by Jan Burchett
“Spluttering gutterz!” exclaimed Bart. “How did you all get here?”
Toby grinned, his golden eyes flashing. “I flew all the way.”
“I came in Ben’s rucksack after school,” added Barney.
“I turned into a sssnake and ssslithered here,” Eli told him. “I made the girl in next door’s garden ssscream,” he added. The snakes on his head giggled at this in a hissy sort of way.
“I was invisible,” said Zack, bouncing on the bed and knocking the other gargoylz over. “Well – most of the time.”
“Everyone’s going to sleep here tonight,” Ben told Bart. “We’re going to have fun. Here’s our midnight feast.” He pulled a huge chocolate cake and a bottle of fizzy drink from under the bed. The gargoylz sat up, tongues hanging out. “It’s going to be awesome.”
“Is it?” said Bart doubtfully.
“And I’ve brought cookies!” said Max, taking a tin out of his rucksack. “Jessica made them with Mum – and gave some to me! Can’t think what came over her.”
“Cookiez and cake. Cookiez and cake!” shouted Zack excitedly, bounding about the bedroom.
“Everyone’s here,” said Barney eagerly. “Let’s start the feast now.”
“Feasts are silly,” said Bart.
The other gargoylz dived for the cake.
“It’s not midnight yet,” said Ben, sliding it quickly back under the bed.
“Besides – anyone seen Theo?” asked Max, looking around.
“That’s odd,” said Eli. “He ssset off when I did. He changed into a kitten first, of courssse.”
“He should be here by now then,” said Max, puzzled.
“I’ll go down and have a look outside,” suggested Ben. “He might not remember which house to come to.”
“Well, he is only four hundred and twelve,” said Toby. “Young gargoylz aren’t very good at directions.”
Ben went off downstairs. In an instant he was back, a look of horror on his face.
“Arabella’s got him!” he gasped. “My stupid sister thinks he’s a real cat. She’s made him a bed on the windowsill with a fluffy cushion and a blanket.”
“We’ll never get him back now!” said Bart grumpily.
“Course we will!” exclaimed Toby. “Gargoylz to the rescue!” He bounced off the bed and made for the door.
“You can’t go down,” Ben told him. “You’ll be seen.”
Toby’s face fell.
“Don’t worry,” said Max. “I’ve got a plan – secret plan: Gargoyle Chain. Agent Neal, the sitting-room window is right under yours, correct?”
Ben nodded. “Correct, Agent Black.” “Then this is what we do,” Max said. “You hold Barney’s feet and dangle him out of the window, Barney holds Bart’s feet, Bart holds Toby’s, Toby holds Eli’s and Eli holds Zack’s so that Zack is at the bottom, level with the sitting-room window. A chain of gargoylz!”
“Sounds dangerous,” huffed Bart.
Ben grinned. “Will be for me if Barney does a bottom burp!”
“Sounds fun,” said Toby. “As good as a prank!”
Zack, Eli and Barney nodded in agreement.
“Zack makes himself invisible so Arabella doesn’t see him,” Max went on. “Then he swings in through the window and grabs Theo. Simple.”
“And I haul them up to safety,” finished Ben. “Brilliant plan, Agent Black. But what if Arabella sees Theo being whisked away?”
“She won’t,” said Max. “I’ll go down and cunningly distract her. When she finds Theo’s gone she’ll just think he jumped out of the window. It can’t fail!” He strode over to the door. “Wish me luck,” he said grimly. “I’m going into dangerous territory.”
Max peeped round the sitting-room door. His radar went into overdrive: pigtails bobbing, school badge gleaming, simpering smile all over her face. He knew what that meant. It was Enemy Agent Arabella Neal, Ben’s sister, codename: Manic Monitor.
“What are you doing here?” said Arabella suspiciously when she saw him creep in. “Keep away from my new kitten.”
“What a lovely little tabby!” Max managed to say, edging towards Theo, who was curled up in his bed, purring. “Where did you get it?”
“Poor Fluffikins was stuck up a tree,” said Arabella. “He was so scared he was stiff as a statue. Now he needs to recover. So don’t disturb him.”
