Read Online Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars by Martine Murray - Free Book Online
Authors: Martine Murray
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way I figure it, you’re in a bit of trouble and vibrations aren’t going to get
you out. Your mother is a tree or, to put it another way, this tree is your mother,
and in three days’ time your neighbours are going to cut off her branches. We either
work out how to stop them or we work out how to turn your mother back.’
Molly was momentarily impressed. What Pim Wilder said had the cool, reasoned tones
of something that might be true. Yet she wasn’t sure she liked it. This was her trouble,
not his. Who was he to suddenly sound knowledgeable? What would he know? He might
know how to make a pulley system, but he didn’t know one thing about potions or herbs
or vibrations or anything.
Molly dug her heels down and wrapped her arms around the branch. She would stick
to her original plan. Her plan. She shut one eye and leaned her ear against the branch.
‘Shouldn’t you be at school, Pim?’ she said.
The tree rumbled. Indeed, it seemed to Molly that a deep, painful groan swelled up
from its trunk and hummed down the branches. She lifted her head in surprise.
‘Did you hear that?’ she whispered.
‘What?’
Molly frowned. If Pim hadn’t heard it, then it must have been meant just for her.
It was her mama sending a warning. Perhaps her mama didn’t believe in Molly’s plan
to chain herself to the tree either. Molly wriggled uncomfortably. She let go of
the branch. For a moment she said nothing and neither did Pim, though he did smile
at the owl picture stuck on a twig.
Pim swung himself down. ‘Well, I’m going to school, then.’
‘Wait,’ Molly said. ‘We turn Mama back. We do it before Saturday, and if we don’t,
then I chain myself to the tree.’
Pim smiled. ‘You’re the boss,’ he said.
Molly rolled off her branch and somersaulted down.
‘And you’re really good at making pulleys. Thanks, on behalf of Maude, especially,
and for the buns too.’
Pim cupped his hand to his mouth and sent two long hoots over the Grimshaw’s fence,
and then he picked up his bike. ‘The battle cry,’ he explained. ‘Are you coming to
school? You want a dink? It might not be a cool double-seater, but it goes.’
CHAPTER 15
Best Friends
Molly sat on the rack on the back of Pim’s bike. It was much less comfortable than
the yellow bike and she yelped when they went over the kerb.
‘Sorry,’ Pim said, ‘I warned you.’
‘You don’t have to ride like a maniac, though.’
‘I do actually, if you want to get there on time and you should go in before me so
nothing looks out of the ordinary. Otherwise, everyone at school will start wondering.’
‘Not just everyone at school, the authorities too,’ said Molly, with a shudder as
she thought of her chocolate balls crammed in the fridge. ‘And they’ll take me to
an orphanage and whip me if I’m bad.’
‘And you’ll probably die of pneumonia too, and be buried in a shallow grave and—’
‘Not funny,’ grouched Molly.
But Molly’s absence hadn’t gone unnoticed. It turned out she was quite late, and
when she entered the classroom things were already underway.
Miss Todd threw her arms in the air. She was holding a pair of scissors in one hand.
Her red hair was bundled in an extravagant bun as usual and her dress, which was
a bold lilac-and-purple floral, hugged her large, round body with the air of drama
that Miss Todd liked.
‘Molly, dear, I was just about to call your mother to find out if you were unwell
too.’
Ester Morhigg stood beside Miss Todd and stared at Molly.
‘We’re making get-well cards,’ Miss Todd explained, taking Molly protectively by
the shoulders. ‘Have you been unwell?’
‘No,’ said Molly. ‘My mama was unwell and I had to take care of her.’ She tried to
keep her explanation as close to truthful as possible. Her mama thought that the
truth was important, and somehow the things her mama thought mattered more now than
they had before. Before, when her mama talked about things such as truth and
you out. Your mother is a tree or, to put it another way, this tree is your mother,
and in three days’ time your neighbours are going to cut off her branches. We either
work out how to stop them or we work out how to turn your mother back.’
Molly was momentarily impressed. What Pim Wilder said had the cool, reasoned tones
of something that might be true. Yet she wasn’t sure she liked it. This was her trouble,
not his. Who was he to suddenly sound knowledgeable? What would he know? He might
know how to make a pulley system, but he didn’t know one thing about potions or herbs
or vibrations or anything.
Molly dug her heels down and wrapped her arms around the branch. She would stick
to her original plan. Her plan. She shut one eye and leaned her ear against the branch.
‘Shouldn’t you be at school, Pim?’ she said.
The tree rumbled. Indeed, it seemed to Molly that a deep, painful groan swelled up
from its trunk and hummed down the branches. She lifted her head in surprise.
‘Did you hear that?’ she whispered.
‘What?’
Molly frowned. If Pim hadn’t heard it, then it must have been meant just for her.
It was her mama sending a warning. Perhaps her mama didn’t believe in Molly’s plan
to chain herself to the tree either. Molly wriggled uncomfortably. She let go of
the branch. For a moment she said nothing and neither did Pim, though he did smile
at the owl picture stuck on a twig.
Pim swung himself down. ‘Well, I’m going to school, then.’
‘Wait,’ Molly said. ‘We turn Mama back. We do it before Saturday, and if we don’t,
then I chain myself to the tree.’
Pim smiled. ‘You’re the boss,’ he said.
Molly rolled off her branch and somersaulted down.
‘And you’re really good at making pulleys. Thanks, on behalf of Maude, especially,
and for the buns too.’
Pim cupped his hand to his mouth and sent two long hoots over the Grimshaw’s fence,
and then he picked up his bike. ‘The battle cry,’ he explained. ‘Are you coming to
school? You want a dink? It might not be a cool double-seater, but it goes.’
CHAPTER 15
Best Friends
Molly sat on the rack on the back of Pim’s bike. It was much less comfortable than
the yellow bike and she yelped when they went over the kerb.
‘Sorry,’ Pim said, ‘I warned you.’
‘You don’t have to ride like a maniac, though.’
‘I do actually, if you want to get there on time and you should go in before me so
nothing looks out of the ordinary. Otherwise, everyone at school will start wondering.’
‘Not just everyone at school, the authorities too,’ said Molly, with a shudder as
she thought of her chocolate balls crammed in the fridge. ‘And they’ll take me to
an orphanage and whip me if I’m bad.’
‘And you’ll probably die of pneumonia too, and be buried in a shallow grave and—’
‘Not funny,’ grouched Molly.
But Molly’s absence hadn’t gone unnoticed. It turned out she was quite late, and
when she entered the classroom things were already underway.
Miss Todd threw her arms in the air. She was holding a pair of scissors in one hand.
Her red hair was bundled in an extravagant bun as usual and her dress, which was
a bold lilac-and-purple floral, hugged her large, round body with the air of drama
that Miss Todd liked.
‘Molly, dear, I was just about to call your mother to find out if you were unwell
too.’
Ester Morhigg stood beside Miss Todd and stared at Molly.
‘We’re making get-well cards,’ Miss Todd explained, taking Molly protectively by
the shoulders. ‘Have you been unwell?’
‘No,’ said Molly. ‘My mama was unwell and I had to take care of her.’ She tried to
keep her explanation as close to truthful as possible. Her mama thought that the
truth was important, and somehow the things her mama thought mattered more now than
they had before. Before, when her mama talked about things such as truth and
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