‘Why is it you want to go to the stars, Cosmo?’

Claude was watching her little brother pull the oversized helmet of his homemade spacesuit onto his head.

‘I told you already Claude,’ Cosmo said. ‘I want to catch a star for mum. She likes stars.’

Cosmo made the final critically important adjustments to his spacesuit. He recalibrated the tinfoil antenna; fine tuned the intake valve on the silver painted washing up bottle oxygen tanks and checked the gauge of his hand drawn atmospheric pressure display. He peered out at Claude through the visor of his helmet with his round blue eyes.

Cosmo’s eyes were Claude’s favourite thing about him. They were shaped the same as Claude’s as they were both often told that they had their mother’s eyes though Claude’s were an emerald green. But what Claude loved most about Cosmo’s eyes was that no matter how hard he tried to disguise his feelings she could always tell what Cosmo was thinking by his eyes. Either they were wide with wonder or adoration of his big sister or they were narrowed with suspicion or confusion. Cosmo was simple in his emotions and Claude loved him all the more for it.

‘So how do you plan on getting way up into space then Cosmo?’ Claude asked twiddling her jet black hair innocently. She liked to humour Cosmo. There was clearly no way he could get into space by himself, much less catch any stars. Not without her help anyway.

Cosmo stared up at her and his eyes flittered between narrowed concentration and squinted confusion. ‘Um… I’m not sure,’ he said at last, realising that he hadn’t worked out all the details of his important mission. ‘Can you help Claude?’

Claude rubbed her hands with glee.

‘Of course Cosmo, I was hoping you’d ask.’

In the garden Claude hunted out the long plank of thick wood that had been heaped onto a pile of burnable rubbish which was being saved for bonfire night. With Cosmo watching curiously she dragged the plank out of the garden and into the woods that surrounded their house in the hills.

After a few minutes of laborious dragging Claude dumped the wood in a clearing at the base of a rocky outcrop that stuck out of the side of the hill. Without another word she left the plank where it was and returned to the house to retrieve the old go-kart from the shed.

Cosmo scampered behind her as she took the go kart down the driveway and along the path to the rocky beach that edged the loch. Claude spent several minutes pacing up and down the beach examining one boulder and rock after another. Finally she found one suitable and with Cosmo’s help they hauled the boulder into the go kart. Together they pulled the go kart back along the path, up the driveway then negotiated the uneven floor of the woods until they reached the clearing. Claude tipped the go kart at a specific point just in front of the outcrop.

Unsatisfied she puzzled over the boulders position. She stuck her finger in her mouth and held it in the air to check for any breeze then she twisted the boulder by forty five degrees clockwise only to twist it back again a moment later.

Cosmo watched quietly clueless as to what his sister was doing but he knew never to interrupt. Claude was the cleverest person in the world and it was always best to let a genius get on with their work.

By the time Claude was satisfied with the position of the boulder the sun had set behind the hills and several stars had begun to wink down at them. Claude retrieved the discarded plank and placed it carefully over the boulder so one end was pointing up in the air toward the rocky outcrop like a see-saw.

‘Okay it’s ready,’ Claude announced.

Cosmo ran to her side and squinted in wonder at Claude’s creation.

‘What is it?’ he asked.

‘It’s a Star-Retrieving-Space-Launcher obviously,’ Claude replied matter of factly.

Cosmo’s eyebrow’s arched downwards dubiously.

‘A space launcher?’

‘Yes, a Cosmo-Star-Retrieving-Space-Launcher. Conditions are perfect for a launch and it’s also nearly dinner time.’ She grabbed Cosmo’s hand and guided him to the launcher. ‘Stand on this end,’ she instructed. She pushed Cosmo onto the end of the plank that faced the rocky outcrop then she ran off disappearing behind the little hill.

Cosmo fastened the straps of his helmet slowly. His enthusiasm for going into space had very drastically lessened.

‘Are you ready?’ came Claude’s voice from above. She had climbed the outcrop and was standing on top looking down at Cosmo.

‘Claude I really don’t think this is such a good idea.’

‘I thought you wanted to catch a star for mum?

‘I do but this…’

‘Good then initiating countdown. 10…9…8…’

‘No really Claude. I can get a star some other way!’

Claude took two precarious steps backward. ‘7…6...’

‘Claude please let’s just talk about this first.’

Claude picked her spot on the wooden plank that was poised in the air in front of the outcrop. ‘5…4…3…’

‘Why won’t you ever listen?’

‘2…1… Star-Retrieving-Space-Launcher activated; launch imminent!’

Claude ran forward and leapt off the outcrop into the air. Cosmo snapped his visor shut and clutched the sides of his helmet.

Claude’s carefully planned trajectory was perfect as she planted both feet squarely on the end of the wooden plank. As one end went down the other went up and when Claude’s side of the launcher struck the ground she saw Cosmo’s feet zip over her head and heard him cry her name in an ever quietening yell.

When she turned around Cosmo was gone.

The Star-Retrieving-Space-Launcher had worked.

She sprinted round to the other side of the outcrop but there was no sign of him. She shouted his name repeatedly but heard no reply. She searched the clearing and behind every tree in the area but Cosmo was nowhere to be seen. At first she was immensely proud of how clever she was that she had launched her brother into space but as she kept searching a nauseating sensation of dread descended upon her.

She had made the most terrible of mistakes.

She had launched her brother into space with no way of getting back.

As darkness fell Claude paced back and forth anxiously. What would she tell mum? With nowhere left to look she made her way home as slowly as possible, mum was going to be angry. When she finally opened the front door and kicked off her shoes she was shaking with fear.

She walked into the kitchen where mum was feeding Flea the cat. ‘I’ve made you your favourite sandwich for dinner,’ mum said when she saw Claude.

Claude could barely look at her and stared at her own striped socks instead. ‘Mum I’ve got some terrible news.’

Mum put down the cat food, much to Flea’s distress and crouched beside her daughter.

‘It’s Cosmo,’ Claude said quietly. She was barely able to get the words out. ‘He…he’s lost in space.’

Mum smiled and stroked Claude’s hair. ‘Oh really?’ she said suppressing an affectionate giggle. ‘Well I think he must have found his own way back. He’s in the lounge eating a sandwich. He even brought me a present al the way from space.’ Mum reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny object. It was a small silver ball the size of a marble. ‘Your brother is terribly clever, he caught me a star. I think he might even have one for you.’

Claude stared at the silver ball incredulously. Unable to form words she staggered into the lounge where Cosmo was lying on the couch feasting on his favourite salami and cheese sandwich.

‘You’re back,’ was all Claude could say.

‘Yup,’ mumbled Cosmo his mouth full of sandwich. ‘Space is a bit boring. Not much there but a few billion stars.’

Claude stared at him. How had he got home before her? Had he really been to space?

‘I got you a present,’ said Cosmo. He put down his sandwich and pulled his marble bag from his pocket. He opened it and threw a silver ball to Claude. It caught the light in her hand and sparkled just like a star.

She eyed the ball suspiciously then glanced at the marble bag. Was this really a star?

‘Cosmo did you really go into space?’

Cosmo picked up his sandwich and grinned at her mischievously. ‘Of course Claude your Star-Retrieving-Space-Launcher is brilliant. You really are the cleverest person I know.’ Still grinning he took a bite of his sandwich.

Claude stared at the silver star marble in her hand.

‘Yes,’ she thought. ‘I am very clever.’