Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford Read Free Book Online Page B

contact and instead pretended there was something across the cockpit that demanded his attention. “Because if you don’t come with me, I’ll blow this ship into a million pieces.”
    â€œThat sounds reasonable,” Dexter said quickly.
    Jacob stepped between Dexter and Mick and tipped up his chin. “Leave him alone. Step back.” Mick stood his ground and Jacob clenched his fists as he considered teaching Mick Cracken an interplanetary lesson. Mick grinned like he was ready for a fight.
    But then Sarah Daisy stepped over and put her hand on Jacob’s shoulder, and he unclenched his hands. He knew what she meant with the gesture, and he knew she was right, although he never would have admitted that to her out loud. Mick had Lucy trapped and they had no way of knowing how to get home. Jacob would have to find a way to escape that didn’t involve pulverizing the ego out of any famous, or, correction, “extremely famous” bandits.
    Jacob nodded to Dexter and Sarah. “Let’s go see what his ship looks like.” He tried to ignore Mick’s triumphant smirk.
    â€œChildren,” Lucy said with a pained sigh. “Please return to me as soon as possible so we can get out of this mess. I don’t particularly like you very much, but I sure as Jupiter like you better than Mick Cracken’s insufferable nav system.”
    â€œWe will,” Sarah said. “Thanks, Lucy.”
    Jacob, Dexter, and Sarah grabbed their space helmets and trudged down the stairs, following Mick Cracken and the space officers.
    When they reached the cargo door, Jacob looked out into space at Mick Cracken’s ship. Up close, Jacob saw that it wasn’t actually dark gray, as he had originally thought, but rather a clumsily painted black. It was a rounded square and looked very ornate under the slapdash paint job, with majestic horses carved into the edges. There were dainty, almost feminine touches with swooping lacy swirls and flowers, and a hint of glittery silver peeked through some of the places where the black paint had worn off, almost as if . . .
    â€œIs this a girl’s ship?” Jacob asked.
    Sarah Daisy looked over at Mick Cracken’s ship and immediately saw what Jacob saw, namely that underneath the shoddy black paint was a spaceship that Cinderella wouldn’t have minded taking to an outer space ball. She pointed and burst out laughing.
    â€œHey Mick,” Jacob said with a big grin. “Maybe after we’re done robbing aliens we can go take some space ponies for a picnic.”
    Mick glared at Jacob. “If you’re asking if this ship once belonged to a girl, then yes, I personally stole it from the princess while evading the entire royal guard and half of the armed fleet. It is extremely fast, it is powerful, and as you can see from how easily I captured your own pitiful excuse for a ship, I have made some rather tremendous additions. Happy?”
    Jacob nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
    â€œIt’s a beautiful ship,” Officer Erard said. “I wish I had such a wonderful ship. Truly a specimen.”
    â€œOne in a million,” Officer Bosendorfer said. “My eyes hurt from looking at its spectacular . . . ocity, uh, ness. I would arrest you for stealing it from the princess were it not for the fact that your father would surely—”
    â€œDon’t talk about my father!” Mick Cracken turned around and jabbed them both in the chest with his finger. “That’s it, you’re walking the star plank!”
    Officer Bosendorfer exhaled and nodded, his face relaxing. “Thank you Mr. Cracken,” he whispered with a quiet shudder. “Thank you for showing us mercy.”
    â€œHelmets on, everyone,” Mick said. “Let’s go.”
    Jacob, Sarah, and Dexter put on their helmets and followed Mick and the space officers as they stepped out into the vacuum and sailed through space toward Mick