Candace and Margaret went inside, where there was some kind of food court—alien food of every sort. Margaret checked her pockets for cash. “Darn,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind getting one of those alien pretzels.”
“Your money wouldn’t work here,” Candace told her. “We’re on another planet, remember?”
“I guess you’re right.”
But it all smelled so good. They walked passed Pretzel Palace, Galactic Gooburgers, Peter Planet’s Pizza, Larry’s Lunarfish Sandwiches.
Suddenly, Candace felt weak. She fell to her knees, gasping, “Can’t … move … get … me … out … of … here.”
“What’s the matter with you?” Margaret asked.
“I don’t know. I just feel like I can’t—”
Just then an alien walked by holding a lunarfish sandwich. Candace felt even weaker.
“Their lunarfish must be close to Earth’s bologna,” Margaret said.
Candace nodded weakly.
Margaret picked her up and ran out of the food court. By this time, all the aliens were staring and pointing. One of them was coming their way. Margaret had seen him before—he was the one called Monkey Wrench.
Once they got away from the food court Candace began to feel better. “Put me down,” she said. “I’m okay now.”
Margaret did, but Monkey Wrench was still after them.
“Time to run as fast as a speeding bullet,” Candace said.
And they did. They ran as fast as speeding bullets. Maybe faster. They zoomed past Narnes and Boble Book Store, past May C. Jenney Department Store, and Worst Buy Electronics.
“Let’s hide in there.” Margaret pointed. It was an Abercrombie and Glitch. “Too bad we’re being followed.”
“I know,” Candace said. “I could really use a new blouse or two. Even an alien one.”
They ran through the store, looking for a place to hide. The dressing rooms were the obvious choice, but maybe too obvious. Monkey Wrench might find them.
“In there,” Candace said, pointing to a clothes rack. It was the perfect spot for a couple of superheroes on an alien planet to hide while they figured out what to do next.
* * *
While the girls were hiding in the clothes rack at the Abercrombie and Glitch, Melvin and James landed lightly outside the mall. James had been carrying Lester Vanderpeeb, who didn’t know how to fly without a spaceship. Hugo sat on Melvin’s shoulder.
“Thanks for the ride,” Lester said to James.
They entered the mall food court. “Am I the only one dying for a pretzel?” Melvin asked.
James grabbed Melvin by the arm. “I’ll buy you one after we find the girls,” he said.
That sounded like a deal to Melvin. The problem was, where were the girls?
It was hard to think when everything smelled so good. They passed Pretzel Palace, Galactic Gooburgers, Peter Planet’s Pizza, Larry’s Lunarfish Sandwiches. Melvin suddenly felt weak. He fell to his knees gasping,
“Can’t … move … get … me … out … of … here.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Lester asked.
“Not sure. It’s almost like—”
An alien holding a lunarfish sandwich walked by. Melvin grew weaker.
“Must … be … something … in … the … lunarfish,” Melvin said.
James picked him up and carried him out of the food court. Lester Vanderpeeb followed. So did Hugo. Once outside the food court, Melvin regained his strength and the trio ran … fast as a speeding—
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP!
But not fast enough. Elbow and Shoe’s aim was perfect!
Elbow called Monkey Wrench on his alien cell phone. “We’ve got three of them … and the rat. Any luck on the other two?”
“Not yet,” Monkey Wrench said.
While Elbow was busy talking to Monkey Wrench, Melvin noticed that his pretzel phone had fallen out of his pocket. He couldn’t move his arms, so he dialed Candace with his nose. He had just enough movement left in his neck to do it.
* * *
“Shhh!” Margaret whispered to Candace. She peeked through the clothes on the circular rack and there was Monkey Wrench, a few feet away, talking on his alien cell phone.
RING! It was Candace’s phone.
Monkey Wrench shoved aside the clothes. “Aha!” But before he could pull the trigger on his stun gun, Candace kicked it out of his hand. She caught it before it hit the ground.
ZAP!
This time it was Monkey Wrench who was paralyzed.
“How do you like that?” Candace asked.
“I don’t,” the alien said from the floor. “But at least I can move my eyelids.”
“Now to find the boys,” Candace said to Margaret.
* * *
It wasn’t difficult to locate Melvin and James. They were the only non-aliens lying on the floor of the alien mall. Elbow and Shoe stood over them. They spotted Candace and Margaret coming—they were the only non-aliens running through the alien mall.
Elbow and Shoe pointed their guns, but this time Candace and Margaret were ready. Margaret picked up a trash can and held it in front of her. Candace uprooted a tree and blocked the stun guns that way.
Candace and Margaret kept running.
ZAP!
ZAP!
Both aliens missed. Candace threw the tree at Shoe. Margaret scored a direct hit on Elbow with the trash can.
Both aliens fell, dropping their guns. By this time, Melvin and James were slowly regaining their ability to move. They picked up the guns and—
ZAP!
ZAP!
“How do you like that?” Melvin asked the paralyzed aliens.
“We don’t.” But at least they could move their eyelids.
“Let’s get out of here,” Melvin said. They all started for the exit.
“Wait!” Candace said. “Not through the food court. Those lunarfish sandwiches are bad news.”
Too bad. James had promised to buy Melvin an alien pretzel.