“Found it,” exclaimed Dave, who had been scanning around for Carrie’s translator. He picked up the dripping instrument.
Carrie, Dave and Gavin wasted no time in talking to the oootoon inside each box, but the process seemed to take forever. First they had to attract its attention, then they had to explain why it was separated from the greater mass and where it was—most of the captured oootoon had no idea what had happened to it—and finally they had to ask it to spread the word among the oootoon outside. It had to understand the placktoids had left and there were innocent people who were going to die if the ship crashed.
The smell of caramalised custard grew stronger. Carrie’s heart sank at the thought of the oootoon burning on the edges of the blob as it sped towards the planet, and also
