Archie's Alien Disguise Read online

  Pockets and I share a disappointed look, but I guess I can see his point.

  “That’s the way into town,” Pockets says, pointing to a road leading away from the clearing. The goggles make everything look shades of red, but I can see almost as well as in daytime. He checks his screen. “The princess was last seen about a mile away. That’s where we’ll start searching in the morning. For now let’s move the car as close to the woods as possible.”

  “Will do,” Dad says, climbing back in. A few seconds later the car makes a whirring sound, followed by a chugging sound.

  He tries again. Now a high-pitched whine fills the air. It sounds even squeakier than Minerva the mouse from headquarters.

  Dad climbs back out. “Something must have gotten damaged when we landed,” he says. He lies down on his back and slides under the car. A few minutes later he comes out, wiping grease and dirt off his face.

  “I can repair it,” he says, “but it will take a day or two.” He turns to me. “I’ll need to stay with the taxi, Archie. Do you want to go on the mission with Pockets? I know he will protect you. Or you’re welcome to stay with me.”

  I can tell it’s not easy for Dad to give me the choice to go without him. And honestly, my first reaction is to wrap myself around his leg and tell him I’ll stay. But Pockets can’t talk to anyone on this planet. He’ll need me along to help. Plus, I want to see the knights in shining armor and the moats and the castles, and I’d miss all that if I stayed here.

  “I’ll go on the mission, Dad,” I tell him, hoping I sound braver than I feel.

  “That’s the spirit, Archie!” Pockets says, slapping me on the back. “Now, let’s get this car hidden before our cover is blown.”

  Even with Pockets’s mega-strength, it takes a lot of huffing and puffing to roll the taxi across the field to the woods. When we finally get there, Pockets pulls out a skinny metal can. He shakes it and aims the nozzle into the air. A light mist sprays out and coats the entire car. Before I can blink, the car shimmers brightly, then disappears!

  “Where’d the taxi go?” I ask, eyes wide behind my goggles.

  “It’s still here,” Pockets says. “You can touch it.”

  “Really?” I reach out my hand and slowly lean in. Sure enough, my hand touches the still-warm hood. “Wow! What is that stuff?”

  “It’s called Camo-It-Now.” He tucks the can away. “It makes whatever you spray blend into the background.”

  I run my hand over the invisible car. This is so cool! I could do this all night!

  “Come,” Pockets says, as though reading my mind. “I suggest we all get some sleep. I’ll wake you at dawn.”

  In less than a minute, Pockets has set up two inflatable mattresses with sleeping bags on them. He waits until I take off my goggles and climb into one of them, and then he curls up at the bottom.

  “You are one handy cat to have around,” Dad says, fluffing his pillow. But Pockets is already purring in his sleep and doesn’t hear.

  Dad’s own snores soon join in. I stare into the night sky. Without any lights or pollution, the stars in this galaxy are so bright. I can’t see the constellations I know from home. No Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt. That’s the last thought I have before Pockets jumps on my chest and says, “Rise and shine, young Morningstar!”

  “Oomph!” I push him off. “Really, Pockets? Don’t you know how much you weigh?”

  Pockets jumps on Dad next. “Five more minutes,” he mumbles.

  “No can do!” Pockets says, sounding way too cheery for this early hour. I sit up, still groggy. The sun is just beginning to rise. It looks a lot like Earth’s sun, maybe a little bigger.

  “We’ve got to turn you into aliens,” Pockets says, “then find the princess and keep the king from handing over the Staff of Power. All before breakfast!”

  Dad and I climb out of our sleeping bags and stretch.

  Pockets fiddles with something that looks like a television remote, but I’m pretty sure it’s not. “Now stand still,” he says. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

  Before I even finish yawning, a buzzing runs through my body, followed by a not-so-gentle tugging. It’s as though my arms and legs are being pulled in different directions. I try to talk, but my mouth won’t move. I look to Dad for help, but Dad doesn’t look like Dad anymore! I mean, I can still tell it’s him, but instead of his brown hair and the goatee on his chin, he is bald with a bushy green beard. He also has three large eyes, all in a row. And is that…? Yup! A third arm has sprouted below his left one.

  And did I mention he’s wearing a dress?

  “Archie! Is that you?” Dad blinks.

  “It’s me, Dad!” I wave my arms. Thankfully I have only two, but they seem longer than they used to. When I rest them at my sides, they reach my knees!

  “Why don’t I have three arms, too?” I ask.

  “People here don’t grow them until they’re adults,” Pockets explains.

  Dad reaches for his face with his extra arm. He gives a little gasp when he finds the third eye between his other two. I suddenly realize I can see things to my left and right that I should only be able to see by turning my head! “Do I have three eyes, too?” I ask him.

  “You sure do,” Dad says. “And long orange hair.” I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. “Maybe you should braid it to keep it off your face,” he suggests.

  I swing my head from side to side. My hair reaches past my shoulders! I like to keep my hair on the longer side, but this is crazy!

  “That must be how boys wear it here,” Pockets says. “The Atom Assembler is programmed to keep up with the local customs.”

  Dad looks down at his legs. “Is that why I’m wearing this dress?”

  Pockets chuckles, then shakes his head. “That’s awkward. Let me fix my error.”

  He adjusts a knob on the assembler. Dad’s legs jerk a bit, and suddenly he’s wearing long brown pants, like the ones I have on.

  Dad looks down, relieved. Then his hand flies up to his head. He finally realizes his hair is gone. Dad is very proud of his hair. “It’ll grow back, right?” he asks Pockets in a panicky voice.

  “You will return to normal at the end of our mission,” Pockets promises, tucking the assembler into a pocket. “Now we really must be on our way.”

  Dad pulls me aside. “Listen to what Pockets tells you,” he says. “And don’t go off on your own. We don’t know the rules here.”

  “Okay.” This will be the first time I’ve been on an alien world without Dad for longer than a few minutes. He gives me a three-armed hug, which feels weird but not altogether bad.

  Chapter Five:

  That Is the Biggest Cat I Have Ever Seen

  We head down the road toward the village. “Remember,” Pockets says, “when we get to town I’ll have to pretend to be your pet. I will stay close and whisper instructions. Don’t talk to anyone or attract too much attention.”

  “I won’t,” I promise.

  By the time we get into town, the main square is filling with men and women setting up booths to sell food and clothes. If it weren’t for all the extra eyes and arms, I’d feel as if I’d stepped back in time on Earth.

  Pockets is winding in and out of my legs like a regular cat. He whispers, “The last signal we got from our undercover officer came from a farmhouse on the other side of the town square. That will be our first stop.”

  I nod as we begin to cross the square. No one gives us a second glance. My disguise must be working!

  Two boys—both with three eyes and long hair the same green as Dad’s beard—run out of a house across the lane. They begin tossing a ball between them. One misses and the ball rolls right to my feet. I pick it up. It’s made of wood, and very rough. The boys run over, and I hold it out to them. It makes me miss playing baseball with my friends at home. I haven’t seen them very much lately.

  “That is the biggest cat I have ever seen!” the older boy says, ignoring the ball. “Much bigger than the ones at the ha