www.hodderchildrens.co.uk
Copyright © 1999 Paul van Loon
Illustrations copyright © 1999 Hugo van Look
English language translation © 2010 David Colmer
First published in The Netherlands under the title Voile Maan
by Uitgeverij Leopold in 1999
Published by arrangement with Rights People, London
First published in Great Britain in 2010 by Hodder Children’s Books
This ebook edition published in 2011
The right of Paul van Loon and Hugo van Look to be identified as the Author and Illustrator of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
The publishers are grateful for the support of the Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature.
All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form, or by any means with prior permission in writing from the publishers or in the case of reprographic production in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency and may not be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 44490 502 1
Typeset in Weiss by Avon DataSet Ltd,
Bidford on Avon, Warwickshire
Hodder Children’s Books
a division of Hachette Children’s Books
338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH
An Hachette UK Company
www.hachette.co.uk
For Manisha
1
Run!
‘You, stop!’
Alfie Span didn’t stop and he didn’t look back at the man who was chasing him in the dark on a motorbike. He kept running as fast as he could. The man had a big head of bushy hair and a big moustache and he was wearing a big leather coat. He roared over the pavements and swerved between the parked cars, the beam of his headlight zigzagging across the street.
Alfie shot from left to right, but the light kept following him. His heart was pounding in his chest. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth.
‘Tired, eh?’ the man yelled. ‘I’ll get you!’
But Alfie ducked out of the way and hid in the shadows. Panting, he looked from left to right. Where could he go? He was worn out and his stomach was full because he’d just stuffed himself. That was why he couldn’t run fast enough. He looked up at the full moon in desperation, and immediately stepped in a puddle, splashing water up into his eyes.
‘I’ll get you, yes, you horrible hen hunter,’ the man shouted behind him.
The moon disappeared behind a black cloud. Rain pattered down on the roofs of the cars and the street turned gleaming black. The next thing Alfie knew, a bright light was glaring in his eyes. He flinched and covered his face.
‘I’ve got you now!’ he heard.
Alfie saw a black silhouette on a motorbike.
The man jerked the handlebars, making the motorbike rear up like a horse. Then he pulled a club out from under his coat. Alfie looked around and shrank. There was nowhere to run. The motorbike towered over him as the man swung the club over his head. Things were looking bad for Alfie, but that was just for a second.
The rain had made the road so slippery that the back wheel slid. The motorbike skidded and fell, sending the man rolling over the road and the club bouncing on to the pavement. The back wheel screeched as it spun around in the air.
For a moment Alfie stood there gaping. He could hardly believe he’d escaped.
‘Run, you idiot!’ he growled to himself.
He glanced back one last time at the furious man, who was picking himself up, then ran off on all fours, as fast as he could.
‘Eh, stop, you nasty little wolf.’
The roar of the motorbike started up again as Alfie ran around a corner. Someone grabbed him. Two hands pushed him to the ground. Something came down on top of him.
2
Deaf?
‘Quick, get up and put this coat on fast,’ a voice hissed. Alfie’s heart leapt.
‘Tim! What are you doing here? I—’
‘No time.’ Tim sounded hurried. ‘Stand on your hind legs. Stick your forepaws in the sleeves, quick.’
He helped Alfie into the long raincoat as the roar of the motorbike came closer. Tim pulled a baseball cap down over Alfie’s head and wrapped a scarf around his neck and chin, so that only his glasses were visible. The rain was still beating down. Water was dripping off of Alfie’s tail, which was sticking out slightly under the coat. Tim’s hair was sopping wet too.
‘Come on, let’s get home,’ he said.
A beam of white light swept over them and the throbbing motorbike stopped just in front of them.
‘Eh, boys, wait a sec, eh?’
Tim held up one hand to keep the bright light out of his eyes. Alfie stayed as quiet as a mouse and looked the other way. The man on the motorbike wiped his nose with his arm and sniffed loudly.
‘Did you see a wolf run past here? A little white one, eh? With glasses.’
Tim cocked an eyebrow and twisted his face into a crooked grin. ‘A wolf with glasses, you say?’ He snorted with exaggerated laughter.
‘There’s no need to laugh at me, eh?’ the man growled. ‘There was a white wolf in my henhouse. It was wearing glasses! And it ate one of my hens. A nice fat one, eh?’
‘A fat white wolf with glasses?’ Tim asked.
‘No, a fat hen. I was going to eat it myself for Christmas, eh?’
The headlight was still shining on Tim and Alfie. The man studied them and sniffed again. Rainwater dripped from his moustache.
‘Maybe your friend saw something, eh?’ he asked.
Alfie didn’t say a word. His glasses were covered with raindrops but he was too scared to wipe the lenses. He hoped the man wouldn’t look down at his feet.
The man peered at him. ‘What are you being so quiet about, eh?’ He got off his motorbike. ‘I asked you something, pea-brain. You deaf or what? Show your face, eh?’ He lunged at the scarf. Alfie shrank back.
‘No …’
3
Belt Friends
Quickly Tim moved over in front of Alfie.
