Over The Rainbow by Meredith Badger Read Free Book Online Page B

couldn’t help feeling very glad her friend didn’t know what she’d done!
    I’d better move away from the rainbow so I don’t touch it again, decided Elly.
    She hurried back over to where Saphie was still puzzling over the Sky Scanner controls. ‘How’s it going?’ she asked.
    Saphie sat up and wiped some grease from her nose. ‘Not so well,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t work out which wires I need to swap. I wish I hadn’t fallen asleep while reading that book.’
    Elly looked over Saphie’s shoulder, feeling worried. If Saphie couldn’t work this out, the whole mission would have to be called off. Then suddenly, she noticed a big red button. On it was written, Maintenance Mode .
    â€˜What does that button do?’ Elly asked, pointing at it.
    Saphie looked up. Then she burst out laughing. ‘I didn’t notice that!’ she said. ‘I’ve been wasting all this time worrying about wires when we can just push the button.’

    â€˜You would’ve noticed it in the end,’ said Elly kindly.
    Saphie put her arm around Elly’s shoulder. ‘You know, you really are an excellent fairy,’ she said. ‘OK, so you have the occasional accident. But you always figure things out in the end. And you often do it in a much better way than anyone else.’
    Elly went red. She was so used to being told how hopeless she was that it was kind of embarrassing to be told the opposite.
    Saphie mightn’t think I was such a great fairy if she’d seen what almost happened to the rainbow, thought Elly guiltily.
    Saphie pressed the button. Straight away, the Sky Scanner made a strange squealing sound, like a car screeching to a stop.
    â€˜We’ve done it!’ said Saphie excitedly. ‘It’s in Maintenance Mode. But we’ve only got an hour to visit Jess and get back again, before the Sky Scanner turns back on automatically. We should be OK once we get over the rainbow, because of the time difference. But if we’re not back here in time, our names will be written across the sky in red.’
    Elly raced for the Laboratory door. ‘Well, come on then,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘Let’s get going!’
    Elly and Saphie padded back up the dark stairwell as fast as they could, and pushed back through the moon-metal gate just as the bright moonlight began to fade. Then they glided back through the empty corridors towards the library.
    As they zoomed past the sick bay, Elly’s heart skipped a beat. She could’ve sworn she saw a small, dark shape scurry behind the door. But when she looked again, the shape wasn’t there.
    Stop imagining things! she told herself severely. Everyone is fast asleep!
    Still, Elly was very glad when they finally reached the library door and sneaked inside.
    Straight away, Saphie rushed to the broken window and started clearing the books from the window sill. Usually Saphie was very careful with books. But Elly could see that tonight she was hurrying.
    A big, heavy book fell to the ground with a clatter. Elly and Saphie both froze. Had anyone heard?
    â€˜Get ready to hide!’ muttered Saphie. But no-one appeared. Elly sighed with relief, then hurried over to the broken window.
    â€˜Quick! Put on your turbo boosters!’ whispered Saphie.
    â€˜Umm, are you sure that’s a good idea?’ Elly muttered back. ‘I didn’t have a lot of success with them last time. Remember that whole zooming around upside-down episode?’
    Saphie smiled. ‘This time will be different,’ she said reassuringly, climbing up onto the window ledge and preparing for flight. ‘I’ll be right beside you!’

Chapter Eleven
    I f you’d been walking through a certain park in a certain town on a certain night quite recently, you would’ve seen something very unusual. Firstly, a rainbow appeared from nowhere, reaching down from the sky until it touched