‘Nice one, coward!’ Arthur shouted after him.
Arthur continued to watch in horror as two of the helicopters set down in the field next to the neighbour’s house, while the third took up a position right over their cottage, causing the whole roof to rattle and vibrate heavily.
‘Not good!’ he mumbled, creeping over to the top of the stairs. He could hear his mother and Aunty M frantically shouting something about seeing soldiers with guns coming into the garden. A few seconds later, the helicopter above them moved off, and a male voice boomed out, followed by the sound of footsteps going into the kitchen.
‘Arthur! Where are you?’ shouted his mother.
Definitely not good!
With that gut-sinking feeling that he was about to be in a whole heap of trouble, Arthur took a deep breath and descended the stairs, pausing at the bottom to gaze at the soldiers standing sentry on either side of the front door.
‘Are you okay? Where’ve you been? We were all worried sick!’ exclaimed his mother, rushing up to him as he entered the room.
‘Mum, I’m fine,’ he replied, noticing a tall man in an officer’s uniform, standing by the kitchen table.
The officer looked at him and smiled. ‘So you must be Arthur,’ he said, stepping forwards and extending a hand for him to shake. ‘Come and have a seat, will you? I’m sure this will all just take a minute.’
Arthur glanced at his mother who nodded for him to do as he’d been told.
‘My name is General Hammond,’ he said, pulling back a chair, and removing his peaked cap to reveal a buzz cut of greying hair. ‘I am head of the Space Projects Division at the T8 Joint Command Facility. Do you have any idea why I have come here today?’
Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
‘It’s OK. You do not need to be afraid. You are not in any trouble. In fact, quite the opposite. I believe that you are in a position to help me recover something very valuable, which was lost in a recent, and rather unfortunate accident.’
His mother was whispering animatedly with Aunty M.
‘A short while ago, a powerful energy spike was detected coming from the vicinity of this house. Do you have any idea what I might be referring to?’
Arthur nodded.
‘And am I also correct in thinking that you were able to open the object?’
Arthur nodded again.
The expression on the general’s face, which had up until that point been calm, suddenly became deadly serious. ‘Then the sooner you return the object to me and give me your assurance never to mention a word about