Читать книгу The Person Controller - David Baddiel - Страница 17

“Uh-oh,” said Ellie.

“Oh-uh,” said Fred.

Her hands were in the air. So were his. The Controller and the bracelet were close to each other. Something about this closeness must have had an effect because the blue lines on the Controller were suddenly pulsing. As was the blue light on the bracelet.

“That’s … good … isn’t it?” said Ellie, bringing the Controller back down again.

“Yes,” said Fred. “I think so.”

Ellie pointed the Controller at the screen. The game options were up: FIFA. Street Fighter. Super Mario. Minecraft. But the device wasn’t lighting up any of the boxes with the game icons in them. She held it closer, towards Mario. In desperation, she started pressing the buttons and toggling the control stick randomly.

“It’s not working, Fred! It’s still not working!”

“What’s happening?” shouted Fred suddenly. “Ellie? What’s happening?”

Ellie looked round. Fred was crouching on the window ledge. Luckily, the window was shut.

“What are you doing there?”

“I don’t know,” said Fred.

“You don’t know what you’re doing there?”

“Well, I’m crouching. What I mean is I don’t know how I got here.”

“Fred. Don’t be stupid! You must have climbed up there …”

“I didn’t climb. I jumped!”

“What do you mean you jumped? In one go?”

“Yes.”

“Without falling off?”

“Yes.”

Ellie stared at him. The window was about a metre off the ground.

“Are you sure?”

“Ellie. I was just standing there. Next to you. You were looking at the screen. And fiddling with the Controller. Next thing I knew I’d jumped up here.”

Ellie stared at him some more. Then she noticed something: the blue light on the Controller in her hands, and the blue light on the bracelet around her brother’s wrist, were pulsing in time with each other. Perfectly in time with each other.

So she said, “Say that again.”

“Next thing I knew I had ju—”

“No – before that.”

Fred frowned. “You were looking at the screen …?”

“No, in between that and the jumping bit …”

Fred frowned again. “You were … fiddling with the Controller …?”

Ellie nodded slowly. “I was, wasn’t I …” she said and not like it was a question. She nodded again. “Fred? Can you just … prepare yourself? I’d like to try something.”

“Prepare myself? In what way …?”

“I dunno. Just … make ready.”

Fred had no idea what that meant. But he took a deep breath and said: “OK.”