Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 58 (quetwi-dak): Inventions

Great Tyro, High Tyro,

He's great in every way.

There is nobody wiser

On planet Earth today

Who gives us all the things we eat

And everything we drink?

Who helps us with our daily work?

You know his name we think –

Smart Tyro, Kind Tyro,

He's great in every way.

There is nobody kinder

On planet Earth today

Who's stronger than an elephant?

And fast as any bird,

Protecting us from every harm?

His name you've surely heard –

Strong Tyro, Good Tyro,

He's great in every way.

There is nobody mightier

On planet Earth today

Who fills our lives with happiness

And fills our days with bliss?

In case you haven't got it yet,

His name's pronounced like this –

It's Tyro, It's Tyro,

He's great in every way.

There is nobody friendlier

On planet Earth today!

The singing stopped suddenly. Liana hadn't joined in, but nobody could tell, as a mask covered her face. She was sitting in the front row of the Great Hall of Tyro's Palace in Tyropolis. Herago sat next to her, with a big silver parcel on his lap. The parcel contained all of the stuff for their Impossibles. Alongside them sat others with silver parcels – all inventors who would be showing their inventions. Or at least, some of them were showing their own inventions. Others had been supplied with inventions by Pritch. At the end of these showings, it was said that Tyro himself would be revealing a new invention - one of the greatest things ever seen.

Sleech had flown into the hall wearing wrist-flyers, but his flying was clumsy and uncontrolled. He almost knocked into Tyro's throne, but then managed to land in front of it, looking relieved to be back on the solid ground. Tyro himself walked up to the throne and climbed the steps to sit on it, tripping as he did so, but then just recovered enough to reach his seat. The audience watching him shouted 'hooray' repeatedly, and Liana noticed that the shouting was louder just as he tripped.

Sleech had spoken about how wonderful things were, and how this would be a great and historic day. And then he pointed to a platform high above the stage, on which was a large cage. In the cage stood two people, a man and a woman. They were a long way away, and it was difficult to make out their features, but they seemed familiar to Liana.

'The people of Bartyronis,' Sleech said, 'are kind and fair. We have invited to this festival some "honoured guests".' He said the words as though they were meant to be funny. 'These Grabblers have come here to witness the superiority of our science and ideas. They will not understand much of what goes on, but it will be enjoyable for them to marvel at the achievements of a superior civilisation. In their own world, they are known as "wise ones", which just shows how stupid the Grabblers must be as a race.'

Could it be? Liana wondered. She looked again, as hard as she could through the slits of the mask she was wearing. Yes, she was sure it was them. Piacho and Selentaya.