Sora now said too many words for Rusty to remember, both in English and Japanese. The bird could string sentences together, such as the most recent one, ‘Please keep Hannah away,’ which Rusty thought a very sensible sentence to learn.
And, finally, there was Hannah herself. She remained largely silent, but when she did speak it was quite amazing. That afternoon she had detailed some mistakes Maximilian had made in a scientific experiment he’d conducted back in Berlin. Maximilian seemed proud of Hannah, but reddened at being corrected by his cat. Rusty supposed it showed there were both good and bad things about having a talking pet. Hannah might be as smart as Nader Heydar and, indeed, he’d caught Nader watching her with an engrossed expression on his face more than once that day.
In between classes and at mealtimes, Rusty thought about the meeting that morning with Kyle and Wilhelmina. His heart had almost exploded when BJ stepped into the clearing and confronted the pair, and yet, he’d hardly hesitated before following the big man.
And what happened after that . . .
Rusty swallowed.
They’d made a plan.
He badly wanted to tell the others, but BJ had said it was safer if no-one else knew. So, after school, Rusty came outside to think. Fear hung over him like the dark clouds gathering over the island.
Up ahead, gathered right on the edge of the cliff, he saw the clever pigs. They stood in a circle around the aircraft, Marguerite, that Rusty had last seen in the laboratory. He wandered over to them.
‘Is that strap done up tight enough, Nan?’ Bob asked. ‘And the forward thruster, did you fix the problem we were having with it earlier, Red? We don’t want this thing plunging into the ocean now, do we?’
Nan sat in the driver’s seat of the ultralight. She wore aviator’s goggles and a black leather helmet, and had a silk scarf wrapped around her neck. Holes had been cut in the leather helmet so her little pink ears could poke through. Her front two hooves impatiently waved away the concerns of the other pigs. ‘Stop fussing, boys. Let’s fly this thing! Oh, hi, Rusty. Hi, Bongo. I’m having a practice before our race on Sunday.’
‘Will you stay and watch, Rusty?’ Vin asked.
‘Yes, I’d love to,’ he said. He turned his head towards Bongo and was surprised to see a look that could only be described as wonder on the lizard’s normally impassive face.
Nan noticed it too. ‘You like flying, Bongo? Maybe you’d like to come along? There’s room for one more in here.’ She tapped the space behind her, where an extra seat sat empty. ‘Vin’s decided he’s scared of heights.’
Vin reddened, then shrugged. ‘It’s a long way down,’ the little pig said, gesturing to the grey rocks below.
Nan grunted, but Rusty understood Vin’s fear.
‘How about it, Bongo?’ Nan asked again.
‘Oh, I don’t know —’ Rusty began, but Bongo stopped him with a hiss.
The lizard blinked and looked longingly at Marguerite. He hissed again.
Was that an attempt at speaking?
‘I swear it’s perfectly safe.’ Nan moved one hoof in a cross shape over her heart. ‘I wouldn’t be in this thing otherwise.’
Rusty supposed she was right. ‘Um, sure. If Bongo wants to.’
When he looked at Bongo again, the lizard hissed happily.
‘That’s settled then. Bring him here.’
A minute later, Bongo was seated behind Nan, securely strapped into the second seat. Rusty’s stomach fluttered. His lizard sat in a pig-made aircraft, ready to fly off a cliff over some very sharp-looking rocks and an ocean that may or may not be shark-infested. He supposed they were clever pigs . . . but still.
‘Let’s go, fellas,’ Nan said.
The pigs manoeuvred the ultralight — as its name suggested, it was light enough to move easily — and faced it away from the cliffs, down a gentle grassy slope leading to the paddocks, which made Rusty feel a bit better. But was crashing on land better than crashing into the sea? Then it was too late, as Bob spun its propeller and the engine kicked into action, humming reassuringly.
The ultralight started forwards, slowly at first, then faster. Within seconds, it was halfway down the hill and then, suddenly, Nan and Bongo were airborne. The ultralight made a graceful arc and swooped back towards them, flying several metres above the ground.
‘We did it, guys! I’m flying!’ Nan called, her scarf streaming out behind her.
