“SQUAWK!” the robot repeated, then he flapped what appeared to be a pair of fluffy wings. “HOO!” he added, and Charlie took a cautious step closer. She reached out a hand, feeling carefully. But instead of smooth metal she felt her hand sinking into warm, soft feathers.
ILLUSTRATED BY WILLIAMSSOPHY Look out for: The Runaway Rumblebear The Friendly Firecat
The Helpful Hootpuff TOM HUDDLESTON ILLUSTRATED BY WILLIAMSSOPHY
www.nosycrow.com
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A CIP catalogue record for this book will be available from the British Library This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd.
Text copyright © Tom Huddleston, 2022 Illustrations © Sophy Williams, 2022
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
The right of Tom Huddleston and Sophy Williams to be identified as the author and illustrator respectively of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved ISBN: 978 1 83994 131 3
First published in the UK in 2022 by Nosy Crow Ltd The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place Crosby Row, London, SE1 1YW, UK Nosy Crow Eireann Ltd 44 Orchard Grove, Kenmare, Co Kerry, V93 FY22, Ireland Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd
Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests. 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Charlie fl oated happily on her back, held up by the warm water. Thin clouds of steam swirled over her head, allowing shafts of sunlight to sparkle on the water’s surface. That was how the Shimmering Pools got their name, and it made them one of the most beautiful places Charlie knew. There were deep pools and shallow pools, waterfalls and streams, all heated by 1
The Shimmering Pools
Chapter One
springs that flowed from deep caves in the mountainside. They were the perfect temperature for bathing. On a hot day the water seemed cool and refreshing, while on a chilly day like this one it made you feel warm and relaxed. “It’s so lovely, you should come in,” Charlie said, peering up at her little brother, Maki. He sat perched on the bank, wrapped in his fleece jacket.But Maki shook his head. “I don’t feel like it. Besides, I want to finish game.”thisHelookedbackdownatthesilver
Charlie knew that Maki wasn’t really telling the whole truth. He wasn’t afraid of the water, exactly – he was fine in the town baths, where all the children of First Landing learned to swim. He just didn’t like the Shimmering Pools. She wondered if it was because there were fish in here – little shoals of silver sprats and large, purple catfish with long dark whiskers. Or perhaps it was the slippery green algae on the rocks all around that put him off. Either way, Charlie wasn’t going to push if her brother didn’t feel brave enough.
3
“I’m hungry,” Maki said, putting the game down at last. “Is it time for our sandwiches yet?” Charlie stood, and found her balance
The Helpful Hootpuff tablet propped on his knees. He tapped buttons and the game let out highpitched beep-bloop noises.
She waded to the bank and clambered up, shivering as she wrapped herself in a towel. From up here she could see right down the mountain slope to First Landing, a dark jumble of buildings spread out beneath the clear, cold sky.
4 on the slippery rocks. “It must be,” she said, “because I’m hungry too.”
The town was the first human colony on planet Vela. It had been founded by Charlie’s parents and their fellow settlers from Earth, who had come here to study the local plants and wildlife and to build a new home in balance with nature. But the streets of the town seemed unusually quiet today. Normally they would be packed with vehicles, from small one-person transporters to huge electric haulers carrying building materials. Instead, every person she could see was on foot, and they were all bundled up in
The power shortages had even affected Charlie’s robot friend, Random. She could see him just along the bank, his rounded steel body resting beneath a gold-leafed tree, his systems shut down to save energy. She hoped they could find a new power source soon – these “naps” of his were getting longer and longer. “So, what did Dad put in the sandwiches?” Charlie asked, pulling on her jacket and turning towards Maki. “I hope it’s not that nasty fish paste ag—”
5 The Helpful Hootpuff layers of Charlieclothing.knewwhy straight away. They’d been having problems with First Landing’s power supply for weeks, which meant that no one could charge up their vehicles, heat their water or run their radiators. And now the weather had turned cooler, it was making things rather uncomfortable.
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She broke off in surprise as something soared through the steam. She didn’t see it clearly. It was just a shadow, darting past Maki then vanishing again. Her brother didn’t notice, he was too busy investigating their packed lunch. But he looked up at Charlie as she rubbed her eyes and blinked. “Are you OK?” he asked. Charlie frowned. “Yes, I just thought… Never mind. Pass me a sandwich.” Maki handed her the bag, munching his sandwich happily. Then he reached for his silver tablet, feeling around in the grass. “Hey, that’s weird.” He picked up his jacket and his backpack and looked underneath. “My game’s disappeared. I swear I put it rightCharliethere.”scanned the grassy bank. “It’s got to be here somewhere,” she said. “It can’t
The Helpful Hootpuff have just got up and walked away. Can it?” Maki had all sorts of weird toys, most of them built by their mother, who was an engineer. Charlie never knew what any of them might do. But her brother shook his head. “No, it’s just a regular pocket-game. But I was right on the last level so—” He was interrupted by a sudden electronic alarm. Charlie heard the wail of a siren and a deafening robotic voice. “WARNING!” it cried. “STRANGERS
Random in surprise. The robot was rising off the bank. His eyes flashed and his arms waved madly. “WARNING!” he shouted again. “WARNING!”Thenheblinked and seemed to remember where he was. “Random,” Charlie asked, “are you okay?”Therobot floated closer, looking sheepish. “Apologies,” he said. “Being on low battery makes my systems act strangely. And I was in a very deep sleep.”
