Rahul beamed proudly.

The machine he was standing next to was now about twice as big as it had been previously. It still had two upside-down fish tanks making up the basic structure, but an old chest, like something out of a pirate ship, had been screwed on the back to make a boot. There were still four chairs, but the three passenger ones now had different-coloured covers: red, green and rainbow. On the front were a series of torches and lanterns, and something that looked a bit like a standard lamp from an office. A tall chimney-like structure stood out on top of the roof.

The car sat squat on four enormous tyres that looked, at least on this vehicle, like they were taken from a monster truck. There were, indeed, four enormous cat flaps cut into the sides of the fish tanks. All over the whole thing there were small bits and pieces that, frankly, didn’t look at all like they belonged there. They certainly didn’t look like normal parts of any car Amy had seen before.

And on the front of it was a number plate, on which Rahul had carefully painted TAYTURB1.

“Is Amy’s wheelchair even still in there?” said Jack.

“Yes!” said Rahul. “Mobilcon really know their onions. The wheelchair is the heart of the TurboChaser. I’ve just … added to it.”

“Do they actually make onions as well?” said Janet.

Amy rolled her eyes. “And it … still moves?” she said.

“Oh yes,” said Rahul. “It’s powerful!”

“Oh, hang on,” said Amy. “What about its carbon footprint? I forgot to ask about that.”

“Neutral! It’s electric. Get in, I’ll show you some of its new tricks!”

The four of them approached the car. Then stopped.

“How do we get in?” said Janet. “Since it doesn’t have any doors.”

“Good start,” said Jack.

“Don’t worry,” said Rahul. “We just squeeze in through the giant cat flaps. Well, you and I can, Janet – we’re small enough.”

“And me?” said Jack.

“Well,” said Rahul, “Amy said you weren’t coming.”

“Oh yeah,” said Jack. “Course.”

“For you, Amy,” Rahul continued, “I think we’ll have to lift up the right-hand fish tank.”

He pointed. One of the upside-down fish tanks had a handle on the side, which looked as if it might normally belong on an old fridge.

“This handle was from an old fridge,” said Rahul, grabbing it and straining a bit.

“Yes, I thought so,” said Amy. “Do you need a hand?”

“No, it’s OK. I designed it to be …”

“Really difficult?” said Jack, putting his slightly bigger hand on the handle.

The two of them managed to heave it open, and then Rahul, Janet and Amy – with quite a lot of clambering over each other, and Jack having to lift Amy almost above his head to get her into the driving one – got in the seats. Amy was in the front; Rahul in the passenger seat; Janet in the back,with an empty seat next to her – which was good as it gave her room to spread her glittery wings.

Jack stood by, watching.

“So,” said Rahul to Amy, “it still drives like it did before. The brakes, by the way – you kind of missed them last time – are here, in the centre of the steering wheel.”

“OK. Where’s the horn?”

“There,” said Rahul, pointing to a can that was hanging down on her right side. Its top half was poking through what appeared to be another cat flap in the roof. She reached up.

“Don’t press it. It’s an air horn. They make a very loud noise. Plus they work on gas, and it might run out.”

“Is that … a cat flap in the roof as well?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so.” She pointed at the “dashboard” – a few bits of wood painted black behind the steering wheel. It had loads of bits and pieces fixed to it. “This clock …”

“Yes, it’s an alarm clock.”

“Isn’t it the alarm clock from the Alarm Clock-to-Dreams Device 4446?”

“Yes. I’m suspending production of that for the minute so that we can use it just as the car clock.”

“When is your dad leaving for Japan?” said Janet.

“Late on Sunday,” said Amy.

“No, but when exactly?”

“Um …”

“He’s getting a flight at two,” said Jack. “So he’ll be leaving his work about midday.”

“Let’s set it for midday on Sunday, then,” said Janet. “So that we don’t miss it!”

“Can we do that?” said Amy.

“I’ll give it a go,” said Rahul.

“Hmm,” said Jack. “If we do miss that time, how will the alarm clock going off help? Won’t it just make us feel worse?”

Janet stared at Jack. “I’m glad you’re not coming with us.”

“What is this little screen?” said Amy, pointing at something else on the dashboard.

“It’s a sat nav,” said Rahul.

“What, a real one? Not one you’ve knocked together out of a compass and some bits of string?”

“No. My dad gets some direct from the factory that makes them. He gave me this one to play with a while ago, because there’s something wrong with its voice.”

“What?”

“You’ll see. Also,” said Rahul, “we now have lights!”

He clicked on some switches next to the sat nav. The inside of the garage door lit up.

“Wow! Bright. Kind of.”

“Bit speckled. But I’ll keep improving it … plus, on the back, we’ve got indicators now.” He gestured to a series of black felt-tip pens, taped together to form a single stalk next to the steering wheel. Amy pushed it down. Rahul bent forward and from under the chair took out a small pyramid-like object. He opened it up – a little upright pendulum on the front of it went from right to left.

“What’s that?” said Amy.

“It’s called a metronome. Piano players use it to keep time. Listen.”

Amy did. Each time the pendulum went backwards and forwards, the metronome went tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

“Have you brought a keyboard?” said Janet, from the back. “Are we going to be singing as we go?”

“No! It’s a sound effect. For the indicator. You know, in your mum or dad’s car, when they click down on the indicator … that’s what the sound is … Tick. Tick. Tick.”

“Wow,” said Jack. “You really have thought of everything.”

“Thank you,” said Rahul, who, as we know, didn’t really get sarcasm. “I haven’t really worked out a sound system … although I have taped this portable wireless speaker to the dashboard … but I don’t have a phone.”

“Your dad’s warehouse doesn’t have phones?” said Amy.

“Yes, but my dad won’t let me have one.”

“Does he let you steal most of his stock and drive it to Scotland normally?” said Jack.

“No,” said Rahul, confused.

“I’ve got mine!” said Janet.

“Of course you have,” said Amy.

Janet took out a pink sparkly phone. “With its new cover! I chose it specially, to go with this outfit!”

“I think we should be getting on,” said Amy. “It’s already half past midnight. I was hoping to do most of the journey tonight.”

“OK,” said Rahul.

“OK,” said Janet.

“OK,” said Jack, heaving the fish tank up again, and getting into the back of the car next to Janet.

Amy turned round. “What are you doing?”

“Getting into the car. Ow! Get your wing out of my face!”

“Get your face out of my wings!” said Janet.

“You’re coming with—?” began Amy.

“Of course I am.”

“Why?”

“Well, I could say because I’m your older brother, and as your older brother I feel you need someone a bit more mature and responsible around to make sure you make it back in one piece. But the real answer is: this whole trip is going to be just SO JOKES!”