Bongo peered this way and that. Rusty had never seen him so animated. When Marguerite was right over Rusty, Bongo hissed loudly, his blue tongue flashing in what Rusty was sure was a smile.
Bongo looked so carefree. Rusty grinned at his lizard, adding his whoops to the snort-punctuated whooping of the pigs. Nan dipped the ultralight over the cliffs and swooped further, out over the ocean. For a moment, the pig and the lizard in the ultralight were silhouetted against the pink sunset. Rusty thought back to a week ago, when he would never have even dreamed he’d see such a sight.
‘It’s truly magnificent, isn’t it?’ Red, the largest of the pigs, stood beside Rusty. He had tears in his eyes.
‘Yes. It’s wonderful,’ Rusty whispered breathily in reply.
Ten minutes later, Rusty and the pigs ran down the slope to the paddock to greet the newly landed ultralight. Would the elation of flying kick-start Bongo’s ability to talk? Rusty desperately hoped so.
As the aircraft glided to a halt, Rusty helped unstrap Bongo as the pigs assisted Nan.
‘The air was so cold and it was surprisingly noisy, you know with the wind rushing past,’ the little pilot chattered away. ‘Oh, and the water! From above, you could see the deep water and the shallow water and — you won’t believe me — but I think I saw a whale. I’m not even joking!’
‘How was it, Bongo?’ Rusty asked as he picked up his reptile, who felt cool to the touch.
Bongo didn’t reply. He stared out at the ocean, eyes focused on something Rusty couldn’t see, before closing them, as if to shut Rusty out.
Rusty sighed and put Bongo in his pocket to warm him up. The last of Rusty’s hope dwindled and vanished. He knew for sure now: Bongo would never talk.
CHAPTER 47
RUSTY HEARS A SECRET AND TELLS A SECRET
‘Rusty!’
He lifted his head. Miss Einstein waved as she skipped down the hill towards him. He waved back, but his heart was too heavy for him to be cheered by her mood.
Miss Einstein slowed as she came closer. ‘Rusty, wasn’t that amazing? Did I see Bongo up there?’
‘Yes,’ he answered, trying to smile. ‘I think he loved it actually.’
Miss Einstein tilted her head and regarded him carefully. ‘What’s wrong then, Rusty?’
The words came flying from his mouth before he could stop them. ‘There are intruders on the island, Miss Einstein. BJ and I ran into them this morning. But that’s not the worst of it. Others are coming and they want to harm the animals.’
Miss Einstein put her hand on Rusty’s arm and smiled. ‘It’s OK, Rusty. BJ told me everything.’
Rusty frowned. ‘But how can it be OK? Aren’t you worried? Aren’t you scared?’
‘A little,’ Miss Einstein said, then she clapped and laughed as a butterfly fluttered past before turning back to Rusty. ‘But remember when I told you fear wasn’t necessarily a bad thing? BJ told me the plan this morning and I believe it is a sound one. Your conspirators will turn on their bosses when they arrive and overcome them. BJ and Jade will play their part if necessary. We just need to leave them to it, Rusty. All will be well.’ She smiled. ‘But don’t tell the others, OK? We need everyone to play along or the Rodericks might get suspicious. Plus, Nader Heydar is a bit of a fraidy-cat.’
‘There’s something else,’ Rusty cried, unable to hold back. ‘Bongo won’t talk. He’s never going to speak to me, I can tell.’
Miss Einstein stroked Bongo’s head, then stared at Rusty long and hard. ‘Rusty,’ she began, ‘I wouldn’t normally do this. I had planned to tell al
l five of you the secret of how I teach animals to talk on our last day together. I like a bit of anticipation, a bit of drama, you know?’ She grinned. ‘But I think, given all that’s going on, I’ll make an exception for you. Do you want me to tell you the secret now?’
Rusty’s heart thudded. Was Miss Einstein serious? He nodded.
‘OK then.’ She leaned over and whispered into his ear for a long minute.
His eyes widened in shock.
Was that really it? Suddenly Rusty knew exactly what he had to do.
CHAPTER 48
ASS-EM-BELLEE
‘Ass-em-bellee!’ Porky yelled.