Max realized that Theo must have been on his way to the sleepover when he’d been surprised by a human – Arabella – though it was hard to think of Ben’s sister as human. The little gargoyle had frozen on the spot and Arabella had grabbed him.
Max took another step towards the window. He had to distract Arabella. The gargoyle chain must be ready by now.
“Cool!” he said suddenly, pointing towards the opposite corner of the room. “Look! There’s a dear little mouse on the floor over there.”
Arabella swung round to look. “A mouse!” she gasped. “I’d better pick it up before Fluffikins sees it.”
She got down on her hands and knees and crawled into the corner.
Perfect! thought Max. He quickly undid the latch on the window and pushed it open wide. “We’ve come to rescue you, Theo,” he whispered.
To his surprise the kitten gave him a very cross glare. “Go away!” it mewed.
“I can’t see a mouse.” Arabella pouted as she stood up again. “Are you playing one of your silly tricks?”
Max rushed over to her side. “It was there, honest!” he exclaimed, pointing under a table. “I’m too clumsy to get it. You try. It probably won’t be so scared of you.”
Arabella dived under the table. Max glanced back at the window – just as Theo put out a determined paw and shut it!
As he did so there was a thump and Zack appeared, flattened against the pane of glass. He looked very surprised. The next minute he was whisked up out of sight and Max heard faint cackles of gargoyle laughter.
He zoomed out of the room, leaving Arabella under the table. He had to find his friends and work out a new plan.
When Max got back upstairs, Zack was sitting on the bed. His nose was bright red.
“Ssso much for the gargoyle chain,” said Eli. “Although it was fun hanging upside down.”
“Can we do it again?” asked Barney, the spikes on his back rippling hopefully.
“No!” declared Zack, rubbing his nose.
“I haven’t laughed so much since we put pepper in the vicar’s hymn book,” said Toby.
“Trouble is,” Max pointed out, “Theo’s having a really good time. He doesn’t want to be rescued!”
“He’s been brainwashed by your sister, Ben!” said Bart solemnly. “I think he’s doomed.”
“We don’t seem to be cheering Bart up much,” Max whispered to Ben. “He’s gloomier than ever. And we can’t start the sleepover without Theo.”
“We’ll soon change that,” said Ben, “with my new plan.” He dashed out of the room and was soon back carrying a furry toy cat. “Secret Plan: Swap the Cats. Agent Black, you distract Arabella. I’ll grab Theo and put this toy cat in his place. It looks a bit like him.”
“Stay here, gargoylz,” said Max as they set off downstairs. “We’ll soon have your friend back.”
Ben put the toy cat behind his back and the two boys stepped boldly into the sitting room. Arabella was brushing Theo’s coat. Theo seemed to be enjoying it. The boys stood there open-mouthed at the soppy scene.
“There wasn’t a mouse,” said Arabella accusingly as soon as she saw them. “That was a stupid trick, Max.”
Max gulped. How was he going to distract her this time? He’d have to talk to her. And that meant girly chat! Yuck! But he had to do it or Theo would be lost for good.
“How could you think that dear little mouse was a trick?” he said, pretending to be hurt. “It was such a sweet little thing with its bright pink eyes and bright pink . . . ears and everything . . .”
Arabella sniffed crossly.
“ . . . and you could have made
such a cute little home for it,” Max ploughed on in a yucky voice. He could see that Arabella’s eyes now had a faraway look as she thought about this. “You could have called it ‘Squeaky’s Palace’ . . . or something sweet like that . . .” He glanced over at Ben, wondering how long he was going to have to keep up this ghastly rubbish.
Then he heaved a sigh of relief. Ben had made the switch and was already halfway out of the room with Theo in his arms. Max was just starting to follow when Theo let out a loud, indignant Meow!
“Fluffikins!” shrieked Arabella, startled out of her daydream. “How dare you! Give him back!” She snatched Theo from Ben. “I’m fed up with you two and your tricks,” she snapped, throwing the toy cat at the boys. “Just go away and don’t come back!”
Theo looked extremely smug as Arabella settled him back down in his bed and launched into a soothing lullaby.
