The Further Adventures of Aardvark Jenkins

by Laszlo Thribb

yet. I'll tell you later."

  Richard gave him a suspicious look. "No going in on your own."

  "I won't. Scout's honour."

  "Okay. About one o'clock, Hal?"

  "Okay," she shrugged. "Hey, I've got to go out too. Simpson hasn't had his walk."

  The beagle heard the magic word and began to bark and jump around. The best part of the day had arrived.

  "Er, one thing, Hal," Thomas seemed very sheepish. "Does your dad have any XO, any whisky?"

  "XO!" she looked shocked. "Tee. What are you up to? Okay, hang on Simpson."

  "Just trust me. Have you got any?"

  "Yes, there's all the bottles of XO and things people give him at Christmas and Chinese New Year, and he never drinks any. But why?"

  "Can I have one?"

  "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He wouldn't even notice one, but ... what are you up to?"

  "Please?"

  "Oh, all right. But you'd better explain later. Promise."

  "Cross my heart and hope to die." He looked at her. "Well, not literally, you know."

  "Oh! ... Come on Simpson."

  1.Chapter Eight

  Richard braked to a stop outside Henrietta's house. Her bedroom light was on. That was their pre-arranged signal that something was up, and she couldn't make it. He sighed, and was just about to pedal off when the light went out and the window opened.

  A bundle appeared, then Henrietta's head and shoulders. "Catch," she hissed and began lowering the bundle on a rope. It was wriggling and squirming as if it had a life of its own.

  Henrietta jumped out of the window after it. She tiptoed across the flat roof of the patio and shinned down the drainpipe. She bent and undid the rucksack and Simpson wriggled out wuffing and shaking himself.

  Richard shook his head in alarm. "We can't take a dog."

  "Well I can't leave him in my bedroom. He'd bark the house down." She vanished behind the house and appeared a few seconds later pedalling her bike. "I've already woken up the whole family."

  "How?"

  "My mum's burglar alarm. I forgot all about it. I opened the window to get out and it triggered the whole system. Bells ringing, lights flashing ..." she paused for breath. "I said I was sorry, I just wanted some air."

  "So how did you get out?"

  "Easy! First year physics. I unscrewed the little magnet from the window frame and stuck it on the sensor with sticky tape. The stupid system thinks the window's shut tight."

  "So who's the little electronic genius, then?" Richard was genuinely impressed.

  "Oh, it was nothing." She tried not to look too pleased. "Come on Simpson. Big walkies." She slung her leg over her bike. "Tee. Did you find out what he was up to?"

  "He wouldn't say, he was very mysterious. Come on, it's a long way to Kranji."

  It seemed even further in the dark than it had the day before, and they were very glad when the familiar floodlamps came in sight. Thomas stepped out into the road in front of them, and showed them where to hide their bikes behind a wall. Henrietta explained about having to bring Simpson along.

  "All right," he said. "But he can't come into the factory. We'll have to leave him outside."

  "Okay," said his mistress. "But what have you been up to? What was all that about the whisky?"

  "I've been arranging things," he replied. "Come on. Quiet Simpson. Quiet, okay?"

  The beagle wagged his tail as if he understood. But then, he wagged his tail like mad whenever anyone spoke to him. He fell into step behind the three.

  They were halfway to the gate when Richard suddenly stopped.

  "Hey! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he said. "That man. We forgot the old man. The night watchman!"

  "Oh no we didn't."

  Henrietta and Richard looked blankly at Thomas.

  "While we were planning earlier," he looked pleased with himself, "I was thinking about the old man."

  "Let's hope he's sound asleep," said Richard.

  "He will be. Hal gave me a bottle of whisky. And I put on my cap and cycled up here and presented it to the old geezer as a gift from the Rotarians. Told him all the night watchmen were getting a bottle." He laughed. "I'm getting all the ideas this week, aren't I?"

  "That bang on the head must have done you good," said Richard dryly. "Come on."

  In spite of Thomas's preparations, they didn't take any chances. They tiptoed up to the gates and peered through. Nothing.

  Thomas went first to the gatepost where he dribbled oil from a small can on the gate hinges. Then he crossed his fingers, slid the key into the lock, turned it, and the lock snapped open.

  "Yi!" he whispered in glee.

  They pushed the gates open. In spite of Thomas's lubrication there was a loud squeal from one hinge and Henrietta's heart gave a lurch.

