ALERT! ALERT!
NO TIME REMAINING! NO TIME REMAINING!
IS MISSION COMPLETE? IS MISSION COMPLETE?
(By the way, Happy Birthday Earthling Ambassador!)
Is MISSION COMPLETE?
(By the way, Happy Birthday Earthling Ambassador!)
Nicola unstrapped the watch. From now on, it would be nice just to see the time when she looked at her wrist.
"Here's your special birthday breakfast." Katie handed Nicola a plate of fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and toast. "Hey, take a look over there." She pointed at a group of small children playing Frisbee near the water's edge--except it wasn't a Frisbee, it was the princess's silver tiara sparkling in the sun as they threw it back and forth.
"Where is the princess?" asked Nicola with her mouth full.
"She and Dad are boogie boarding," said Shimlara. "She didn't even bother to ask the kids for her tiara back."
Nicola looked out at the ocean and saw the princess and Georgio whooping as they both caught the same wave. The boogie board was too short for Georgio and his long legs flipped over his head as he went flying.
Mully shook her head. "My husband is quite insane."
Georgio's head popped up from under the water and he caught sight of Nicola. "It's the birthday girl!" he shouted and came running in from the water so fast his boogie board flew behind him like a kite.The princess followed. "Is it time for presents?" she asked enthusiastically, dropping onto the sand on her wet knees.
"Oh, I don't think anybody has a present for me," said Nicola.
But she was wrong--everyone had a present for her.
The princess, who had heard from the others that it was Nicola's birthday, gave her a bracelet from her own wrist. It was a fine gold chain with red stones that glinted magically in the morning sun. It was too big for Nicola to wear as a bracelet, but it made a perfect necklace.
"Those are just a few very rare rubies," said the princess casually.
"Oh, lovely, thank you!" said Nicola, thinking, FRIZZLE! I'd better not lose it!
"It was Katie who reminded us that we'd probably be away for your birthday," said Tyler.
Katie,Tyler, and Sean had brought presents with them when Georgio had picked them up from Earth. Katie gave Nicola a gorgeous red top that went perfectly with her new ruby necklace,Tyler gave her a book by her favorite author, and Sean gave her the latest CD by his favorite band. "I'm just trying to improve your taste in music," he explained. "It's my duty as your brother."
Even Greta had gone down to the Buddy Beach chemist and bought Nicola a straw sun hat. "I thought you probably wouldn't want to get any more freckles," she said when Nicola opened it.
Georgio, Mully, and Shimlara were last.
It was something very large and flat, nearly as tall as Nicola, and wrapped up in brightly colored paper.
"We had bought it for you already on Globagaskar," said Mully. "I grabbed it when the guards came to capture us. I'm so glad we're not giving it to you in prison!"
Nicola tore off the paper. She had no idea what it could be.
It was a large round silver circle--like a gigantic coin--with two handles on either side.
"Oh, umm, thanks!" said Nicola confusedly.
"It's a cloud-surfboard!" explained Shimlara. "For when you go cloud-swimming. It's sort of like boogie boarding, but you skim across the clouds."
"Wow," said Sean jealously.
"And guess what? Later today we're having a Cloud Party for you, so you can try it out!" Georgio was so excited you would have thought it was his own birthday.