Chapter Five

By Park Hill Junior School, Kenilworth

Daisy watched the Pinkerellians disappear with a sinking heart. She felt as if she had lost her best friends. She would have to get to Pinkerello some other way for the competition. The Pinkerellians had to win.

In the next room there were lots of old Scarletinian war suits. Great! Very carefully, she took the newest costume, marked 1999, off its hanger and slipped it on. It was exceptionally heavy and big. Well, it would have to do. She clumped out into the street.

There she was already, causing trouble. She realised Scumball thought he had the real Daisy. This must be a robot. Then she noticed Scumball himself. It took all her brain power not to scream and run away. He came over to her. Mad thoughts raced through her head, did he know who she really was?

"Hello my good fellow. You should be at war. I'll lend you my umbrella, just to get you to Abtros to fight the Abtrosians."

Before Daisy had time to answer, there was a whooshing noise and in a few seconds, Daisy was standing beside a sign that read:

Welcome to Abtros,
best kept planet in the universe
and neighbour to Pinkerello

Daisy nearly jumped for joy. She could get to Pinkerello from here, no problem! She took off the hot, heavy metal suit and then went in search of a spaceship. Sure enough, she soon saw a sign "Pinkerello spaceships ->", and came upon an old Pinkerellian selling tickets to Pinkerello.

"Ten pinkelens please, to go to Pinkerello. " he said croakily.

"But I don't have any money," Daisy pleaded. "Please would you let me on, just this once?"

The old Pinkerellian shook his head. "Sorry, Captain Pinash's orders."

Then Daisy had an idea. "Let me explain," and she told him what had happened. His eyes widened and at the end, he gave a beaming smile. "Well, if that's the case you can certainly go across to Pinkerello. Quickly, that ship's just about to leave." He ushered her on and the spaceship took off.

Meanwhile, on Scarletina, Scumball had gone down into the dungeons to gloat at the prisoners he had so cleverly caught. How should he kill them? Suck out their brains? Hang, draw and quarter them? There were so many wonderful options. After he had killed them, Pinkerello and the rest of the universe would be in the Scarletian Empire forever! He guffawed wickedly. Then he reached the cell and unlocked the door, ready to laugh his head off. There was nobody there! Not even a trace.

He looked in every corner. Not a sign anywhere. Then he noticed the hole in the ceiling. It was too small for that brainless girl, let alone a Pinkerellian. It seemed as though they were invisible. He took out his laser gun labelled "Make visible". He shot it, feeling stupid that he had not thought of this before, but nothing happened.

He jumped up through the hole himself. What! The Transporter was gone! The girl must have got through and transported the Pinkerellians away with the spaceship and the Powermeter. He had not picked it up quickly enough! He swore very loudly and sank to his knees with his head in his hands.

Meanwhile, the Pinkerellians were safely back on Pinkerello holding a council on what was to be done about Daisy and the Rose Cup. Pazaz knew Daisy would be there soon. An old Pinkerellian had sent a letter by Minute Mail saying Daisy was on the next spaceship to Pinkerello from Abtros. They all went to meet Daisy, who told them what had happened to her since they had gone with the transporter.

They laughed at Daisy's ingenuity and even more at Scumball's foolishness. Then they set off to the Rose Cup, all smiles. They were going to win this year, for sure!

In the meantime, Scumball had, with difficulty, gathered up Daisy 2 and was on his way to Pinkerello as fast as he could. Just then, disaster struck. Daisy 2 stuck out a fat hand and pressed the button marked "Black Hole Magnetise".

Immediately, the spaceship began to shoot backwards towards the nearest black hole. It went straight in, but it didn't stop. It carried on shooting backwards. Then Daisy 2 pulled a lever labelled "Automatic Breakdown".

Scumball's spaceship shuddered to a standstill. Then, to top it all, Daisy 2 took hold of Scumball and threw him out of the window. He raced down and met the inside of the black hole with a big splat. He was never seen again and neither was Daisy 2. Her batteries went flat.

Daisy won the Rose Cup for Pinkerello with flying colours. The Pinkerellians wanted her to stay with them forever, so she did. Her job was solving Pinkerellian crimes, because Pinkerellians were well known for their lack of brain power. She learnt Pinko and taught English. When she was 22, she married a young Pinkerellian and lived a long and happy life. She never went back to Earth. Although she didn't deserve it, it ended well for Cook as well. She met a loathsome young man called Mr Abbotsford. They fell madly in love, got married and had twins named Tom and Jerry.

As for the Scarletians, they saw the error of their ways and became good honest salesmen. Scuff became the President of Scarletina. He formed a link with Pinkerello and from then on, there were no wars between the two planets.

The End

Start the story again

The Cheltenham Festival of Literature home page

© Cheltenham Festival of Literature 1999
last amended 6th October 1999