One of the guards gestured for the Old Queen to put her weapon down.
The other three looked at her.
Grammy was no fool and dropped the blaster on to the floor.
CLATTER!
Another guard approached slowly and picked up the blaster as the others all kept their weapons trained on the gang.
Then one guard gestured for them to make their way out of the belfry and down the stairs.
Soon the gang of four had reached the narrow room that ran alongside one of the giant clock faces. The hands of the clock turned on a giant black rod, which they passed under as they walked.
Agatha still had her walking stick, and Alfred had a bright idea.
DING!
“Let me borrow this,” he hissed, and without a word she handed it to him.
As he passed under the rod, he scrambled up his grandmother’s back. Then, hooking the end of the walking stick on to the rod, Alfred swung towards the guards.
WHOOSH!
His foot clipped the helmet of the first one.
CLONK!
One by one, they knocked each other over.
CLONK! CLONK! CLONK!
In no time, they were lying in a heap on the floor.
“RUN!” ordered the Old Queen.
As fast as they could, which wasn’t really that fast, they made their way out of the clock room, and slammed the door shut behind them.
SCHTUM!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The guards all hammered on the door, but Agatha grabbed her walking stick and jammed it into the lock, keeping it closed.
SHONT!
Looking down over the balustrade, the Old Queen spied more guards now waiting at the bottom of the stairs for them.
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
BOOM!
The door behind them was being blasted open.
“We’re trapped!” exclaimed Grammy.
“I have an idea,” said Alfred. “Follow me!”
He climbed on to the banister, and began sliding down as fast as he could go.
WHOOSH!
One by one, the three old dears followed.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
“WAHEE!” exclaimed Enid.
“THIS IS FABULOUS!” added Agatha.
“MY BOTTY IS HOTTY!” hollered Grammy. “AND I LIKE IT!”
The royal guards fired their weapons up at them.
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP!
But they were going so fast they were impossible to hit.
Instead plaster exploded from the walls.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The guards at the bottom of the stairs didn’t stand a chance.
WHACK!
Alfred flew SLAP BANG into them, knocking them over.
CLONK! CLONK! CLONK!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The three old ladies stepped over them as they raced out of the clock tower and back into the Houses of Parliament. Retracing their steps, they twisted and turned along the maze of hallways, into the chamber, until they finally reached the smashed window through which they had entered.
“GO! GO! GO!” ordered the Old Queen, making sure she was the last to leave.
The four slid down the rope and landed back on the bow of HMS Sceptre.
“We did it, Grammy!” said the boy.
“You did it, Alfred!” she replied. “Now to the Tower!”
But, just as they were hurrying back inside the submarine, something parted the black clouds in the sky and loomed over them. It was the airship!
“Oh no!” said Alfred.
A flurry of laser shots rained down from above.
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP!
The Old Queen was hit in the back.
“AHH!” she cried as she fell face forward into the black water.
SPLASH!
“NOOOOOO!” screamed Alfred.