“I can’t believe it,” said Ben, throwing the toy cat onto the bed. “Theo doesn’t even mind Arabella’s dreadful singing. She’ll be dressing him up next!”
“Spluttering gutterz!” declared Toby, flapping his wings in excitement. “That’s given me an idea for the next plan. Find something really terrible that Theo would hate to wear, then tell your sister he’d love it. That should do the trick! Theo will be out of there before you can say whooshing waterspouts.”
Ben looked at the toy cat. It was wearing a pink collar with sparkling diamond studs. “What about this!” he exclaimed, pulling it off and waving it in the air. “Secret Plan: Pink Horror.”
“Just the thing!” chorused the gargoylz.
“Don’t be surprised if he likes it,” muttered Bart.
“Not you two again!” tutted Arabella in disgust as Ben and Max sidled into the sitting room once more.
“We’ve just come to say sorry,” said Max. “Haven’t we, Ben?”
Ben nodded. “And to give you something nice for your new kitten to wear.” He held out the collar.
Arabella snatched it and inspected it suspiciously.
“No tricks,” said Max solemnly. “It’s just a nice sparkly collar – it’ll look much better on your kitten than on that silly stuffed toy.”
“It is very sweet,” cooed Arabella, advancing on Theo, who was curled up in his rug, eyes closed. “Look what I’ve got here, Fluffikins.” She dangled the collar in front of him.
Max and Ben held their breath. At the sound of Arabella’s voice Theo woke up. Then he saw the collar in her hands. It sparkled in the sunlight. He leaped out of his bed with a horrified yowl and raced around the room.
Arabella chased after him. “Come back!” she shrieked, knocking over vases and scattering newspapers. Max and Ben burst out laughing – then stopped abruptly as the sitting-room door was flung open and Ben’s mum rushed in. Max looked at Ben in horror.
How would they ever rescue Theo now? “What’s going on, Arabella?” she demanded. “And what is that kitten doing here?”
“I found it up next door’s tree,” panted Arabella, making a dive for Theo’s tail. “I’m looking after it.”
“Take it back straight away,” said her mother. “It’s not yours and the neighbours will be missing it.”
“But, Mum—” wailed Arabella.
“No arguments,” said Mum firmly.
“Why don’t Max and I take the kitten back?” suggested Ben. “We don’t mind,” he added, opening his blue eyes wide and looking helpful.
“That would be very kind.” Mum smiled gratefully at the boys.
“You won’t be able to catch him,” said Arabella nastily.
Ben walked towards the kitten. Theo gave a meow and leaped into his arms. Ben smiled innocently and he and Max sped out of the door, leaving Arabella fuming.
The boys burst into the bedroom to a rousing cheer from the gargoylz, who gathered around Theo as he wriggled back into his gargoyle shape.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” he said. “I enjoyed being fussed over, but that collar was too much. If that’s what kittens have to wear I’ll never let myself get caught again!”
“Now that’s all sorted out,” said Ben, “we can get on with having fun.”
Bart’s ears pricked up. “Fun?” he said. “What sort of fun?”
Max winked at Ben. Bart was cheering up at last.
Max grinned. “Just you wait and see. This sleepover’s going to be awesome.”
4. Midnight Feast Fun
MAX LOOKED AT his gargoyle friends, who were sitting in a row on Ben’s bed, and grinned. “This is going to be the best sleepover ever!” he declared. “What shall we do first?”
“Cookiez and cake! Cookiez and cake!” shouted Zack, jumping up and down on the duvet.
“They’re for later,” Max told him. “Ben and I have only just had supper. Anyway, we have to eat them at midnight. That’s why it’s called a midnight feast.”
“Let’s play a game,” suggested Ben.
“Good thinking, Agent Neal,” said Max. “How about Twister?”
The gargoylz looked puzzled. Max got out a box and laid a big plastic sheet over the floor. On the sheet were different coloured circles.
Toby, Barney and Zack immediately leaped off the bed and jumped in and out of the circles.
Eli turned into a snake and slithered around, tripping them all up.
“Everyone off,” laughed Ben. “The game hasn’t started yet.”
