Read Online Circus of Thieves on the Rampage by William Sutcliffe and David Tazzyman - Free Book Online Page A

ever find him and help him?
    There is one good thing about low points. If a low point really is a low point, from there, the only way is up.
    Speaking of which, just as Billy was feeling more alone than ever, a girl was arriving in the very same building, accompanied by her granny. Billy had no idea she was there. Not yet. He also had
no idea that she was looking for him. And of course, more significantly, he had no idea that this granny was also his granny. Nor that the girl was his sister.

An enormous problem with the enormous lorry
    ‘S LUGGASLUGGACHAPFFFFUTPFFFF ffutpfffffffffffffffutpfffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffftkch,’ said the enormous
lorry, lurching to a sudden and unexpected stop.
    A long, worried silence filled the cabin.
    ‘What was that?’ said Hank.
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Frank. ‘We’ve stopped.’
    ‘Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed.’
    ‘You hadn’t noticed?’
    ‘Of course I’d noticed! I was being sarcastic.’
    ‘Well, maybe you should stop being sarcastic.’
    ‘Maybe
you
should stop being sarcastic.’
    ‘I wasn’t being sarcastic.’
    ‘Yes you were.’

    ‘No I wasn’t.’
    ‘What’s going on?’ said Maurice.
    ‘Maurice is right,’ said Irrrrrena, jolting awake from a doze.
    ‘Why have we stopped?’ said Fingers.
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Hank.
    ‘I don’t know, either,’ said Frank.
    ‘It’s the engine,’ said Jesse.
    ‘OBVIOUSLY IT’S THE ENGINE,’ said Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘It’s got no petrol left,’ said Jesse.
    ‘What???!’ said Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘Look at the petrol gauge,’ said Jesse. ‘It’s empty. I’ve been worrying about it all day.’
    ‘Why didn’t you say something!?’ snapped Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘Nobody asked me,’ said Jesse.
    ‘YOU IDIOT!’ yelled Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘I’m not an idiot. I’m just shy. And if
I’m
the idiot, how come I’m the only one who noticed we were running out of petrol?’
    ‘You’re an idiot, because you didn’t
say
we were running out of petrol,’ said Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘Well maybe I didn’t say anything because every time I speak, you all shout at me.’
    ‘YOU’RE AN IDIOT!’ shouted Hank and Frank and Maurice and Irrrrrena and Fingers.
    ‘Right! That’s it! I’m going to sulk in the back!’
    Jesse climbed out of the cabin and went for his sulk.
    The others stared at the petrol gauge. The petrol gauge stared back, with an empty expression on its face.
    There was another long silence.
    ‘Why didn’t you put any petrol in?’ yelled Frank, eventually.
    ‘Why didn’t
you
put any petrol in?’ yelled Hank.
    ‘STOOOOOOOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!’ yelled Irrrrrena. ‘I’ve had enough of your bickering. Enough! I can’t take it any more. I’m going to go in the back and sulk
with Jesse.’
    ‘She’s right,’ said Maurice. ‘Me, too.’
    ‘And me,’ said Fingers.
    ‘And me,’ said Frank.
    ‘Fine!’ said Hank, calling after them. ‘I’ll stay here and sulk on my own. In the front. Where it’s more comfortable. So there. I’m going to have the comfiest
sulk ever. Think about that!’
    And this is where the rampage after the rampage ended, with a circus of sulkers stuck in the slow lane of the B764, just a mile and a half short of the middle of nowhere.
    ‘OOH, I’M SO COMFY!’ shouted Hank. ‘I’M LYING DOWN NOW.’
    Frank’s muffled but angry voice rose up from the back of the enormous lorry. ‘ JUST BE QUIET! ’
    ‘I THINK I’LL PUT THE RADIO ON,’ replied Hank. ‘OOH, MUSIC! HOW LOVELY!’

Opening night
    W HEN HANNAH WALKED INTO THE OH, Wow! Centre auditorium, she said the only thing you can say when you walk
into the Oh, Wow! Centre auditorium. She said, ‘Oh, Wow!’
    The Oh, Wow! Centre auditorium 31 is enormous. So enormous that, having entered at the back,