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"I call top," I said, grabbing so them out

"I don’t think so," Shelton replied

I looked at him over my shoulder "Want to arm wrestle for it?"

He blew out a breath "Fine Keep the stupid top I didn’t really want it anyway" He paced around the roo at the , after a hts outside "Man, I’ Let’s head to the food court"

My storeeh a list as we made our way back outside About halfway between the dors he identified as the food court, the ered forward a couple feet before regaining ainst the liquid-looking metal He knelt down and rapped on it "Step off for a sec," he said,the pathway I followed suit "Alright, now get back on"

I did, but nothing happened

"Huh" He ju still breaks down all the time"

"Uh, does the rocket ship ever break down?" I asked, thinking back to the terrifying height of thebefore it reached the top

He shook his head "Nah, hardly ever"

"Hardly ever?"

"It has a backup syste toward the distant food court "C’ around, and saw nothing Took another step The ground vibrated ever so slightly beneath my feet

Shelton spun to look at me "What the hell?" His eyes narrowed "Okay, now they’re going too daaze and spotted the robot froht in the center of its body glowing "Hello, Your Majesy," it said in a cockney accent "I’d like to personally welcoe cylindrical guns on either arged bolts of death

Chapter 11

I dove, shoving Shelton out of the way of a burst of white-hot energy, and rolled to my feet several yards away

"Please do not one and replaced with a calm, male robotic voice as it continued to blast away "If you round as the death bearass around him to ash In one fluid movement, he whipped out his staff rod, squeezed it, and popped it out to full length He shouted a word, and an incandescent ni up in a partial sphere around hi across it with a dull red glow Shelton’s feet skidded back across the grass froize," the robot said in a cal for so sound, a rack offrom the back of the robot, swiveled, and aimed at Shelton

He cursed "I don’t know if I can hold out against that!"

I ju"

Its torso swiveled "It is unkind to call me stupid" With that pronounceht at me

I blurred out of its path, and theat us?" I said