The children giggled. ‘I taught him that at breakfast this morning,’ Shelby said, tickling Porky under the chin as she walked. ‘It’s amazing what this little guinea pig will learn to say if you offer him fresh mango and watermelon.’
The children and their pets crossed the school lawn on their way to a special assembly. Or ‘ass-em-bellee’ as Porky now said. The previous evening, Miss Einstein had announced that an urgent meeting for everyone in the school would take place in the Golden Hall at nine o’clock the next morning. So here they were, heading to school on a Saturday, surrounded by pets of all sizes and shapes.
‘I wonder what’s so important we have to attend an assembly on the weekend,’ Braithwaite grumbled. Clearly the novelty of a talking-pet school had worn off somewhat for him. The British boy sounded as annoyed as if he were back in his regular school on a Saturday.
‘Maybe they want to congratulate the pets who are talking,’ Shelby replied, making a kissing face at Porky.
‘Shelby!’ said the ever-thoughtful Akira with a glance at Rusty, who carried Bongo in his arms.
‘Oh, sorry, Rusty,’ said Shelby, though she didn’t sound too concerned. ‘You know what I meant. No offence.’
Rusty nodded. He slowed down to let the others pull ahead. He didn’t feel like being part of the group today. Probably because he didn’t feel he was a part of the group. Not anymore.
Besides, he had other issues on his mind now.
Ahead, Rusty saw Mr Moretti and Mr Fletcher wearing casual weekend attire. Mr Fletcher still wore long socks, but now he wore them with sandals. Bismarck raced over to a cowpat, dragging Braithwaite along on the lead behind him, and called out, ‘Smells extra tasty!’
The children burst into laughter. Rusty mustered a weak smile.
Bismarck abruptly turned, straining, towards an unusually large black and white cow, who stood, head lowered, a dozen steps away. The dog whined, but Braithwaite yanked his lead and the dog reluctantly fell into step with the others. Rusty paused, watching the cow from the corner of his eye, his guts churning with the knowledge that inside the costume was a large, orange-headed secret agent.
The plan was afoot.
‘Good morning, Rusty, Bongo.’
The voice came from right beside him and Rusty jumped. How did as large a man as BJ move so silently? Questions spilled out of Rusty in a whispered rush. ‘Is the plan still going ahead, BJ? Where is Kyle? Are they —?’
BJ put a hand on Rusty’s shoulder. ‘Yes,’ he whispered. ‘Our plan is still going ahead. You just need to keep calm, Rusty, OK? We have it all under control.’
Rusty went to speak but before he could, Jade appeared on BJ’s shoulder. Well, not appeared exactly, he supposed, but changed colour so Rusty could now see her. She was pink today. For the moment, anyway.
Rusty glanced over at the extra-large cow, which picked up speed and began an awkward lumbering jog towards a nearby copse of trees. Rusty glanced around and saw the other children hadn’t noticed it veer away from the other animals.
This was very fortunate for, as Rusty watched, the cow stood up on its hind legs and ran, looking suspiciously like a human being. He hurried to catch up to the others, and they made their way inside and down to the Golden Hall.
All the pets and teachers were already present. Rusty saw Reginald, the kind rabbit, in the second row. Gretel and Graham sat beside Nader, who for once was part of the audience. The cat held his fluffy chin a little too stiffly, as if annoyed about being offstage. The pigs stood together at the back of the crowd wearing lab coats. He’d seen them doing some last-minute work on Marguerite at the top of the cliff before tomorrow’s race.
Rusty knew so many of these pets now; he was friends with many of them. He bit the inside of his lip, worried he’d put all their lives at risk by agreeing to the plan.
The children sat only a few rows back from the stage, BJ and Jade behind them. Rusty’s toes tapped a nervous beat on the golden floor. Bongo — trying to sleep on his lap — hissed in annoyance.
‘Good morning, pets. Good morning, teachers and children,’ Miss Einstein greeted the room.
‘Good morning,’ chorused the audience.
As she leaned over the microphone and opened her mouth, the double doors flung open with a crack that made the audience jump.
Kyle Strummer sauntered in.
