48 Framed

Chapter 48 Framed The service lift doors opened on the north side of the control room, close to where the stolen works of art were being stored. Two figures were standing opposite the lift, behind the huge desk full of levers, switches, dials and sliders. They looked directly at the group. Ah, there you are, humans,' said 67 in their smug, tinny voice. 'Perfectly punctual. Alan and I have been expecting you. 'ROCKWELL,' shouted Peanut. 'PUSH THE BUTTON! Now!' Rockwell held aloft the device that Josephine had given him, flicked open the lid with his thumb and pressed the button as hard as he could. Immediately, 67's eyes switched from

red to purple, and their pupils turned into a rotating swirl. ' DAD, LEO! GRAB ALAN!' The pair ran towards the desk at full speed, leapt over it and dived at the huge henchman, knocking him off his feet. Any hope they had of being able to pin down the massive man soon evaporated, however, as Alan regained his composure and pushed them away with the ease of somebody fending off a couple of over-friendly spaniels. Seconds later, Rockwell and Doodle bravely leapt onto Alan's back as he tried to stand up. The man wrapped his thick sausage fingers around Rockwell's wrist in an attempt to pull him off, which forced the boy to let go of Josephine's device and send it flying across the room. From atop Alan's back, Rockwell saw it clatter to the ground and slide underneath the chair by the desk. At the same time, Leo and Dad each grabbed one of Alan's freckly, tree trunk- sized arms and hung onto them as tightly as they could.

Woodhouse was right there in the thick of the action too, scurrying up onto the henchman's shoulder and sinking two very sharp incisors into his earlobe. 'OUCH!' shouted Alan with tears in his eyes. 'That really hurt!' Meanwhile, Peanut, Little-Bit and Mum, armed with the length of watercolour sticky-tape that Peanut had painted before they got into the lift, joined the melee. Mum and

Peanut each held one end, sticky side out, and circled Alan in opposite directions, sticking his legs together and his arms to the sides of his body in the process. They ran all the way around him three times, pulling the tape tightly as they went. '72, quick!' shouted Dad. ' Bind Alan with your cables!' 'I'm sorry, I cannot,' replied the robot. 'I appear to be somewhat incapacitated. Everyone looked at 72, whose eyes had turned purple and were swirling like kaleidoscopes. Of course,' said Rockwell. 'Josephine's device will affect all of the RAZERs in the room, including 72. They can speak but they can't move!' Don't worry, I've got an idea,' said Peanut. 'Can you guys hold Alan there for a second?' 'We'll try,' yelled Dad. Peanut ran over to the paintings that Mr White had stolen, grabbed the Mona Lisa and carefully prised it from its thick, wooden frame. She then ran back and, with Mum's help, wedged the chunky rectangle over Alan's head and shoulders. It was a tight squeeze, but it worked. Alan was completely trapped. There was no way he was escaping now.