‘Oh,’ he exclaimed. ‘Now I remember. I did see something white run past a minute ago.’ He pointed. ‘Over there, on the other side of the street. I thought it was a dog or something.’
‘That was it!’ the man shouted. ‘Not a dog or something, a wolf! You should have told me at once, eh? Stupid brat! If it gets away, it’s your fault.’
The man jumped on his motorbike, muttered something to himself and shot off down the street and into the darkness. The roar of the motor died away in the distance. Tim looked at Alfie.
‘Phew, that was close. What a bully.’ He shook his head. ‘You have to leave the chickens alone, Alfie. It’s way too dangerous. People get furious when you eat up their chickens. What if someone caught you one night?’
Alfie pulled away the scarf to wipe his muzzle with a paw.
‘Wrow,’ he growled. ‘I’m sorry, Tim. I couldn’t help it.’ He pointed up. ‘It’s full moon. You know what happens …’ He tugged at his tail in embarrassment. ‘I got the werewolf hunger again. I chose a chicken coop all the way over here on the other side of town, just to be on the safe side. How was I to know that guy would come after me on his motorbike?�
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Tim shook his head. ‘You know what to do when you get the werewolf hunger. Eat a raw steak from the fridge. A nice juicy one. That helps. Grandpa told you that, remember?’
Alfie nodded. ‘There weren’t any raw steaks in the fridge, so …’
Tim sighed. ‘I understand. Of course. Mum forgot to get some new steaks. It’s lucky I woke up and saw you were gone. That’s why I came looking for you.’
‘I’m glad you did,’ said Alfie quietly. ‘That man had me cornered. I wouldn’t have got away if it hadn’t been for you.’ He laid his head on Tim’s shoulder. ‘Wrow, you’re my best friend. For now and for ever.’
Tim chuckled. ‘Come on, let’s get home. We won’t tell Mum and Dad. They don’t want us running around in the rain at night. If they find out, they won’t let us go on the school trip.’
Together they trudged home in the rain.
‘And,’ Tim asked, ‘was it a yummy chicken?’
‘It was OK,’ Alfie growled. ‘I always get feathers between my teeth. It’s like biting a pillow.’
Behind them they suddenly heard a familiar drone. Alfie jumped a good metre in the air.
‘That’s him again!’ He dived behind Tim.
‘Oh!’ said Tim.
‘What is it?’ growled Alfie.
‘Oh, no!’
‘What? What?’
‘Careful. Here comes …’
‘What? Tell me. What?’
‘An old lady on a chopper.’ Tim sniggered.
‘What?’
An old lady puttered past on a tiny moped. She was wearing a big pink helmet and had an enormous shopping bag on the back of the moped. Alfie thumped Tim on the shoulder.
‘You pain!’
Tim grinned. ‘You fell for it. Come on, let’s go home.’
They raced off down the street.
4
The Flu
Alfie opened his eyes and immediately thought, It’s the school trip today. He washed, got dressed and ran downstairs, charged into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast table with a smile on his face.
‘Good morning, Alfie,’ said Tim’s mother. ‘Do you feel like an egg?’
‘No, thanks,’ Alfie answered. ‘I’m not really hungry.’
Tim’s mother looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded. ‘I understand. It’s nerves. You can hardly wait to go on the school trip, but you still need to eat. Otherwise you’ll never grow up to be a big werewolf.’ Mum laughed and winked at Alfie. ‘You can’t go off on an empty stomach.’
Alfie gave a deep, happy sigh. He was so lucky to live with Tim and his parents. They knew his secret and loved him anyway.
Each month at full moon, Alfie turned into a wolf at night. Sometimes it happened once a month, sometimes twice, but never more than three times in a row.
Besides Tim and his parents, no one knew Alfie’s secret. Alfie didn’t remember his own parents. They had abandoned him when they found out he was a werewolf. But Tim’s parents had taken him into their house lovingly. They weren’t bothered about him being a werewolf. Tim’s father even thought it was cool. And Tim was his very best friend, who always protected him. I am so lucky, thought Alfie.
‘What are you dreaming about, Alf?’
Tim’s father sat down at the table. He had an elephant tea cosy on his head and he was wearing a purple dressing gown that was decorated with little elephants. Bright-red elephants were dangling from his earlobes. Tim’s father liked to be different and today he was having an elephant day. He winked at Alfie.
‘Er, nothing special,’ said Alfie. ‘I was thinking about how great it is to live with you. And today Tim and I are going on the school trip together.’
‘We think it’s great having you here with us too, Alf,’ Tim’s father said. ‘You’re a sweet boy and a fabulous werewolf.’
Alfie smiled. ‘What’s keeping Tim? We have to get going. I’ve already packed all my stuff.’
‘Er, there’s a slight problem,’ Tim’s mother said. She put a boiled egg down in front of Tim’s father and laid a hand on Alfie’s shoulder. ‘Tim’s in bed with the flu. He can’t go on the school trip with you.’
Alfie was so shocked he knocked over his teacup.