8 APPROACHING!”Sheturnedtowards
Charlie smiled. She knew that Random’s circuits were a bit rusty, but he was still her favourite robot in the universe – and her best friend, too. “So there aren’t any strangers approaching?” Maki asked, looking around.
The Helpful Hootpuff “Yes,” Random said. “There are. From thatCharliedirection.”sawa
large, dark shadow in the mist above the water, moving towards them. A red light flickered in the gloom and Maki took hold of Charlie’s arm. Then the fog parted and a robot was revealed, much larger than Random and built from black steel. It hummed as it approached, its single eye gleaming. Random looked up at the newcomer nervously. “G-greetings,” he said. “What’s your name, friend?” But the robot didn’t respond. It loomed closer, reaching the bank. Then a familiar voiced called out, “He can’t answer you. I haven’t fitted his voice circuitsCharlieyet.”grinned as she saw her mother, Shona, emerging from the fog. Her ginger hair was tied into a bun and she was
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10 carrying a large red toolbox. But Charlie was less pleased to see the man at her side. Captain Akira Robinson was the self-styled leader of First Landing. His moustache glistened in the steam, and the captain’s badge on his green uniform looked freshly polished.“Wellnow,” he said, squinting down at Charlie. “What are you up to? Making trouble, no doubt.” Charlie flushed. “I was just swimming.”“Mum,my game’s gone missing,” Maki said. “It was right here, then it just vanished.”“That’sstrange, dear,” Shona said. “Keep looking, I’m sure you’ll find it.” “What are you doing up here?” Charlie gestured at the tall black robot. “And who’s the big guy?”
The Helpful Hootpuff “That’s my latest project,” Shona winked. “I call him Rotor.” “He’s our ticket to unlimited electricity,” the captain beamed. “Not that a child
“It’s heat from beneath the ground,” Charlie told him. “It’s what warms these pools. Why, are you going to try and tap into“Precisely,”it?”
“Then I can finally have a hot shower again,” the captain grumbled. “Can we come?” Charlie asked. “I’ve finished swimming, and I’ve always wanted to look in the caves. Dad said it was too risky to go alone, but with you…” Shona shrugged. “It’s fine by me. But stay close. What about you, Maki?”
12 like you could possibly understand the wonders of geothermal energy.”
Shona said with a proud smile. She gestured towards a dark opening in the mountainside nearby. “We’re going to explore these caves, and hopefully find a thermal vent that we can use to power the town.”
13 The Helpful Hootpuff
The boy looked around for his game, but there was no sign of it. he said. “Maybe when we get back it’ll have turned up again.”
“OK,”
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They climbed a short slope to the mouth of the cave. A rocky arch rose over their heads, strung with coloured moss and flowering vines. A stream flowed from the entrance, tumbling back towards the pools.Rotor led the way inside. His metal body hummed as he floated into the gloom. The captain followed, with Shona close behind. Charlie, Maki and Random
Chapter Two Into the Caves
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The further they went, the smaller and narrower the cave became, until they were walking along a winding tunnel that led right into the mountain. In the glow from Random’s golden eyes, Charlie saw even smaller passages branching off on either side.
The Helpful Hootpuff brought up the rear. In the light from the cave-mouth, Charlie saw that the walls weren’t just made of stone. They were studded with crystals and minerals of all different shades, from gleaming white to plum purple. But as they moved deeper into the cave, the darkness closed in and those colours faded away.
“Me neither,” Maki shivered.
“This place is a real maze,” she whispered.“Indeed,” replied Random. “I would not like to get lost in here.”
Charlie grinned. “I think it’s exciting.” Suddenly she felt a rush of air. She heard a whoosh and saw a shadow swooping overhead. “Did you see that?” she asked Random. The robot looked around. “See what?” “I saw it,” Maki said. “It went right above me. Listen!” Charlie held her breath, and in the stillness she heard a peculiar sound: it was a low hooting, far-off and spooky. She felt her Randomasked.tunnel?”bequicken.heartbeat“Coulditwindintheshe“Idon’tknow,”replied.
17 The Helpful Hootpuff
“I hope so,” Maki added. Then a shout rang out, echoing from the stone walls. “Keep up, you three!” Shona called. “Stay where I can see you.” Charlie shook herself. “Coming, Mum!” she replied, and they hurried on. They found Captain Robertson tapping his foot impatiently. “We’re here on important business,” he told Charlie. “Not to go larking about!” “We weren’t larking,” Charlie replied, though she wasn’t even sure what it meant. “We saw something, back along the tunnel. Some kind of flying thing. Didn’t we, Maki?” Her brother nodded. “And we heard it too,” he said. “It sounded like ‘ Hoooooo ’!”
The captain laughed. “What was it, a ghost? Honestly, you kids and your imaginations.”
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He marched on, tutting to himself. “We did hear it, though,” Maki protested.Shonasmiled.
the captain called back, his voice echoing. “I think we’ve found what we were looking for.”