  But there was no challenging shout and they peered round the gatepost.

  "Sleeping like a baby," whispered Thomas looking at the snoring figure on an old wood and string bed. "Come on."

  "Hang on a minute." Henrietta turned and began closing the gates behind her.

  "What are you doing, Hal?" hissed Thomas. "That's our escape route."

  "You're not the only one around here who thinks," she answered. "What if a police patrol car passes or the man wakes up?"

  "Yeah, okay." Thomas nodded and she clicked the padlock shut. "Right," he said. "Where's this window?"

  Henrietta and Richard led him round the side of the building out of sight of the non-watching watchman, but not out of earshot of his snores. They found the right window, and it was still unlocked.

  "Right, Simpson," whispered Henrietta. "This is as far as you go." The beagle sat down and put his head on one side.

  "What if he goes and wakes up the night watchman?" Richard indicated the snoring. "Shouldn't we have tied him to our bikes or something?"

  "He'll be fine here. Honest." She patted the beagle on the head. "Simpson. Stay! Stay!"

  Simpson yawned and lay down. He didn't mind a bit of a rest. He liked a good run, but Kranji was quite a distance. He closed his eyes and was soon dreaming of fine doggy things.

  "Come on. Help me stack these cans." Thomas began piling some old paint cans under the open window. A few moments all three were standing in the ladies lavatory.

  Richard eased open the door and peered out. The huge machines looked ominous in the pale light coming in through the barred windows, and he licked his lips nervously.

  "Come on!" hissed Thomas. "We haven't got all night."

  "Oh yes we have," Richard relaxed a little. "All night long!"

  They padded silently along the empty corridor that led to the wooden stairs. Richard led the way, with Henrietta close behind and Thomas bringing up the rear.

  The machines looked even more threatening now they were up close to them. Just as disturbing were the soft rustling noises from the darker corners of the factory. Henrietta shuddered at the thought of rats and giant cockroaches.

  They arrived at the stairs and began to climb, their hearts going pitter-patter and their mouths dry. They weren't afraid; more sort of terrified.

  "This is the office we checked out this afternoon." Richard turned the handle and opened the door. It was pitch black inside.

  Richard flicked on his torch and panned it round the room.

  "There's nothing in here," said Henrietta decisively. "Let's try the others."

  She moved to the next door and opened it. Her torch shone briefly. "Looks just like the other one."

  The office opposite was the one Richard had been stuffing in all day. He was quite certain there was nothing of any interest at all in there.

  They tried the next one and the next one. Nothing. Big offices and small offices, but just offices. Richard moved to the door at the end of the row and tried to turn the handle.

  "Hey! This one's locked. This is it."

  Henrietta and Thomas joined him at the door.

  "What do you know about picking locks?" asked Henrietta.

  B
oth boys shrugged and shook their heads. "Not a thing," said Thomas.

  "Neither do I, but I've seen it done. You need a hair clip."

  Richard nipped into the office next door and reappeared with a paper clip. He handed it to Henrietta who straightened it out and began to poke at the lock.

  "Hey, hold the torch for me, someone," she said.

  Thomas pointed his own torch at the lock. Henrietta twiddled and twiddled and muttered and twiddled, but still the handle refused to turn.

  "Come on Hal." All this waiting about was making Richard even more nervous.

  She stood up and motioned to the door. "Richard Wong. If you think you can do better, feel free to try."

  He moved forward to take the paper clip from her, but tripped on a loose carpet tile and fell against the door. It swung open.

  He grinned up at them in the torchlight. "How's that for service?"

  Thomas looked at the door. "The lock's broken. There's not even any works inside it!"

  Henrietta helped Richard up and they looked around the office. It was bigger than the others, but was almost entirely filled by a conference table and chairs. No cupboards, no desks, nowhere to hide anything.

  They trooped out and closed the door.

  "This must be the one then." Henrietta moved to the door on the other side of the corridor. She tried the handle, but it didn't move. Thomas pushed hopefully at the door, but this one was definitely locked.

  "Right," he said. "Want to try your paperclip again?"

  But before Henrietta could answer there was a hooting noise from outside and car headlamps swept across the ceiling of the factory.

  For a moment, they froze. Then as car doors slammed outside they came to life again.

  "Quick!" hissed Richard. "The ladies." He darted down the