CHAPTER 49
THE ARRIVAL OF THE BAD GUYS
Kyle wore camo gear — not that he needed it, as there was no shrubbery in the Golden Hall. But it was the most flattering outfit he’d brought to the island, and if he was going to have all eyes on him, he’d like it to be while he was wearing an attractive ensemble.
Kyle put his hands on his hips and let his gaze rake the animals. He’d spent some time practising this pose. Scary but handsome. Because, although he wanted to appear frightening, it didn’t hurt if they admired his good looks at the same time.
He glanced around at the assorted animals, hoping he and Wilhelmina had made the right decision.
Too late now, Kyle.
After Wilhelmina-as-a-cow had confirmed the entire school body had moved inside for the assembly, he’d texted Lord Roderick the details of where and when to find them. Then the agents had taken the lift down to the Golden Hall.
‘Hello, everybody.’ Kyle smiled. His smile was one of his best features, or that’s what old Mrs Kent, the cook at the orphanage, used to tell him. ‘I’m Kyle and this is Wilhelmina.’ He gestured to his partner behind him.
The animals craned their necks and looked at one another, puzzled.
Kyle turned around. Wilhelmina stood outside, not visible from the hall. ‘Wilhelmina! Get in here! And shut the door behind you!’
Wilhelmina hesitated a moment then moved forwards with tiny, reluctant steps until she stood just inside the hall. She’d left her cow costume behind a tree and wore the full body leotard she’d had on beneath it. The shiny, stretchy fabric emphasised her powerful physique, and some of the animals gasped as they craned their necks to look up at her.
Kyle waited impatiently while she closed and locked the door. ‘You stay there, Wilhelmina,’ Kyle said and strode towards the stage without looking back. He grabbed the microphone from Miss Einstein, gesturing for her to take a seat with the audience. She climbed down the stairs and sat beside BJ.
‘Good morning, everyone!’ Kyle yelled into the microphone, which rang with feedback so loudly that everyone groaned, and those not standing on all four legs covered their ears.
‘Sorry. Sorry,’ he muttered. ‘Good morning, everyone.’ This time he spoke normally, but no-one responded. Rude, Kyle thought. ‘You are probably wondering why we are here. Well, I can say that it’s not good news, I’m afraid. We’ve been sent to close down this school.’
The animals started muttering.
‘Quiet!’ Kyle yelled, and the room fell silent. He peered around the audience, noticing BJ and Rusty sitting in front of him. Kyle leaned towards the microphone, but as he did, a sudden series of staccato knocks on the door made him stumble, and he let out a little shriek.
‘That will be Lord and Lady Roderick,’ Kyle said in a confident voice, though he peered around once more, seeking out BJ and Rusty. When the enormous tattooed man gave an ever-so-slight nod of his head, Kyle relaxed a little. Once Lord and Lady Roderick entered the room, he and Wilhelmina, tog
ether with BJ, would be able to overpower them and save the day.
‘Get the door, Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina!’
The tall woman was staring, mesmerised, at the side of BJ’s octopus-tattooed face. When BJ turned his blue eyes to her, Wilhelmina blushed a furious red. She spun around and flung open the door.
Lord and Lady Roderick strode into the Golden Hall, followed by a dozen or so men dressed just like Kyle. The men fanned out in a well-practised manoeuvre, surrounding the audience, while their bosses walked up to the stage.
Lord Roderick hadn’t said they’d have backup, Kyle thought, his heart sinking. So much for the plan. They’d never be able to overpower the Rodericks with the other agents — guards — so nearby. They would just have to wait and hope for another opportunity to come up.
Lord Roderick stood silently facing Kyle until Kyle remembered who he was supposed to be working for and reluctantly stepped away from the microphone. ‘Thank you for getting everyone here, Mr Strummer. And to you, Miss Beckford. We’ll take it from here,’ Lord Roderick said, nodding at both agents, before he turned to the audience with a thin smile. ‘Hello, everyone,’ he said. ‘Well. Look at you all. So many animals! Talking animals, no less. It is wonderful to finally be here, at Miss Alice Einstein’s School for Talking Pets.’
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