Chapter one

'There's nothing to watch on TV," Axel the seven hundred channels on the luxury hotel entertainment system. "I'm going to get so bored while we're staying here."

"I'm sorry, But we've got a million things to do before the grand Opening of the Museum,' Dad explained. "Mum's got to get her hair done and try on her dress. There are photo shoots and interviews to do. We won't have a spare minute to look after you."

"Can't I help?" Axel asked hopefully.

"What? And have people taking pictures of you for the newspapers?" Mum trilled. "We want to keep you out of the spotlight so you can grow up like a normal child."Axel's Mum and Dad were rock stars.

Their band, Stormy skies, had recorded twenty-two platinum-selling hits in eighty-three different countries around the world. They spent half their lives traveling, performing concerts and meting their millions of fans.

"There aren't any normal children at Celebrity Kids' Club," Axel moaned. "last time I went there, Nina Gonzals, the Formula One racing driver's daughter, nearly ran me over in her pedal car. And Master Universe, the junior weight-lifting champion, would't put me down for two weeks!"

"Axel, you know how important this museum is to your mum. The Diamond Moon is the star exhibit! There will be masses of security guards at the opening," Dad explained. "I'm afraid you might get in the way." The Storms were so rich that one Valentine's Day, Dad had given Mum the most expensive diamond in the world.

Mum had named it the Diamond Moon, because it was round and glowed like the moon. it had also been a full moon when Dad had given it to her on the beach on their private island in the Bahamas. Dad had always been a bit of an old romantic!

The trouble with owning something so expensive is that you have to find somewhere safe to keep it. if you put it in a drawer under the stairs, or in a box under your ded, all the diamond thieves in the world will try to break in and steal it. So Mum's diamond had been sitting in a back vault ever since.

Along with...Dad's antique guitars...

...his Ancient Egypt collection...

...three picasso paintings...

...tons of jewellery that Mum never wore...

...and all the other stff that they didn't want to get rid of but was too precious to leave lying around the house. The next Valentine's Day, Dad had a brilliant idea: he gave Mum her own hight-security museum! She could put everything inside, keep it safe and look at it whenever she wanted to. All their fans could come and see everything, too!

The Storms were staying at a luxury hotel for the Sky storm Museum Grand Opening. Mum was going to cut the ribbon as the museum was named after her.

just then, Dad's phone beeped. "You've got a text message from Uncle Raffles," Axel said, picking the phone up from the table and passing it to him.

'CU IN 1." Dad read the message out slowly. "What on earth does that mean?" he grumbled. "I can never understand text messages."

"It means, See you in one minute," Axel laughed. as he spoke, the balcony doors slid open silently. The rich, heavy curtains billowed in the warm spring breeze. A tall, dark, mysterious man stood silhouetted against the evening sky.

How on earth did he get there? wondered Axel. The hotel suite was on the thirty-second floor!

Chapter Two

"WHat the...!" Axel stammered. "Where did you come from?" The man sauntered into room and ruffled Axel's hair.

Axel rolled his eyes skywards. Why did grown-ups always say thay? Uncle Raffles said hello to Mum and Dad then he stood back and looked at his nephew again. "Actually," he said,"you haven't grown that much-have you, Axel?

He walked round Axel three times, as if he was examining a racehorse.

"Hmmm. can I borrow Acel for a couple of days?" he asked. "I've almost finished testing the museum security, but I think Acel could really help me. I need someone his size to put the system through its final check."

No one knew what Uncle Raffles actually did. All they really knew was that he had been helping Mum and dad make sure that the new museum was absolutely secure.

"Can I, Mum? I, Dad? please,please,ple-e-ease?" Axel put his hands together, fluttered his eyelashes and begged shamelessly. "It sounds so much more educational than Celebrity Kids' Club," he suggested.

Uncle Raffles winked at Axel. "oh, yes!" he agreed. "it'll be very educational!"

"We-e-ll...I suppose so," Mum sighed. " As long as you keep Axel away from photographers. Archie Flash from Celebrity Gossip Magazine is in town. We certainly don't want Axel's picture in the papers." "Keeping things secret is my job,"Uncle Raffles said mysteriously. "Ok,' Dad nodded, "but we don't want Axel getting up to any of his wild adventures.""It's a deal," said Uncle Raffles.