5
Don’t Worry
Alfie jumped up. ‘What? Tim, sick? He can’t be. He mustn’t be. I mean, what about the school trip? I can’t go alone, can I? What if I change?’ Alfie paced around the table nervously.
‘Come on, son, relax,’ Mum said, putting Alfie’s teacup back on the saucer and wiping the table dry with a cloth. ‘It’s not a problem. You can stay home too if you like.’
Alfie froze. ‘Stay home? And miss the trip?’
Dad shrugged. ‘If you don’t want to go, we won’t make you, but there’s nothing to be afraid of.’
He walked over to where the week planner was hanging on the wall. ‘Look, you can see here. It won’t be full moon again until next week. Tim’s marked it with a cross. You’ll be long back by then, so you don’t need to worry about turning into a werewolf during the school trip.’
Just then the doorbell rang. Alfie walked into the hall.
‘You never know,’ he mumbled. ‘Maybe I’d better stay home anyway.’
He opened the door to a girl with long black hair. Her face was the light-brown colour of coffee with milk.
‘Hi, Alfie,’ she said. ‘You ready?’
Alfie stared at her with big eyes and his glasses slid down to the tip of his nose. ‘Noura!’
The girl smiled. She had brown eyes with little specks of gold in them. They were the prettiest eyes Alfie had ever seen.
‘You are coming on the school trip, aren’t you? Or are you staying here?’
‘What are you talking about? Coming on the school trip? Of course I am! I’m all ready. I’ll just grab my stuff.’
Alfie did a little skip, grabbed his coat off the hook and ran into the kitchen. ‘Um … Mum, Dad, I’m off. See you in three days.’
Dad scratched his head under the tea cosy. ‘You sure you want to go, Alfie?’
Alfie nodded. ‘Sure, it’s only two nights. You can get by without me for that long.’
He kissed Tim’s father on the forehead and hugged Tim’s mother, then he hurried out of the kitchen.
‘Wow, he’s full of confidence all of a sudden,’ Dad said.
Tim’s mother smiled. ‘Yes … Noura. You know what I mean? I think Alfie’s a bit crazy about her. He has been ever since he went to her birthday party.’
Dad nodded. ‘That’s true, I’d forgotten. Clever of Noura to turn him into a daredevil just like that.’
Mum winked at Dad. ‘Oh, I remember you being quite a daredevil too when we’d just met.’
A dreamy look came into Dad’s eyes. ‘That’s true. I was completely fearless, I remember it well. Riding my bike with no hands. Drinking tea without sugar. Crossing the road barefoot. I did it all for you.’
‘My hero,’ Mum giggled.
Alfie grabbed his backpack and his sleeping bag and walked to the front door. ‘Noura, I’m ready.’
‘Great, let’s go,’ Noura said.
‘Bye!’ Alfie called for the last time, pulling the door shut behind him. In the same instant Tim appeared at the top of the stairs.
‘Alfie, wait!’ he shouted.
Tim’s face was flushed. His forehead was gleaming with sweat and his eyes looked funny.
‘Stop him! Don’t let him go!’
6
Wrong!
Mum stepped into the hall and looked up at Tim, who was holding on to the banister with both hands. His pyjama top was drenched with sweat.
‘Young man, what do you think you’re doing? Go back to bed this instant.’
‘Call Alfie back,’ Tim said in a weak voice. ‘He can’t go on the trip without me.’
Mum shook her head. ‘Alfie will be fine. There’s nothing to worry about. We checked the week planner. It’s not full moon until next week.’
‘That’s wrong!’ Tim shouted, swaying forward dangerously. Mum rushed up the stairs, grabbed him just in time and pushed him back on to the landing. Drops of sweat fell from his forehead as he slumped in Mum’s arms.
‘Quick, let’s get you back into bed,’ Mum said. ‘You’ve got quite a temperature and you’re delirious.’
Mum pulled Tim back to his room, but he struggled against her with all his might.
‘No,’ he panted. ‘Wait! Listen! I’ve got a temperature, but I’m not delirious. You know how I always tear the page off the week planner at the end of the week?’
Mum nodded. ‘Yes, and you do it very well.’
Tim shook his head. ‘Do you know what day it is today?’
Mum smiled. ‘Of course. I just checked. It’s Monday 12 October.’
Tim sighed. Instead of red he was now deathly pale.
‘Wrong,’ he whispered. ‘Yesterday I forgot to tear off the page because I’d come down with the flu. I didn’t give it a second thought.’
‘Hold on,’ Mum said. ‘Hold on now. Which page exactly are you talking about?’
‘The page of the week planner. It’s a week later than you think. Today is 19 October. There’ll be a full moon tonight.’
Mum blinked and stared at Tim silently. A tea cosy in the shape of an elephant came up the stairs. Under it was Tim’s father.
‘Check your watch!’ Mum said.
Dad looked at her with surprise. ‘It’s half past nine, honey, I can tell you that without looking.’
‘Not the time,’ Mum said. ‘The date! I want to know what day it is!’
Dad smiled. ‘I can even tell you that, sweetheart. It’s 12 October. We just saw it on the week planner, remember?’
Alfie the Werewolf 2: Full Moon Page 1