4
THE LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATOR
By following the plans that Vey’s father had put down in his notes and by trying a few things out for himself, Thordric finally announced that his long-distance communication device was ready.
‘Shall we test it?’ he asked Vey, who had snuck one into Lizzie’s townhouse earlier that day.
‘I think so,’ Vey said. He pushed a button on the small wooden box in front of him, out of which a single blue flower was poking. ‘Do I just speak to it like this?’
Thordric nodded. ‘Try saying something loudly, I’m not sure how the volume will be at her end.’
‘Alright,’ Vey replied. He coughed, readying his voice. ‘MOTHER? MOTHER, ARE YOU THERE?’
Thordric winced. Even the blue flower had dipped down out of sight. ‘Perhaps not quite so loud after all,’ he said, tapping