"Yahoo!" Axel whooped. Uncle Raffles walkles walked out onto the balcony. "Meet me here at eight-thirty tomorrow morning,' he said. then...he was gone!

Chapter Three

The next day, Axel was ready and waiting. At exactly eight-thirty, a coil of rope dropped out of the sky. Seconds later, Uncle Raffles slid down the rope,landing on the balcony as lightly as a cat.

He handed Axel a harness. "Ready?" "I'm ready for anything," Axel grinned. Uncle Raffles checked that their harnesses were nice and tight, then he helped Axel climb onto the edge of the balcony.

Mum appeared just in time to see them balanced on the balcony-thirty-two floors up! Axel glimpsed her horrified stare as Uncle Raffles counted to three and they hurled themselves into the air.

"AXEL!'" Mum screamed. "Come back here right no-o-o-w..." Her voice faded as Axel hurtled down the side of the building. The deafening sound of air rushing past his ears dropped abruptly. Axle's body jerked upwards as the paraglider catnapped open. "This is amazing,Uncle Raffles!" he yelled.

"Remember to steer with the ropes and follow me,' Uncle Raffles called back. They flew acroff the city like eagles, twisting and turning above the streets, kept aloft by rising currents of warm air from cars and air-conditioning systems.

They spiralled down into a park, landing gracefully in the middle of a tnnis court. The tennis players stood open-mouth as Uncle raffles calmly packed their canopies into backpacks.

"Sorry! Uncle Raffles called cheerfully.

At the park's adventure playground,Uncle Raffles put Axel through his paces. He made Axel aqueeze through tunnels...

...zip down the death slide...

...Scramble up the climbing wall.. and abseil down again.

"You've passed the test," Uncle Rafflessaid. "You've got the got the job if you want it."Axel was dangling from a rope, a couple of metres in the air. "What job?" He looked surprised. "I want you to break into the Sky Storm museum and steal the Diamond Moon!"Axwl's jaw dropped open. "Me? Steal?

"Well, it's not really stealing, is it?" Uncle Raffles smiled. "Not from your own family - and you'll give it back, won't you? you'll just be checking the last weak point in the sceurity system. We'll break in after it gets dark tonight." Uncle Raffles winked at Axel."So, do you want the job, or not?'"oh, yes! This beats Celebrity Kids'Club any day!"

Suddenly Uncle Raffles tensed. He scrwed up his eyes and focused all his attention on the bushes nearby.

"Wait here!" he hissed. Acel watched in amazement as his uncle burst into action. Racing across the grass, he hurled himled himself into the bushes. after a good deal of shouting and grouting and grumbling, and shaking of leaves and branches, he reappeard holding a man by the scruff of the neck.

"It's Archie Flash," Axel sighed. "he follows me everywhere. He'll be cooking up a story about me for Celebrity Gossip Magazine." Archie grinned. He could always smell a good story about Axel. "I was watching the hotel when I saw you teo leap off the balcony.I wasn't going to miss that story, was I? I jumped into a taxi and the driver to follow the paragliders!"

Uncle Raffes stood toe to toe with Archie and stared deep into his eyes. "Well, you'd better find another taxi and get out of here right now," he growled menacingly. "Otherwise I'll.."Archie Flash didn't wait to find out what Uncle Raffles would do to him. With a big smile on his face, he ran off towards the park gates. "See you later!" He called.

"I' d better not!" Uncle Raffles snarled.

Uncle Raffles and Axel spent the rest of the day poring over plan of the museum and rehearsing their strategy. 'We can get in through the air-conditioning system," Uncle Rffles explained. "There's a big fan on the roof that blows air into the building. You are just small enough to squeeze between the blades of the fan. That's the last weak point in the whole building ."

"Blades!" Axel squeaked. "Won't I get cut in half?" "The air conditioning is turned off at night, so you'll be able to slip through. Now, remember this: drop down twenty metres.

...turn left for twenty metres..

...drop down another five and you'll be immediately over th Diiamond Moon...