Odin Blew Up My TV! by Robert J. Harris Read Free Book Online Page A

itself upon the mountain.
    “Skkkrrk… staff… zzzeee… three… dziziz…”
    There was a dazzling flash and the picture reverted to some horse-drawn wagons moving over a cobbled marketplace.
    “It’s gone back to its usual film,” said Lewis.
    “Well, that little message was about as much help as a Chinese crossword puzzle,” said Greg.
    “But he’s definitely trying to tell us something. Come on, we’d best get upstairs and look for that dagger,” said Susie.
    They climbed up to the first floor. The atmosphere here was even more unsettling. The strange light played over a Viking helmet on loan from a museum in Orkney, and made the dragon eyes on a model longship glint as if they were alive. There were some glass cases displaying old coins and ancient jewellery. Beyond them stood a dummy dressed in a monk’s hooded robe, recalling the days when the monks had to barricade their monasteries against Viking raiders.
    “I don’t see any dagger,” said Lewis, disappointed.
    “Me neither,” said Susie. “Let’s get out of here. This place is too spooky.”
    “Do you think there are ghosts hiding in the shadows?” asked Greg with a grin. “Maybe we should call Scooby Doo.”
    “Greg, don’t joke about ghosts,” said Susie.
    They turned back towards the stairs, and as they did, the hooded monk lurched into motion and staggered towards them.
    “Run!” Susie cried. “The place is haunted!”

8. E VERYTHING I S U NDER C ONTROL
    Greg, Susie and Lewis fell back as the monk stumbled towards them like a monster from a horror film.
    “Loki’s brought it to life!” cried Susie.
    “Run before it gets us!” said Greg.
    Just as they all turned to flee, a voice called out, “Steady on, Elvis, it’s only me!”
    Lewis recognised the voice at once and they all stopped. When they turned around they saw the monk throw back his hood to reveal the smiling face and spiky hair of Dave the Lobster.
    “Dave!” Lewis exclaimed. “But how…?”
    “You know this guy, Lewis?” said Greg.
    “He’s Dave,” said Lewis, “Dave, er…”
    “Dave the Lobster,” Dave interjected proudly. “Pleased to meet you.”
    “Dave’s from the university,” Lewis explained. “He gave a talk to my class.”
    “About lobsters,” Dave added, peeling off the monk’s robe to reveal his Rock Lobster t-shirt.
    “Dave, this is my brother Greg,” said Lewis. “And this is Susie.”
    They all shook hands. “What are you doing here, Dave?” Lewis wondered. “The mist paralysed everybody else.”
    Dave shrugged. “When the mist got to me I felt fine, but I saw what happened to the two coppers and decided to play it crafty. I stand there still as a statue so Logan and his pals will ignore me, and eventually they slope off.”
    “He means Loki, “Lewis whispered to Greg and Susie.
    “That was quick thinking,” Susie complimented Dave.
    “You don’t get an article published in Marine Science Monthly without having a few brains,” said Dave. “By the way, it was about the migration patterns of the North Atlantic lobster.”
    “That doesn’t explain what you’re doing in the museum,” said Lewis.
    “Or why you were dressed up as a monk,” said Greg.
    “Oh, right,” said Dave the Lobster. “Well, once the mist clears, I see that everyone is frozen. It looks like Logan and his pals are taking over the town, and they’ve all got swords. I decide I’d better arm up, and the only place I’m likely to find a sword is here, at the museum.”
    “It makes sense,” said Susie. “I wish I had my hockey stick.”
    “It’s too bad there aren’t any swords or daggers here,” grumped Greg.
    “When I hear you coming,” Dave resumed, “I think it might be Logan. There’s no place to hide, then I bumped into this dummy monk. Right, I think, I’ll have hisclobber, ditch him behind that display case and take his place. So, you here looking for swords as well, eh?”
    “Something like that,” said Greg.
    “Well,