Spyforce Revealed by Deborah Abela Read Free Book Online Page A

in about one minute flat.
    â€˜What happened?’ she asked when her mouth finally worked after the shock.
    â€˜In order to get the machine right, we decided that we had to start from scratch. Especially as we had the Time and Space Retractor Meter Francis brought back from London.’ Ben was speaking calmly, like it was no big deal and he wasn’t ruining every chance Max had of getting to London for her Spyforce meeting. ‘And this is how far we got.’
    In front of Max and spread from one end of the shed to the other, was the Time and Space Machine but in so many pieces, she wondered that they would ever go together again. It was like a huge asteroid belt of boulders and space junk, with bits of the machine strewn everywhere.
    Linden was just as shocked.
    â€˜I knew they’d had a setback but I didn’t know it was this far back.’
    Ben looked at their disappointed faces and tried to cheer them up.
    â€˜In a few months, things’ll calm down and the world will know the Time and Space Machine. Just not yet.’
    Max and Linden sagged like two paper dolls left in the rain. All the colour and shape washed away.
    Ben tried again to lift their spirits. ‘We have made one discovery that is very important. Francis is great at desserts and has made an enormous sticky date pudding he needs help demolishing. So who wants to help us out?’
    Max and Linden heard none of Ben’s talking. All they could see were their hopes of going to London spelt out in the chaos of the Time and Space Machine ruins. Max had never felt so sad in her life and apart from a total reality flip or being transferred into someone else’s life, she didn’t know how she’d ever be happy again.

Max and Linden sat at Eleanor’s computer and wondered what to write. They’d been staring at the screen for ten minutes and nothing had come to them.
    â€˜Maybe start with a joke,’ Linden suggested. ‘Make them feel relaxed.’
    Max took her eyes away from the screen briefly just to show Linden how unwelcome his suggestion was. ‘They’re a major secret spy agency,’ she said. ‘I don’t think feeling relaxed is a priority.’
    She turned back to the screen as she thought of the Time and Space Machine spread out across Ben’s laboratory floor like a scarecrow with all its stuffing pulled out. Her body slumped over the keyboard, feeling the same.
    â€˜We just have to tell them the truth,’ she said sadly as she started to write.
From :
Max Remy and Linden Franklin
To :
[email protected]
Subject :
Spyforce meeting
    Dear Mr Steinberger,
    Please accept our sincerest apologies for not being able to attend the meeting at Spyforce on 20 April. Due to unforeseen circumstances (like our uncle dismantlingour mode of transport) we are unable to come to London at this time.
    Regards,
    Max and Linden
    Â 
    â€˜What do you think?’ she asked.
    â€˜I’m not sure. You don’t think it sounds a little too casual?’ he asked sarcastically.
    â€˜I want to show them we aren’t kids.’
    â€˜But we are kids,’ said Linden, not under-standing why Max found it so hard to be herself sometimes.
    â€˜You know what I mean,’ she snapped and pressed send . The message was gone.
    They both sat staring at the empty screen.
    â€˜What do you think they wanted to meet us for?’ asked Linden.
    â€˜I guess we’ll never know.’ As Max said this, she felt even sadder than she did before.
    Outside, Ralph whined like he was just as disappointed as they were.
    â€˜Coming, fella,’ said Linden as he leaned towards the window and waved. ‘Better go. It’s my turn to have Ralph and he doesn’t like getting home after dark.’
    Linden stood up from the desk.
    â€˜Don’t worry, Max. My mum used to say when one door closes another opens. You’ll see, something will happen next that will be great.’
    He