Free In Search of the Time and Space Mach by Deborah Abela Page A

looked around him then leant forward, his voice changing from ‘How can I help you?’ to ‘I’m having a bad day and you two are only making it worse’.
    â€˜Listen kids, Ms Liebstrom hasn’t worked here for quite some time and if you want to stay out of trouble, you’ll have nothing to do with her.’
    The man answered a few more calls and was irritated to look down and see Max and Linden still standing there.
    They weren’t taking no for an answer and Max wanted him to know it.
    â€˜Look mister, I’ve had a really bad day so if you don’t want me to scream at the top of my voice until I break every one of those expensive-looking chandeliers, then you’ll hand over the information I’m looking for.’
    Linden leant over the desk.
    â€˜I’d do it if I were you. She’s won competitions back home for this sort of thing.’
    â€˜Surely you can’t be serious,’ the receptionist sneered. ‘Now get out of here before I call security.’
    Max folded her arms.
    â€˜I’ll give you five seconds. Linden?’
    Linden started counting.
    â€˜This isn’t going to be pretty,’ he warned. ‘Five, four, three …’
    The receptionist was getting worried. These two kids were starting to attract a lot of attention.
    â€˜Two …’
    All around them, people in suits stopped to stare.
    â€˜One!’
    Max started screaming. A loud, ear-crushing, eye-popping scream. People in the foyer covered their ears. Chandeliers started trembling and clinking overhead.
    One of the chandeliers burst into a million pieces, bouncing off the marble floor and sending the suits running everywhere. The receptionist couldn’t take it any more.
    â€˜Okay! Okay! Make her stop. I’ll give you what you want.’
    Max stopped screaming.
    The receptionist took a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his brow and wrote on a piece of paper.
    â€˜Last I heard she could be found at this address, but don’t tell anyone I told you.’
    Max took the paper and shook the receptionist’s shaking, sweaty hand.
    â€˜Thank you for your help,’ said Max in herbest sugary voice. ‘And have a nice day.’ She smiled.
    As Max and Linden walked out of the building, stepping over the crouching suits who were still holding their ears, a man in a long jacket stood at the top of the stairs and watched them go. He was surrounded by other men, who were bigger than him, wore dark glasses and looked like they’d never smiled in their whole lives.
    The man in the long jacket turned to one of the men and whispered, ‘Follow them and find out who they are and what they’re up to.’

Outside the Department of Science and New Technologies, Max beamed as she held out the piece of paper the receptionist had given her.
    â€˜This is our next vital clue to finding Francis and the Time and Space Machine. Are we good or what?’ she cried.
    â€˜That was awesome. Spies who’d been in the business for twenty years couldn’t have done better than you,’ Linden cried.
    Max smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
    â€˜Yeah. I guess it was pretty good.’
    â€˜Are you kidding, you were great!’ shouted Linden.
    Max wasn’t used to receiving compliments and her face turned bright red. She took out her notebook and started to write down their new findings to hide her embarrassment.
    â€˜Let’s just go and find the professor,’ she said.
    Linden realised his praise was maybe a bit much and his face went red too.
    And he hated getting embarrassed.
    â€˜Good idea,’ he said, looking away, but as he did, he thought he saw someone disappear behind a building.
    â€˜Max, I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got this feeling we’re being watched.’
    Max turned around.
    â€˜Linden, there are over nine million people in this city. Why would they be watching us?’ she asked.
    â€˜Well, so