Read Online Big Change for Stuart by Lissa Evans - Free Book Online

gob-stopper,’ said one of the old ladies sympathetically. ‘Pam, have you got a toffee in your bag?’
    â€˜Yes, I think I have. Hang on a moment.’
    â€˜And a
black
handkerchief can turn
white
!’ shouted Clifford, trying to drown out the noise of wailing and rustling.
    â€˜Bleach,’ said the old lady called Pam. ‘That’s how I turn my black handkerchiefs white. Or you can wash them in vinegar and leave them out in the sun.’
    â€˜I use tissues,’ remarked her friend. ‘More hygienic.’
    Clifford used the white handkerchief to mop the sweat from his forehead. ‘And now,’ he said, ‘I just need a couple of moments to prepare my next trick.’
    It was while Clifford was rummaging around at the side of the stage that Stuart heard a tentative knock on the outside door. There was a pause, and then a second knock, and since Stuart was nearest to the end of the row, he walked across to open it.
    It was a small pale woman in overalls, a large canvas bag slung over one shoulder, a coil of cable over the other. ‘The hall caretaker called me about an electrical problem,’ she said. ‘Something about an exit sign that keeps going on and off.’
    Stuart nodded, and pointed up at the flickering sign above the door. ‘It’s there,’ he whispered, ‘but there’s a show going on at the moment.’
    â€˜OK. Can I wait at the back till it’s finished?’
    â€˜I suppose so.’
    On the stage, Clifford clumped back into view. ‘Sorry to keep you,’ he said, ‘but I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait.’
    The next bit of the act was a card trick, during which Clifford dropped the entire pack on the stage and had to spend about a minute and a half crawling around picking them all up again. After that, he sawed a teddy bear in half and then placed a small pot plant into a disappearing cabinet.
    â€˜And now we spin it round three times,’ he announced, ‘open the door and—’
    â€˜It’s still there!’ yelled the small boy. ‘
Why’s
it still there?’
    Clifford slammed the cabinet door again, and gave a desperate smile. ‘There’s just time for the exciting animal finale,’ he announced. ‘I’ll take a moment to set it up.’
    He clumped off-stage again.
    April nudged Stuart. ‘What do you think?’
    Wordlessly he shook his head.
    Clifford reappeared carrying a large empty cage which he lowered, with an effort, onto the floor at the centre of the stage.
    â€˜This cage,’ he announced, ‘is secure in every way. Do not be afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that the wild beast inside will escape and cause havoc and mayhem in the audience.’
    â€˜But there’s
nuffing
inside!’ piped up the small boy indignantly.
    Clifford actually looked quite pleased at the interruption. ‘Aha!’ he said. ‘There’s nothing inside at the moment, but I shall drape this magical and mysterious cloak across the cage’ – he hung a silver cape over the front – ‘and say the magic word, and then you may discover that it’s not quite as empty as you think …’
    For the first time, an air of tension gripped the audience.
    â€˜I fink it’s going to be a cheetah,’ whispered the boy, ‘or a buffalo, or a great big, huge, giant, horrible
snake
.’
    â€˜I, er … don’t like snakes much,’ said April, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.
    Clifford stepped forward. He rapped the top of the cage solemnly three times, shouted, ‘Abracadabra!’ in a slow, booming voice, and then whipped the silver cape away again and stood triumphant.
    The occupant of the cage gave a slight snuffle.
    Without taking her eyes away from it, April nudged Stuart. ‘Am I going mad,’ she whispered, ‘or is that a
hedgehog
?’

‘YUP,’ REPLIED STUART. ‘That’s