Alfred had been discovered out of his bedroom in the dead of night. He’d seen things he should never have seen. Goodness knows what the Lord Protector would do to him now – have him sent to the Tower of London or worse!
Alfred had to escape.
And fast.
“Goodbye!” chirped the boy as he dashed off down the corridor as fast as his little legs could carry him.
The All-Seeing Eye pursued him at speed.
As Alfred turned a corner, he tripped over the OCTOBUT, which was trundling along the floor.
CLUNK!
“OOF!”
The robot had been carrying a silver tray in one of its three remaining arms. On it was a pair of stinking old boots.
“Would you care for a crumpet?” asked the robot brightly, even though it was on its back, waggling its arms in the air like an upturned beetle.
With all his strength, Alfred righted the robot, and gave it back its tray. “That way!” he said, as he set it off in the direction from which he’d come.
As the All-Seeing Eye came whirring round the corner, the strangest thing happened. Something Alfred had never seen before. The flying robot’s pupil opened, and a laser blast shot out.
ZAP!
BOOM!
It hit the poor Octobut right on one of its three remaining arms.
CLANG!
It clunked to the floor. The arm with the iron in its hand was now detached. The Octobut was down to two arms. A Bibut.
“I never did care much for ironing,” commented the robot butler.
ZAP!
BOOM!
Another blast shot from the All-Seeing Eye. This one skimmed the top of Alfred’s head, singeing his hair.
SIZZLE!
Was that a warning shot? Or was it meant to kill? Whichever, it was too close for comfort.
Alfred picked up the antique silver tray the Octobut had been carrying and lifted it to his face, using it as a shield.
ZAP!
To Alfred’s surprise the silver tray deflected the laser blast, and it shot right back at the All-Seeing Eye.
ZAP!
BOOM!
The flying robot blasted itself back down the corridor.
ZOOM!
WHOOMPH!
The boy couldn’t help but smile as it hit the wall.
Alfred seized his chance to get away. With the tray still in his hand, he hurried further down the corridor. At the end, a long spiral staircase led down to the servants’ quarters. He leaped on to the tray, and using it as a skateboard he sped down the stone steps.
This was FUN!
Alfred looked over his shoulder.
NO!
The All-Seeing Eye was following close behind.
ZAP!
BOOM!
Another laser shot.
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
ZAP!
BOOM!
And another.
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!!
This time Alfred couldn’t use the tray as a shield as he was standing on it! What’s more, he was going way too fast to stop!
ZAP!
BOOM!
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
Alfred threw his weight to one side, deliberately swerving the tray into the wall.
SMASH!
It scraped along the plasterwork, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air as the boy continued his descent.
WHOOMPH!
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
The All-Seeing Eye raced straight into the cloud of dust. Losing sight of where it was headed, it bashed into the wall.
DONK!
It must have short-circuited. The life went out of it, and it began bouncing down the steps like a mighty bowling ball.
BOINK! BOINK! BOINK!
Alfred looked over his shoulder again.
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
The ball was bounding straight towards him!
BOINK! BOINK! BOINK!
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
As he reached the bottom step, he leaped off the tray and rolled to the side.
BOINK!
The All-Seeing Eye bounced down on to the tray, sending it flying.
BOOM!
CLATTER!
The robot came to a stop further down the passage.
Alfred looked up from the floor. The thing was fizzling back to life.
FIZZLE!
Exhausted, the boy clambered to his feet.
With his mother in the Tower of London, Alfred had only one ally in the palace.
Nanny.
She was the only one who could help him right now.
Ahead of him was a little hatch in the wall, just big enough for a boy, but too small for a giant eye. It was a laundry chute, where all the sheets could slide down to the laundry room.
As the All-Seeing Eye rose off the ground, its deadly pupil swivelling round in his direction, Alfred had no choice. He ran for the laundry chute, and threw himself in.
WHIZZ!
He sped down the slide, landing in a big pile of dirty laundry collected in a huge wicker basket.
Alfred looked up from his comfy, if slightly smelly, bed.
There were rows and rows of sinks and washing machines. This was the laundry room all right. Knowing the All-Seeing Eye would still be looking for him, he leaped up from the pile of sheets and raced across to the door. Now he was in a corridor deep underground.
Alfred knew the servants’ quarters were all the way down here, even if he’d never been. There was a strict division in the palace. The royals would never, ever venture down here.
The boy crept along the rows and rows of doors until he found the one he was sure was the right one. The door had the word NANNY engraved upon it. Alfred lifted his hand, about to knock, before thinking better of it. It was far too dangerous to risk waking anyone else up. So, instead, he pushed down on the door handle.
LOCKED!
Just then, he heard the sound of boots stomping along the ground not far off.
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
It must be members of the royal guard on patrol.
Alfred bent down so his mouth was right next to the keyhole.
“Nanny?” he whispered through it.
Nothing.
“Nanny?” He was louder this time.
“Nanny?” Louder still.
Just as the bootsteps were growing closer and closer…
STOMP!
STOMP! STOMP!
…the key in the lock clicked.
CLICK!
A hand reached out from behind the door and smothered his mouth.
Alfred wanted to scream, but he couldn’t let out a sound!