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CHAPTER 22
Nicola and Shimlara froze.Their eyes locked in mutual terror. Nicola's heart did a triple somersault. Shimlara's face was as pale as vanilla ice cream.
Somewhere in the distance, a cat meowed.
They heard Sean speaking in the room beneath them, his voice shaky and polite. "Okay, just relax, ah, Princess, and go back to sleep.You're dreaming.This is all just a weird, far-out dream."
"I am NOT dreaming! I'm wide awake!" Princess Petronella threw back the covers of her bed to reveal an all-in-one yellow pajama suit. "I demand to know what you're doing here.Are you trying to rob me, you horrible boy? I'll have you beheaded!"
"Ah, Nic ... boss?" said Sean without looking up. "What would you like me to do here?"
The princess peered around suspiciously and then tilted her head toward the vent and caught sight of Nicola. "I know you! You're that whiny Earthling!"
"Oh dear," said Nicola. Another cat meowed somewhere. Was the palace overrun with cats?
"Look, calm down, we're just trying to invite you to a party," said Sean.
"I don't believe you. Nobody likes me. I never get invited to parties. Are you trying to kidnap me? Is that it?" demanded the princess.
Now there seemed to be a whole chorus of louder and louder meows.
"It's not real cats--it's the signal!" said Shimlara. "The guards must have seen us!"
"I don't like boys." The princess shook her finger fiercely at Sean, who was still spinning over her bed. "You know what? I think I might have you tortured for a few weeks before I have your head sliced off!"
Sean's legs and arms spun wildly in different directions. "Nicola! Get me out of here!"
Glancing up, Nicola saw Tyler, Greta, and Katie all running toward them, shouting, "MEOW! ONE OF THE GUARDS ON THE GROUND SAW US! MEOW, MEOW!"
A bright yellow spotlight swept back and forth across the palace roof. Nicola made her decision.
"Grab her!" she called to Sean. "We're kidnapping her NOW!"
Sean didn't hesitate. He kicked his legs off the side of the princess's bedroom wall, swung hard toward her, and threw his arms around her waist. "GOT HER!"
The princess easily tore herself away from him. "You have NOT got me!"
"He's too short," said Shimlara desperately. "He'll never do it."
Sean made another grab for the princess, and this time the point in her tiara snagged itself in Sean's black sweater as she tried to wriggle away.
"OWWWW!" She twisted her head from side to side, but the tiara only got more tangled. Sean threw his arms and legs around the princess's back like a koala clinging to a tree.
"Okay, I've SORT of got her!" he yelled.
Nicola and Shimlara pulled on the rope, nearly falling over backward with the combined weight of the princess and Sean. Tyler, Greta, and Katie ran up and snatched the rope to help them pull.
The princess kicked and screamed like a wild animal and sunk her teeth into Sean's hand. "Augggh! Faster, faster!" screamed Sean.
"I don't remember this being part of the plan, Nicola!" shouted Greta.
"Oh, would you please SHUT UP, Greta!" Katie shouted back.Then she immediately felt guilty and said, "Please?"
The Space Brigade gave a final wrench on the ropes, and Sean and the princess tumbled out of the vent and onto the palace roof like two grappling football players. The princess's tiara was jerked free of Sean's sweater, leaving a gaping hole.
"GUARDS!" hollered the princess, scrambling to her feet and straightening her tiara. "I am being KIDNAPPED by disgusting, squidgy little Earthlings and one dreadful commoner!"
"Quickly! We need to tie her up and carry her to the helicopter!" ordered Nicola.
