‘Danny. I think we a have a problem,’ whispered Ben. They switched to telepathy, travelling to their secret mind-arena where they could communicate in private.
They were on a small, bleak island, the only sounds coming from the rustle of a few lonesome trees, the wind and the sea. The black ocean surrounded them, the steady beat of its tide somehow felt ominous. Night was falling and a couple of creatures could be heard scampering off into the distance but otherwise they were alone.
‘This is all a bit sombre,’ thought Danny. His words instantly became extra darkness within the scenery of the island. This reality was after all, just a telepathic projection, a secret place for Danny and Ben's communication. ‘Well I hope this doesn't reflect the general ambience of my mind,’ Danny added.
‘It could be our situation, not your mind. Golf has gone missing. An intuition told me to look for him. Someone, or something, must've snatched him when we were moving between the realms,’ Ben noted.
‘I knew we were being powered down! Someone was sucking up all that alpha force - I could feel it. That can only mean the Agency is involved.’
‘Trouble,’ agreed Ben.
‘Let’s get back. I'll see if Orb can help us. Let Jodie know. I should have noticed that green slimy guy wasn't around. I thought he was just sleeping. Travelling wears him right out. There wasn’t any of those nice cool-water effects when I went to bed last night - took me ages to get to sleep. Almost missed him. I should have noticed really.’
‘The agency could only have snatched Golf if they are nearby. They could be on to us at any moment. Jodie, any of us could be next, we should warn her – but they'll be watching our every move.’
‘It's all right, there’s a way of getting through to her.’
Ben faded slowly from the mind-arena. Danny watched him go. He then switched himself out of the arena and back to mundane reality in a split moment. Ever since that strange ruro material had been in his chest he was super-powered psychically. Those strange but wonderful dolphins, the gatekeepers of the ruro, did not have great manners. But they had done him a major favour.
A little while later Danny was in the dining room pondering. Here I am - one disabled boy, not particularly popular with anyone, trying to save the whole world from the vast forces of fundamental darkness.
Ben was sat with Danny around the far table at the end of the dining room. Ben appeared to be staring right through him. Danny looked as though he was daydreaming. In fact he was now being harassed by the mind-entity, Orb.
Before Orb could continue berating Danny Sarah sauntered into the room. She was cradling a hot chocolate in her delicate small hands, ‘What’s up guys? Hey Danny, is he okay?’
‘Ben? Yeah he’s fine. I think he’s just a little t-tired.’
‘Well, I’m tired of being on my own in this house so I hope you two aren’t planning on any more weird stuff.’
‘N-Nope. None of that,’ replied Danny.
‘Explosions?’
‘I promise.’
‘Better hadn’t,’ she clipped him on the side of the head playfully and headed for the lounge.
‘So let me get this straight, you've known for how long? I'm not happy about this. Why didn't you tell me before?’ Orb paused but before Danny could reply she continued, ‘So where is he? Who's got him?’
‘The agency probably,’ replied Danny telepathically. It hadn't helped to improve the Orb's mood that Danny and Ben had voted her, 'Most-Annoying-Mind-Entity-Of-All-Time,' that very morning. She hadn't found that very funny. And now she was seriously unhappy for a good reason. She had become quite attached to Golf.
‘Well if they've used the Mindsnapper on him again I'm going to hold you two personally responsible’ Orb barked in her shrill mind voice.
‘It’s not my fault,’ grumped Danny.
‘You could've noticed earlier. Anything could have happened to him by now.’
‘What can we do?’ interjected Ben.
‘I could enter Jodie's mind and tell her. I'll visit Thinking Stone, the Sapient tree too. He'll know what to do,’ Danny offered hopefully.
‘Gosh, that’s good Danny. We're in an emergency up to our eyeballs and what do you do? Go and visit a talking walking stick in another dimension.’
‘It’s another realm actually.’
‘Whatever.’
Although Orb was usually placid there was no telling what she might do if she was really riled. Orbs were powerful creatures.
Danny wheeled himself, with a quiet electric hum, over to the lift and went back up to his room. He released the magnetic door catch by a deft flick of his chair and prepared to enter the realm of the Sapient Ones. No sooner had he thought that than he appeared in the realm itself. His body was quietly and instantly asleep, slumped in the wheelchair.