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hostility. He gazed into the empty lead cylinder, moaning to himself: ‘I was so close . . . So close!’
    Peri took out a pair of laser-scissors and cut through Selene’s and Otto’s bonds. They both sat up and peeled away their gags, wincing and gasping for air.
    ‘Are you OK?’ Peri asked them.
    Otto growled, extending his snake-like neck in Jaxx’s direction.
    ‘Easy,’ Peri said. ‘Maybe something happened to him. Maybe he’s gone temporarily insane.’
    ‘No, he’s always like this!’ Selene said.
    Peri realised that she had not jumped to her dad’s defence as she normally would have done. Instead she was staring at him with hatred.
    She ran to Jaxx and gripped his collar with both hands. ‘What have you done with my dad?’ she shouted.

 
    Chapter 8
     
    ‘Selene,’ Jaxx said, ‘you need to calm yourself. Maybe a little lie-down would do you good.’
    He gave Selene a violent shove and sent her sprawling across the floor.
    Peri felt a surge of anger. He pointed his phaser at Jaxx. ‘You leave her alone!’
    ‘Yes, I will,’ Jaxx said. He seemed to have got over his disappointment and was his cool, collected self again. ‘As long as she leaves me alone. Now, excuse me – I have a call to make.’
    He took out a communicator and flipped it open.
    Peri ran to help Selene to her feet. ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked.
    She shook her head. ‘I’m fine –’
    ‘She may not be hurt,’ Otto bellowed, ‘but someone soon will be!’
    ‘Captain Flintbeard,’ Jaxx said into the communicator, ‘I want you to – errrfff ! ’
    Otto had charged forward and knocked him flat on his back. Otto sat astride him, his knees pinning Jaxx’s arms to the floor. ‘Got you! You’re heading straight to an IF prison!’
    Peri looked at Selene, confused. ‘Let me get this straight. Jaxx – your dad – is the space pirate?’
    ‘No,’ Selene shook her head. ‘But he is.’ She pointed to Jaxx.
    Now Peri shook his head in complete and utter confusion. Had Selene lost her mind? ‘What? That is Jaxx.’
    ‘No, his name is Daxx,’ Selene said.
    ‘Now I’m really confused,’ Peri said.
    Selene’s voice was a snarl that Peri had never heard her make before. ‘He’s my dad’s identical twin,’ she said. ‘My uncle.’
    ‘But – what happened to your dad then?’ Peri asked.
    ‘Daxx beamed himself aboard while you were down on the Trojan Crab, and beamed Jaxx off!’ She knelt and shouted into Daxx’s face. ‘What have you done with my dad?’
    ‘If you want to see him again,’ Daxx said, ‘tell this Meigwor maniac to get off me.’
    Selene hesitated. Then she tapped Otto on the shoulder. ‘You’d better get off him.’
    ‘Can’t I just rough him up a bit first?’ Otto said.
    Selene cocked her head as if she was considering it. ‘He deserves it,’ she said, ‘but I don’t think it would help me get my dad back.’
    Otto reluctantly stood up. Daxx got to his feet, dusting himself off.
    ‘Sooooo,’ Peri said, drawing the word out. ‘You’re the evil twin.’
    ‘I prefer to think of myself as the smart twin,’ Daxx said with a smirk. He picked up the fallen communicator. ‘Captain Flintbeard, sorry for the interruption. Uncloak the Space Wolf , would you?’
    ‘What about my dad?’ demanded Selene.
    Daxx sneered at her. ‘Patience, please, my dear niece.’
    ‘What’s the Space Wolf? ’ Peri asked.
    Daxx pointed to the 360-monitor. A spaceship was gradually becoming visible. It had masts and silver sails like an ancient galleon. A white flag flew from the tallest mast. It had a strange image of a skull-and-crossed-swords. Peri knew from old Earth movies about sea pirates that this type of flag was called a ‘Jolly Roger’. Space pirates called them a ‘Cranky Roger’.
    ‘That’s the Space Wol f ,’ Daxx said. ‘Isn’t she a beauty?’
    ‘Is that where my dad is?’
    Daxx waved at Selene to be quiet. ‘Captain Flintbeard, an escape-pod was ejected from the Phoenix about