ND squashes up in the back beside Philemon and Spider. It is great to sit close to his friends again, now that Covid-19 is gone. Great to be in a car where the windows don’t need to be open, blowing in cold air.

And beautiful Abigail turns round to greet him.

“Hi Ntando,” she smiles. The most beautiful smile in all of Cape Town. Probably in the whole of South Africa. Hidden behind a mask for so long!

He smiles back. “I’m glad you’re coming too!”

He hears her say, clear as a bell above the car engine, “Wow, Ntando, you are looking fine! I love your Afrika-chain!”

But here’s the strange thing: Abigail’s lips are not moving. Even though he heard her voice clearly! ND frowns. How is this possible?

“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

“Nothing,” she says, smiles and turns back to look at the sunset through the windscreen.

Ajax turns off the freeway and towards the Waterfront. “This is going to be the mother of all parties, braz,” he says. “We are going to party like rock stars! No more booze ban! Cheers for that! But someone must stay sober to drive home. Who’s offering?”

“I’ll do it,” ND offers. Because he promised his mother he wouldn’t drink much. And also because he knows Abigail dislikes guys when they are wasted. Win-win situation.

Abigail turns round again. “Good for you, Ntando! Why damage your brain-cells?”

This time ND sees that her beautiful lips are moving. But from beside him, he hears Philemon’s voice.

“Hot-damn, this Abigail is one hot chick! How come I never noticed that before? Reckon I’ll pull a few moves on her tonight!”

ND is horrified. Philemon’s moves are famous. Girls seem to crumble when he sets his sights and his charm on them. Is ND’s chance with Abigail over before it has even begun?

* * * * *

Kqarg steers his spy-jet above the Cape Town landscape. Silly little buildings. Narrow roads where strange metals objects trundle. Cars, they are called. They use some primitive substance called petrol, made from oil sucked from below the Earth’s crust, he knows. And the lights shining in the buildings – they are powered by another dug-up substance called coal. This poor planet must be full of holes with all that digging!

Crazy humans – when they are surrounded by seas full of sodium chloride! The ultimate Power source.

Of course, sodium chloride must be mixed with Zoltran B gas for its full Power to be released.

But the star-fleet of Glugga has already conquered the planet of Zoltran B, wiped out the Zoltran B race, Gamma 10ed the entire population into oblivion. So they have easy access to the gas. Now, just to wipe out these Earth humans, load up their sea-water and Glugga will have enough Power for millennia to come.

Kqarg’s thought-phone lights up. It’s his beloved wife calling from their home in Town 452. He flicks her on.

“Darling,” he thought-phones her. “I’m a little busy right now.”

But her gentle voice fills his three brains. Beautiful Ntttkini! Each of her three faces more lovely than the one before!

“Kqarg, my love, why must you kill these poor humans? Surely, if you ask nicely, they will let us have some of their sea-water? Maybe we can barter? Give them some of our technology in exchange?”

“Oh my soft-hearted Ntttkini!” he thought-answers. It is true: each of her three hearts is softer than the one before! “Life is not so simple. The Gluggans are a warrior race. Destroy or be destroyed – that is our motto! You know this.”

He can hear her crying. He can picture her tears falling from her six beautiful eyes down onto her six smooth cheeks. He flicks her off though. He needs to concentrate on the job at hand.

And aah! Down below he can finally see a huge crowd of humans – a perfect target! A perfect epicentre for the Gamma Ray. He checks his GPX2. The place is called The Waterfront.

***

Tell us what you think: Would it be a good swap – our sea-water for advanced Gluggan technology?