 367-AAB-38479579034554. Shall I recite it to you?’