The Strike Trilogy by Charlie Wood Page A

hands out. “Stay back, boy. Don’t you get any funny ideas.”
    But, the horsefly was too curious to regard the robot’s warning, and it stepped closer.
    “All right,” Scatterbolt said with a shrug. “You asked for it.”
    Suddenly, the robot’s arm quickly drew back into his body. Then, after a few whirs and clanks , a new arm popped out—this one had a spray can on the end of it where its hand should be. A label on the can read: BUG-BE-GONE!
    “Open wide,” Scatterbolt said with a smile.
    The nozzle on the can descended, and instantly a toxic spray shot out from it and enveloped the horsefly. The bug flew away, coughing and hacking, finally taught its lesson to keep its distance.
    Relieved, Scatterbolt ran forward through the mud and caught up with his friends.
    “Hey, guys! I almost just became something’s dinner! Hey, guys, c’mon! Wait for me!”

    After a short (but skin-crawlingly creepy) trek through the dark forest, Orion, Tobin, Keplar, and Scatterbolt came upon a faded billboard: WELCOME TO GALLYMOORA! it said, and underneath the words there was a picture of a lively, tree-lined city, awash in sunlight and home to a magnificent marble fountain. The city looked nothing like the area Tobin had seen so far.
    Then, looking down from the billboard, Tobin realized somebody was waiting for them underneath it: it was a beautiful woman, wearing a long, brown dress. She was about forty years old, with friendly green eyes and wavy, brown hair. When she saw the group approaching her, she walked toward them with a smile.
    “That’s not a cane, is it?” she asked. “I know you said we were getting old, Orion, but, geez, it can’t be that old, can it?”
    Orion laughed and embraced her in a hug. “No, not for you, but definitely for me.” He looked her in the eyes. “Thank you for helping us, Aykrada. It really means a lot to us, more than you could ever know.”
    She waved him off. “Don’t be silly, Orion. You know as well as I do that we need your help much more than you need ours. We’re thrilled to have you here.”
    The old man led Aykrada toward the others.
    “I’m sure you remember Scatterbolt,” he said, motioning toward the robot.
    “Of course. How are you, Scatterbolt?”
    “Fine, thank you! Nice to see you again!”
    Orion smirked. “And then there’s Keplar.”
    Aykrada gave the dog a once-over, narrowing her eyes. Tobin noticed that Keplar was very nervous.
    “Hi, muh-ma’am,” the husky said, offering his paw for a handshake. “It’s very nice to see you again, ma’am. I hope we can help you out while we’re here. Ma’am.”
    Aykrada ignored the paw a moment, but then shook it, laughing. She wasn’t really angry, Tobin realized.
    “I hope things will go better this visit?” she asked Keplar.
    “Yes, ma’am,” the dog replied. “I’ll be far away. So far, far away. People will be like, ‘Hey, who’s that?’ and everyone will be like, ‘I don’t know, he’s so far away, I can’t tell.’”
    Aykrada laughed. “I’ll make sure to tell my husband that. But be careful: if he even senses you’re thinking about it, he will—”
    “I swear,” Keplar blurted out, “I had no idea she was your daughter, ma’am! If I knew that, I never would have—”
    Aykrada covered the dog’s mouth with her finger. “All right. Just stay away. Far away. Got it?”
    Keplar nodded. Tobin was eager to hear more about the story, and when he looked to Scatterbolt, he saw that the robot was trying not to laugh, snickering through clenched teeth.
    “And this,” Orion said, “is Tobin.”
    Tobin quickly looked up, finding Orion and Aykrada standing in front of him.
    “Oh, hi,” the boy said, extending his hand. “It’s, uh, nice to meet you, Miss…Aykrada. Nice to meet you.”
    Aykrada smiled, but with a bit of sadness. Then, surprisingly, she wrapped Tobin in a hug.
    “It’s an honor to have you here, Tobin. As long as you are a guest in this city, you are welcome to have