The Toyminator

27

Chief Inspector Bellis looked all around and about himself.

A very great deal of Toy City appeared to be ablaze.

The bells of fire engines came to his ears.

The wreckage of his car once more to his eyes.

And the wreckage of the spaceship beyond.

“Well,” said Bellis, “that would appear to be that. Job jobbed, but goodness, I dread the paperwork.”

Amelie looked through her fingers. “Did we win?” she asked.

“Naturally, my dear. Most naturally.”

Amelie shook her beautiful head, beautiful, but drunk. “I am so impressed,” she said. “You saved Toy City. You are so a hero.”

“He wouldn’t have done so if I hadn’t tipped him off,” said a clockwork spaceman.

“Then you are so a hero.” And Amelie threw her arms around him.

“Oi!” said Bellis. “Not so fast. He would never have tipped me off if he hadn’t … How did you put it, spaceman?”

“Received a telepathic message,” said the spaceman. “From the other side of The Second Big O. A bear spoke unto me. Told me what was to occur. Said he kept going in and out of his body, whatever that meant.”

“Well, let’s not worry about that,” said Bellis. “And get your spaceman’s hands off my girlfriend.”

“Do you think there are any survivors?” asked Amelie, stroking the spaceman’s tin-plate chest. “And do spacemen have credit cards, by the way?”

“Big shiny gold ones,” said the spaceman.

“Survivors?” said Bellis, prising the hands of Amelie away from the spaceman’s helmet. “Aliens in need of shooting, now there’s a thought.” And reached towards his car, then reached away, for it smouldered.

“Shoot ’em with this,” said Tinto, wheeling through the doorway and presenting Bellis with a shotgun that he, as indeed do all barmen kept hidden beneath his bar counter.

Just in case.

Bellis took the shotgun and approached the craft.

It was pretty buckled up and smoking.

Some laughing policemen who had escaped annihilation through being in the toilet when the mayhem occurred backed up Bellis at a distance.

The fallen craft had flattened several shops. It lay half upon its side.

And as Bellis approached, and so too the policemen, the hatchway slowly opened.

“Hands up, you aliens,” cried the chief inspector.

And struggling down from the hatchway came a tattered trio.

Jack was helping Eddie Bear. And Dorothy helped Jack.