Charlie saw his dark outline against the red light, beside a tall black shape that could only be Rotor. Then the robot switched on a pair of shoulder-mounted glow-lamps and the cavern ahead of them was revealed. It was huge, stretching far into the distance. The ceiling was too high to see – all Charlie could make out were the
“I believe you, sweetie. Now come along.” They trudged on in silence, moving deeper into the cave system. Soon Charlie began to see light up ahead. It was deep red, like “Comefire.quickly,”
The Helpful Hootpuff shapes of massive crystal stalactites, their glittering surfaces lit by the ruby-red glow. But the cave floor was flat and it was covered in cracks. The fiery red light was leaking through some of them. “Be careful, everyone,” Shona said. “Stay away from the cracks.” “Nonsense,” the captain said, leading them into the cavern. “These cracks are precisely what we came here to find. Come along, robot. Let’s see what you canHedo.”gestured impatiently to Rotor. Shona looked doubtful, but she put down her toolbox and stepped over to the tall black droid. “All right, let’s get you set up.” She leaned closer, feeling for a catch on Rotor’s torso. She tugged but it seemed to be stuck. “Charlie,” she said, gesturing to her toolbox. “Can you grab
19
20 me a screwdriver, please?” Charlie nodded and opened the box. “Catch,” she said, tossing the tool to her mum.But as it flew through the air, Charlie heard that whoosh again, and the screwdriver seemed to suddenly vanish. She looked around in surprise. Somewhere overhead she heard the same
21 mysterious hooting. Shona beckoned. “Come on, hand it over. We don’t have time for games.” “But I did!” Charlie protested. “Didn’t you see? I threw it to you, and something tookShonait!” frowned. “Something?” she asked. “What sort of something?” “I didn’t see it clearly,” Charlie admitted,
22 fishing for another screwdriver and handing it over to her mum. “But it took your screwdriver. And I bet it took Maki’s gameShonatoo.”pried open the catch on Rotor’s chest to reveal a panel covered with blinking lights and tiny controls. She tapped several buttons in quick succession. “Rotor,” she said. “Carry out drill programme 2-A.”
The robot hummed in agreement, then he rotated until he was facing out into the cave. A beam of light shone from his one red eye, scanning the cavern floor. It paused on one of the cracks and Rotor let out a low beep. “Um, sorry,” an electronic voice said at Charlie’s shoulder. “This is all very interesting, but if you don’t mind, I might shut down again. I’m running very low on power.”
The Helpful Hootpuff Charlie smiled at Random. “Of course,” she said. “Why don’t you sit on that ledge over there, and when Mum’s finished with Rotor, I’ll find you a battery pack so you can have a little top-up.”Random’s golden eyes flashed. “That would be wonderful.” He floated away, and Charlie saw him settling on the ledge. Then she turned back to watch Rotor, eager to see what he’d do next.
23
The big droid drifted into the cave, his steel body lit by the crimson glow.
Charlie watched his arms swing up over his head, clasping together and locking into place. At the same time, he began to roll slowly sideways until he was floating upside down, arms pointing to the floor. “What’s happening?” she asked her mother.
“I programmed Rotor to find geothermal energy,” Shona said. “He’ll drill down into one of these cracks and hopefully locate a heat source we canRotoruse.”came to a halt above one of the glowing cracks. He began to spin, slowly at first then faster and faster. Soon his entire body whirled like a top and his red eye was just a blur. Suddenly he dropped, his spinning arms lowering towards the crack. As his linked arms touched the rock Charlie heard a deafening screech and blocked her ears. It reminded her of going to the somethingdentist,she
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“What’s going on?” the captain shouted. “What does that mean?” “It means it’s working,” Shona called back. She took out a computer tablet and swiped on the screen. “Rotor’s found a power source.” The captain cackled. “Fantastic! That’s just—”Something rushed past him, a large shape soaring so low that it brushed the captain’s hair. He looked up in surprise, clutching his head.
The Helpful Hootpuff absolutely hated. The floor trembled and Maki huddled closer to Charlie, covering his head with both arms. Steam gushed from the crack, wreathing around Rotor as he drilled deeper. The captain grinned, rubbing his hands together keenly. Then Rotor began to buzz and Charlie saw his red eye flashing.
Then another shape swept past, and another. Above them, Charlie could see countless shadows circling through the cave, swooping and diving. And even above the screech of Rotor’s drill she could hear hooting and the beating of massive“Birds,”wings.shecried.
The flapping shapes spiralled through the cavern like a dark tornado, hooting and cawing. There were so many that Charlie was forced to crouch, clutching Maki. Shona ran to join them, covering them both with her jacket. But Charlie could see that the birds had only one target in mind. They flapped towards Rotor, claws bared as they descended on the spinning robot. They attacked from all sides, pecking and swiping and driving with their large,
“They’re birds. And we’ve disturbed them!”
26
27 powerful wings. And Charlie was amazed to see that it was having an effect. Three of the birds swept in at once, knocking the big robot off balance. Rotor spun wildly, scattering the birds as he toppled sideways and crashed into the floor.
