this together now.
The lawyer smiled, exposing two rows of shark-like teeth. ‘Then let the trial begin!’
Suddenly the whole area was drenched in bright light. Peri gasped. They were in the middle of a vast arena. There were banks of tiered seating all around, filled with thousands of Xion spectators. Flags fluttered from tall poles. Above the highest seats were giant monitors, which showed Peri and his friends from every angle, standing small and isolated – and surrounded.
The king and queen of Xion sat in the best seats, in a raised box in the front row, decorated with Bio-Cloth, which swirled with constantly changing living colours. Prince Onix, looking completely confused, sat between his mother and father. He caught Selene’s eye and waved. His father pulled his arm down.
In front of the royal box, at ground level, were three judges, sitting behind a bench. They all wore black robes, and had even longer wigs than the lawyer.
The lawyer sat on a chair to one side of the judges. ‘Take it away, boys,’ he said.
A judge jumped to his feet. He came out from behind the bench and paced up and down in front of the accused. He pointed a webbed finger at them. ‘What made you decide to become sworn enemies of Xion?’
‘Nothing,’ Selene said, ‘because –’
The crowd booed. They threw tiny pebbles. One hit Peri on the back of the neck.
‘“ Nothing? ”’ screeched the judge. ‘You became sworn enemies of Xion for no reason?’
‘Wait!’ Peri shouted above the crowd’s roar. ‘This isn’t fair!’ He appealed to their lawyer. ‘Aren’t you going to defend us?’
‘Why should I?’ said the lawyer. ‘You said you weren’t guilty, so you must be liars. I don’t defend liars.’
The crowd roared. They threw more pebbles. They had it in for Otto particularly. He covered his head with his double-jointed arms.
The first judge sat down and the next jumped up. ‘When did you Earthlings start obeying the orders of the evil Meigwors?’
‘We didn’t!’ Diesel said indignantly. He started towards the judges’ bench. Peri grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
The second judge sneered. ‘So the kidnap of our beloved prince, and the deliberate erasing of his memory, was your own idea?’
‘That’s not what I said!’
‘Yes it is!’ screamed the first judge.
The crowd’s roar rose to a frightening level. They threw more pebbles.
The third judge jumped up. He had a bigger wig than the others.
Maybe he’s the chief judge , Peri thought.
‘Call the first witness!’ the judge shouted.
The first witness was Prince Onix. He stood up in the royal box.
‘Now,’ said the chief judge, ‘tell the court, in your own words, about the terrible mistreatment you suffered aboard the spaceship of these evil criminals.’
‘I don’t remember much . . .’ the prince began.
‘Because they wiped your memory!’ said the judge.
The crowd hissed. A storm of pebbles rained down on the crew of the Phoenix .
‘But I do remember they were nice to me,’ went on the prince. ‘Especially Selene.’ He pointed at her. ‘But they’re all my friends.’
The crowd hushed, then started to mutter uncertainly. The judges looked angry. Peri felt a twinge of hope.
The lawyer jumped up. ‘The prince has just given cast-iron evidence that they brainwashed him!’
‘Hey!’ Peri said. ‘You’re supposed to be on our side.’
‘I’m on the side of justice,’ said the lawyer, with a wave to the spectators. The crowd cheered.
‘The witness may stand down,’ the first judge said. ‘Next witness – the evil Meigwor! Approach!’
Otto approached the bench, flinching as if expecting more stones to rain down on him any moment.
The second judge pointed at him. ‘Question for the evil Meigwor! Why do you hate Xion so much?’
There was a sudden hush. Otto licked his lipless mouth nervously with his super-size tongue. ‘I don’t exactly hate Xion –’ he began.
A pebble whizzed
The lawyer smiled, exposing two rows of shark-like teeth. ‘Then let the trial begin!’
Suddenly the whole area was drenched in bright light. Peri gasped. They were in the middle of a vast arena. There were banks of tiered seating all around, filled with thousands of Xion spectators. Flags fluttered from tall poles. Above the highest seats were giant monitors, which showed Peri and his friends from every angle, standing small and isolated – and surrounded.
The king and queen of Xion sat in the best seats, in a raised box in the front row, decorated with Bio-Cloth, which swirled with constantly changing living colours. Prince Onix, looking completely confused, sat between his mother and father. He caught Selene’s eye and waved. His father pulled his arm down.
In front of the royal box, at ground level, were three judges, sitting behind a bench. They all wore black robes, and had even longer wigs than the lawyer.
The lawyer sat on a chair to one side of the judges. ‘Take it away, boys,’ he said.
A judge jumped to his feet. He came out from behind the bench and paced up and down in front of the accused. He pointed a webbed finger at them. ‘What made you decide to become sworn enemies of Xion?’
‘Nothing,’ Selene said, ‘because –’
The crowd booed. They threw tiny pebbles. One hit Peri on the back of the neck.
‘“ Nothing? ”’ screeched the judge. ‘You became sworn enemies of Xion for no reason?’
‘Wait!’ Peri shouted above the crowd’s roar. ‘This isn’t fair!’ He appealed to their lawyer. ‘Aren’t you going to defend us?’
‘Why should I?’ said the lawyer. ‘You said you weren’t guilty, so you must be liars. I don’t defend liars.’
The crowd roared. They threw more pebbles. They had it in for Otto particularly. He covered his head with his double-jointed arms.
The first judge sat down and the next jumped up. ‘When did you Earthlings start obeying the orders of the evil Meigwors?’
‘We didn’t!’ Diesel said indignantly. He started towards the judges’ bench. Peri grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
The second judge sneered. ‘So the kidnap of our beloved prince, and the deliberate erasing of his memory, was your own idea?’
‘That’s not what I said!’
‘Yes it is!’ screamed the first judge.
The crowd’s roar rose to a frightening level. They threw more pebbles.
The third judge jumped up. He had a bigger wig than the others.
Maybe he’s the chief judge , Peri thought.
‘Call the first witness!’ the judge shouted.
The first witness was Prince Onix. He stood up in the royal box.
‘Now,’ said the chief judge, ‘tell the court, in your own words, about the terrible mistreatment you suffered aboard the spaceship of these evil criminals.’
‘I don’t remember much . . .’ the prince began.
‘Because they wiped your memory!’ said the judge.
The crowd hissed. A storm of pebbles rained down on the crew of the Phoenix .
‘But I do remember they were nice to me,’ went on the prince. ‘Especially Selene.’ He pointed at her. ‘But they’re all my friends.’
The crowd hushed, then started to mutter uncertainly. The judges looked angry. Peri felt a twinge of hope.
The lawyer jumped up. ‘The prince has just given cast-iron evidence that they brainwashed him!’
‘Hey!’ Peri said. ‘You’re supposed to be on our side.’
‘I’m on the side of justice,’ said the lawyer, with a wave to the spectators. The crowd cheered.
‘The witness may stand down,’ the first judge said. ‘Next witness – the evil Meigwor! Approach!’
Otto approached the bench, flinching as if expecting more stones to rain down on him any moment.
The second judge pointed at him. ‘Question for the evil Meigwor! Why do you hate Xion so much?’
There was a sudden hush. Otto licked his lipless mouth nervously with his super-size tongue. ‘I don’t exactly hate Xion –’ he began.
A pebble whizzed
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