War on Whimsy (Space Brigade 3)

But all that time they'd spent looking for Henry had well and truly cured Nicola of her beauty overload and put her in a cranky mood. She was also feeling queasy from eating too much dessert.

"That's not possible," she said."We must get to Griddlemill as soon as possible. Don't forget that the Gorgioskios are only in the prison camp because they cared so much about your planet. And by the way, I don't mean to be rude, but you're the president and your planet is under attack! You should be thinking of your people, not your next painting!"

Henry dropped his paintbrush with a splatter of orange paint.

"You're right! Of course, you're right! I'd forgotten I was president! And I'd forgotten we were at war!" He collapsed on to a small stool and looked anguished. "And you saved my child today! I'm a terrible, terrible, person. My selfishness is like a snake wrapped around my heart, it's like a--oh!"

Sean and Shimlara had grabbed him by the elbows and hauled him to his feet.

"We don't have time for this, buddy," said Sean kindly. "You've got to pull yourself together."

Henry took a deep breath and straightened his beret. "You're right," he said. "Follow me."

"What sort of transportation will we be taking?" asked Tyler.

"Transportation?" said Henry with a furrowed brow.

"I think we're walking," said Nicola to Tyler.

"How long will that take us?" frowned Shimlara.

"We shall run!" cried Henry passionately.

"Oh, well, that's not really nec--" began Nicola.

But Henry had already run off, his paint-splattered smock billowing behind him.

"Good-bye, my brave darling!" cried his wife, her hands clasped together. Then she said under her breath, "This will make such a wonderful scene in my novel. His smock billowed like the sail of a boat . . . No, that's not quite right."

The Space Brigade had no choice but to run after Henry, their backpacks bouncing against their shoulders, the desserts they'd eaten sitting heavily in their stomachs.

Henry ran straight up a hill. His skinny legs leaped nimbly over hedges as he carefully avoided crushing flowers.

"He's very fit for an artist," panted Katie.

"I think I'm going to be sick," moaned Sean. His face was green in the starlight. "I might have overdone it on the desserts."

"Are we going to run the whole way there?" groaned Greta.

"They must have some sort of transport on this planet," wheezed Tyler.

"What's wrong with running?" Shimlara jogged effortlessly up the hill on her long legs.

Nicola couldn't speak. She was too busy trying to breathe. Long-distance running wasn't her thing.

After what seemed like at least an hour of solid running, Henry suddenly stopped.

He was down on his hands and knees on the shore of a river, scooping up water to drink with cupped hands, when the Space Brigade caught up with him.

"Isn't this exhilarating?" cried Henry when he saw them arrive.

The Space Brigade fell to their knees, breathing heavily. Sean dipped his face in the water and lapped it up like an exhausted dog. As Nicola drank the cool, refreshing water, she could feel beads of sweat running down her back. Her tired legs felt like jelly. She didn't know how much longer she could keep running.

"Now we just follow the river," said Henry. "All the way to Griddlemill."

"How long should that take?" asked Shimlara.

"No more than a few weeks," said Henry cheerfully. "If we run all the way. And if we avoid Volcomanian bubble-bombs."