The Amphiblets by Helen Oghenegweke Read Free Book Online Page A

across the lawn, glancing at one another, all equally anxious. They stepped on to a stage, where a curtain shielded them from the view of the audience.
    ‘Now remember. Don’t be shy,’ said the Professor. ‘Just be yourselves.’
    ‘It’s easy for him to say,’ muttered Will, under his breath.
    ‘But I’m always shy when I’m being myself,’ announced Ed, nervously.
    Will grabbed his arm and smiled at him. ‘Pretend you’re someone else then,’ he whispered.
    ‘I’ll try,’ replied Ed.
    The Professor disappeared behind the curtain. The crowd immediately hushed.
    ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you here tonight to show you my three children who suffer from a rare genetic disorder, which I will explain to you in more detail after their demonstration. They have kindly agreed to show you their gifts, but are all feeling extremely anxious, so please give them a round of applause and help them to feel more at ease.’
    Clapping started and became louder with every second.
    As soon as the curtains opened, Ed felt his legs wavering, Riley felt himself becoming rigid like a statue, whereas Will widened his eyes in surprise. They had never seen so many people before.
    At first there was an uncomfortable silence; whether the audience was pleasantly surprised or deep in shock it was hard to tell. This was followed swiftly by another almighty round of applause. The boys took deep breaths; their stomachs lurched as if they were on a rollercoaster.
    ‘These are my children.’ The Professor’s voice was loud and clear as he spoke into a microphone. He pointed to each of the triplets in turn as he said their names. ‘Meet Riley – Ed – and Will.’
    The introduction was brief, and while the Professor was talking the boys stood rigid as soldiers while they took in the surroundings. Fifty well-dressed people who had been previously seated were now standing up and applauding enthusiastically, as if the triplets were pop stars. The Professor stood to their left at the front of the stage, elated. Ed was taking particular interest for he was hoping to reproduce the scenes in one of his drawings in the future.
    The audience gradually resumed their seats and quietened.
    At that moment, Will spotted Ruby at the back of the marquee, hiding behind a chair. He smiled. She seemed as adventurous and daring as he was.
    ‘Before I tell you the details of my children’s genetic disorder, which – and I’m sure you all will all agree – is actually a gift, I would like to show you what they are capable of. What they are about to show you is nothing short of miraculous, yet their abilities are skills they, themselves would consider ordinary and simple everyday things. Hugo, would you please open the jar?’
    Hugo was seated on a wooden chair behind the Professor, wearing his best clothes, which were several inches too short above his wrists and ankles. He began to unscrew the lid of a jar that he had been holding in his lap, when someone called in the audience.
    ‘Did you experiment on him too?’
    There was some sniggering but the Professor stepped forward and shouted into the microphone, ‘Who said that?’
    The audience fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, two men dressed in black, who had been previously hidden, dashed into the middle of the audience and took hold of a gaunt man, who, before he could say anything else, had a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth. He was brutally dragged away, leaving the audience shaken.
    ‘I’m sorry you had to witness that. I’m not sure how he got in here,’ said the Professor clearly shaken.
    ‘What do you think that man meant?’ whispered Will.
    Ed and Riley shrugged and frowned.
    ‘Anyway, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes! Trapped inside the jar are some ordinary horse flies. They can give a nasty bite but let’s see how the Amphiblets deal with such pests.’
    Hugo opened the lid close to the boys, who then did the most remarkable