The gargoylz reluctantly stepped off the mat.
“Each time I call out a colour you all put one paw on a circle of that colour,” explained Max. He spun an arrow on a card. “And this will tell you which paw. Look, put your front left paw on a red circle and keep it there.” He spun again. “Now left back on a green circle. Last one to fall over wins. Eli, you need your paws so you’d better change back.”
“Come and join in, Bart,” said Ben. “It’s a lot of fun.”
“Certainly not,” grumbled Bart. “Looks much too dangerous to me.” And he hid his face in his gladiator skirt.
“Come on, Bart,” said Zack, patting him on the back and knocking him off the bed.
“Just one game then,” mumbled Bart.
Soon the mat was a tangle of scrambling gargoylz, with Bart in the middle, a big grin on his face.
“I’m winning!” Bart declared. “That’s because you’re sitting on my wing,” moaned Toby.
Suddenly they heard footsteps outside. The gargoylz dived under a chest of drawers just as Ben’s mum stuck her head round the door.
“It’s getting late, boys,” she said, smiling. “No more jumping about. Time to settle down.”
She went out again, closing the door. The gargoylz crawled out as Max and Ben quickly pulled on their pyjamas.
“Good game!” exclaimed Zack.
Bart nodded. “Very enjoyable. Especially as I won!”
“No you didn’t,” laughed Barney. “You pushed us all over!”
“Didn’t!” said Bart.
“Did!” said all the other gargoylz.
“Shhhh!” warned Ben. “Mum’ll hear.” He pulled out a lilo and began to blow it up with a foot pump.
“What’s that?” asked Theo, poking the flabby plastic with his paw.
“It’s Max’s bed,” said Ben.
The gargoylz immediately jumped onto the lilo and rolled about as it filled with air.
“There’s only one thing wrong with this sssleepover,” said Eli. “Ben’s got his bed and Max has got the ssspare one. Where are we going to sssleep?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Ben. “How about hanging off the windowsill? Or would you feel more at home dangling from the bookshelves?”
“But it’s not a proper sssleepover if we don’t have a bed like you,” said Eli.
Ben ran to the cupboard. “I’ve got an idea,” he grunted as he pulled a sleeping bag and a couple of pillows off the top shelf. “You can sleep in this. It should be big enough for you all.”
He opened the sleeping bag up and folded it so that it looked like
a bed, with the pillows arranged at the top. The gargoylz piled in excitedly.
“Move up, Zack,” said Toby. “And stop those snakes wriggling about, Eli. They tickle. That’s it – now we all fit.”
Ben put his bedside light on and turned the main one off.
“This is so cosy,” purred Theo. “Much better than that bed your sister made.”
“Lovely,” yawned Barney. “So comfortable . . .” His voice faded out and he fell asleep.
Toby nudged him. “You’ve got to stay awake for the midnight feast.”
Barney jerked awake. “Sorry,” he said, with his eyes half closed.
“We’ve got to do something to keep him awake,” Ben told Max. “It’s ages till midnight.”
“I’ve got a plan!” Max winked at him. “Let’s tell a spooky story. No one can sleep through that.”
“Brilliant, Agent Black,” said Ben.
“Don’t know any spooky stories,” said Toby, looking puzzled. “Do we, gargoylz?” The others shook their heads.
“I know a good one,” said Max. “Turn your light off, Ben. We need my multicoloured torch for this.”
He sat down next to Ben. Then he shone his torch up under his chin, bathing his face in a ghostly green glow as he began his tale.
“Deep in the dark, dark wood lived a boy,” he began in a creepy voice. “And one dark, dark night he went out into the dark, dark wood and—”
He stopped. There were footsteps on the landing outside, getting nearer.
“Dangling drainpipes!” squeaked Barney, his floppy ears pricked up with fright. “It’s something scary coming to get us!”
“Worse than that,” said Ben. “It’s my parents. They must be on their way to bed. Quiet, everybody.”
Max turned off his torch and they all sat in the dark, listening as the footsteps went past the door. The footsteps continued into Ben’s parents’ bedroom and the door closed. Max switched on the torch again.