As they walked into the strange, futuristic house with its circular rooms, confusing murals, and unfamiliar technology, Nicola realized she'd never been there before without the whole family. It seemed like any minute Georgio would surely come bounding down the hallway, or Mully would appear offering them cookies the size of dinner plates, or that Squid would run in, his security blanket clutched close, his thumb in his mouth.
But this time the house was eerily silent.
"I hope Shimlara hasn't disappeared now, too," said Nicola, as she pushed open the door of Shimlara's bedroom and found it empty. She realized her heart was beating fast.
She walked into Georgio and Mully's room. Nothing. A curtain rippled in the breeze from an open window. Nicola shivered.
Next was Squid's room. There was someone curled up in his bed.
It was Shimlara. She had pulled her knees to her chest and was cuddling Squid's ragged, old, blue blanket. Her face was puffy from crying. Her long, dark, curly hair was a tangled mess. When she saw the Space Brigade all gathered at the bedroom door, she sat up and carefully adjusted the gold button hanging around her neck.
"Please help me find them," she said.
CHAPTER 4
First Shimlara showed them what she'd discovered so far.
There was the tray bobbing around in the pool with the half-drunk cups of tea and a cookie with a single bite taken from it. "Dad would never leave an almond cookie like that," said Shimlara. "Unless something really terrible happened to interrupt him.
There was the piece of torn notepaper Shimlara had found lying in the backyard, in Georgio's handwriting. It said, HELP, SHIML--as if he'd been interrupted.
There was the fact that the Gorgioskios's aero-car was still sitting in the garage.
And there was Squid's security blanket, which was really the most compelling evidence of all.
"They don't go anywhere without Squid's blanket," said Shimlara.
"Maybe your parents decided it was time he grew out of it," said Greta. Shimlara just stared Greta down until she muttered, "Or maybe not."
Now they were all sitting around the Gorgioskio dining-room table, trying desperately to think of what to do next.
"I've called every single person Mom and Dad know," said Shimlara. "None of them have any ideas. One of Dad's friends at the university muttered something like, 'I told him not to get involved.' When I asked him what he meant, he hung up."
"I wonder if--" said Nicola. She stopped, trying to piece her thoughts together. She was thinking about the circumstances that had led to her first meeting the Gorgioskio family. The king and queen of Globagaskar had gone on vacation, leaving their daughter, Princess Petronella, in charge. Unfortunately, Princess Petronella had taken it upon herself to turn Earth into a giant garbage can. That's when Georgio and Mully set up the Save the Little Earthlings Committee.
"Maybe Georgio and Mully are trying to help another planet," said Nicola. "Like they helped Earth. Have they talked about anything like that lately?"
"They're always trying to help other planets. I zone out. I'm not really into current affairs.They go on about injustice. It's so boring." Shimlara suddenly looked embarrassed. "Although of course it wasn't boring when they were trying to save Earth. That was different. That was really interesting."
"Your parents are good people," said Katie to Shimlara. "They're an inspiration!"
Shimlara nodded miserably. "They even won this award for 'Services to the Galaxy' from the United Aunts." She pointed out a big gold plaque hanging on the wall, engraved with Georgio and Mully's names. "It's a really big deal."
"Who are the United Aunts?" asked Nicola.
"It's a universal organization of wise aunts," explained Shimlara. "There are representative aunts from every planet. Their goal is to 'encourage peace and love and good manners throughout the galaxy.' "
"It must be like the United Nations on Earth," said Tyler. "Except, um, without the aunts."
"Mom and Dad were so thrilled to get to shake hands with the aunts," said Shimlara. "I should have been more excited for them. I was saying, 'Who cares about some boring old aunts?' And they were so excited for me just because I won third place in a spelling bee!"
"Maybe your parents keep some paperwork about the different causes they're involved with?" suggested Nicola, anxious to change the subject as Shimlara was looking so upset and guilty.
Shimlara stood and they all looked up at her. When she was sitting down, Nicola forgot that Shimlara was as tall as a basketball player. It gave her a start. Yet on Globagaskar, Shimlara was the shortest girl in her class.
"Dad has a file he calls the Outrage File," said Shimlara. "It's filled with newspaper clippings. Mom won't let him read it after ten PM because he gets himself into such a state he can't sleep. I'll get it. Maybe there will be some clues."
She left the room. Sean looked longingly at the gold hutch sitting in the middle of the table. It was a common Globagaskarian appliance called the Telepathy Chef. You used mental telepathy to order the food you wanted.