After they’d been walking for half an hour, they came across a wide green meadow at the foot of some hills, and Rube told everyone that this would be a good place to stop for lunch.  Sally couldn’t believe it was only just lunchtime.  They hadn’t even spent a whole day here yet.  And after this one, there would be thirty-three or thirty-four just as long.

Sally and her sisters had crusty baguettes stuffed with sliced cheese (which tasted nice but tended to slice up your gums if you weren’t careful), while Kai got a container of fruit salad that Rube had found at the bottom of the bag.  He’d just finished a bit of pineapple when Rube started asking him questions.

“Kai, do you remember much about the day the Iridescence family kidnapped you?”  She’d finished her sandwich, and now her hands were clasped in her lap, fidgeting a bit.

Kai shrugged.  His wings twitched whenever he did that.  “Oh, bits and pieces…  I remember thinking my parents were right behind me, until they weren’t…”

“Right,” said Rube, sounding as if she was being strangled.

“Next thing you know, I’m in a city.  Just like that.  The bushes parted, and suddenly there was silver and neon everywhere.  And then there was something, at first I thought it was a tree…”  He made a movement as if he was trying to click his fingers.  “You know how the Opal City guys can combine, right?”

Sally almost rolled her eyes.  Of course they didn’t!

“We haven’t met any of them yet, remember?” said Jeanette.

“Well,” said Kai, “Their thing is that hey can join up into a weird pod with their siblings.  So, mothers in their world usually give birth to five or six children at once, like litters of puppies or kittens, and all the children who are born at the same time can form into a pod together.  It’s supposed to be for protection or something, but its been a long time since they’ve actually had anything to protect themselves from, so…”

Rube interrupted.  “So the tree you saw, was that actually the Iridescence family combined?”

“Oh,” said Kai, stopped in mid-flow, “No, actually but I think it was one of their friends.”  He went quiet for a few seconds.  “Anyway, it wasn’t long after that that I ended up in the Iridescence folks’… villa?  Chateau?  What would you call it?  It’s made out of fancy white stone…”

Rube fidgeted again.  “When do you think you lost track of…”

And that was when a group of strangers appeared from behind the nearest hill.

They were wearing red uniforms that made Sally think of the “Nutcracker” film she’d seen once at Christmas, but that was the most ordinary thing about them.  They looked as if they were made out of china and gold- that was how pale and blonde they were.  Their hair was piled up on their heads in delicate little ringlets, like chain links on a necklace.

As they approached Sally and her sisters, their leader drew a sword.  “You need to come with us,” he said.

(To be continued)