Read Online The Fire Within (The Last Dragon Chro) by Chris D'Lacey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chris D'Lacey
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shins.
“OK, I’ve had enough of this,” said Liz, pushing Lucy toward the stairs. “Bedroom, until it’s time for school. As for you …,” she said and turned on David, “… is that really what you wear to bed?”
David snorted in annoyance and retreated to his room.
“That’s it,” he said to Bonnington, lobbing the cat off the bed. “That trap has got to go. If she’s this bad when Henry doesn’t catch a squirrel, what’s she going to be like if he does?!”
M-yew,
went Bonnington, arching his back. He shook himself and padded across the room to the chair where David dumped his clothes overnight. A sweater had fallen on the floor. Bonnington took a few sniffs of the wool, pawed it, and pushed his nose under the hem.
“Gotta think of a way to get rid of it,” said David. “Something permanent, that even Liz will approve of.”
A muffled meow broke into his thoughts.
Bonnington had snuggled inside the sweater. The fabric bulged like soup on simmer as the cat decided to fight it for fun.
David groaned and scooped the bundle up into his arms. Bonnington’s head popped out of the neck. “What are you doing?” David asked him.
Meow?
went Bonnington.
“That’s my favorite sweater, cat. You’re going to pull the threads if you get yourself st —”
David sat back and blinked.
Meow?
went Bonnington again.
A sly smile crept across the tenant’s face. “Yes-ss, you’ll help me save Conker, won’t you?”
A-row?
went Bonnington as if he could look into the tenant’s mind and didn’t quite like the picture he was seeing.
“Trust me,” David whispered. “Won’t hurt a bit. By dinnertime tonight, you are going to be a real hero….”
B ONNINGTON D ISAPPEARS
A round four that afternoon, Liz and Lucy arrived home from school and found David in the kitchen, washing dishes.
“Goodness, I must be dreaming,” said Liz. “I see washed pots and a tidy table and … is that a freshly mopped floor?”
David shuffled with embarrassment. “Had a little mud on my sneakers and …”
“Don’t spoil it,” said Liz, raising her hands. “You cleaned up. That’s what matters. How come you’re home so early?”
David clicked his tongue. “Erm, lecture was canceled. There’s tea in the pot.”
Liz glanced at the cat-shaped cozy and the threeclean mugs waiting to be filled. “Gosh, now I do feel pampered.” She smiled and went to hang up her coat.
Lucy passed her in the doorway. “Have you checked?” she whispered, running to the window.
“Yes. No sign. We’re talking again, I guess?”
“Mom says I have to. Have you
really
checked?”
“Lucy —”
“Okay, let’s try this tea.” Liz breezed in, pushing back her sleeves. She sat at the table and started to pour.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” said David, “I put some
Chunky Chunks
out for Bonnington but he doesn’t … erm … seem to be around.”
Lucy glanced at the empty basket. “Did you rattle his food?”
David shook his head.
Lucy sighed at the tenant’s hopelessness. “I’ll find him,” she said, and walked out rattling some chicken-flavored cat treats.
Two minutes later she was back. Bonnington was nowhere to be found, she said.
“Did you check the kitchen closet?” asked Liz.
“Twice,” said Lucy.
“Try the garden, then.”
Lucy went out, rattling hard.
“Funny,” said Liz. “It’s very unusual for Bonny to go missing. I hope he didn’t get himself in any sort of —”
A-row-oo-wee-yow-oooooo!
“That was him,” she said, putting down her tea.
“Mom!” cried Lucy.
Liz dashed into the garden.
David said a quick prayer and shot out after her.
On the patio, Lucy explained what had happened. “I rattled the box and he yowled, Mom. Listen.” She shook the box again.
Yow-oo-wee-ar-ooooo!
Liz twisted toward Mr. Bacon’s garden. “That came from next door.”
“Hhh!” gasped Lucy, nearly dropping the cat treats. “You don’t think …?”
Liz didn’t wait to hear. With a
“OK, I’ve had enough of this,” said Liz, pushing Lucy toward the stairs. “Bedroom, until it’s time for school. As for you …,” she said and turned on David, “… is that really what you wear to bed?”
David snorted in annoyance and retreated to his room.
“That’s it,” he said to Bonnington, lobbing the cat off the bed. “That trap has got to go. If she’s this bad when Henry doesn’t catch a squirrel, what’s she going to be like if he does?!”
M-yew,
went Bonnington, arching his back. He shook himself and padded across the room to the chair where David dumped his clothes overnight. A sweater had fallen on the floor. Bonnington took a few sniffs of the wool, pawed it, and pushed his nose under the hem.
“Gotta think of a way to get rid of it,” said David. “Something permanent, that even Liz will approve of.”
A muffled meow broke into his thoughts.
Bonnington had snuggled inside the sweater. The fabric bulged like soup on simmer as the cat decided to fight it for fun.
David groaned and scooped the bundle up into his arms. Bonnington’s head popped out of the neck. “What are you doing?” David asked him.
Meow?
went Bonnington.
“That’s my favorite sweater, cat. You’re going to pull the threads if you get yourself st —”
David sat back and blinked.
Meow?
went Bonnington again.
A sly smile crept across the tenant’s face. “Yes-ss, you’ll help me save Conker, won’t you?”
A-row?
went Bonnington as if he could look into the tenant’s mind and didn’t quite like the picture he was seeing.
“Trust me,” David whispered. “Won’t hurt a bit. By dinnertime tonight, you are going to be a real hero….”
B ONNINGTON D ISAPPEARS
A round four that afternoon, Liz and Lucy arrived home from school and found David in the kitchen, washing dishes.
“Goodness, I must be dreaming,” said Liz. “I see washed pots and a tidy table and … is that a freshly mopped floor?”
David shuffled with embarrassment. “Had a little mud on my sneakers and …”
“Don’t spoil it,” said Liz, raising her hands. “You cleaned up. That’s what matters. How come you’re home so early?”
David clicked his tongue. “Erm, lecture was canceled. There’s tea in the pot.”
Liz glanced at the cat-shaped cozy and the threeclean mugs waiting to be filled. “Gosh, now I do feel pampered.” She smiled and went to hang up her coat.
Lucy passed her in the doorway. “Have you checked?” she whispered, running to the window.
“Yes. No sign. We’re talking again, I guess?”
“Mom says I have to. Have you
really
checked?”
“Lucy —”
“Okay, let’s try this tea.” Liz breezed in, pushing back her sleeves. She sat at the table and started to pour.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” said David, “I put some
Chunky Chunks
out for Bonnington but he doesn’t … erm … seem to be around.”
Lucy glanced at the empty basket. “Did you rattle his food?”
David shook his head.
Lucy sighed at the tenant’s hopelessness. “I’ll find him,” she said, and walked out rattling some chicken-flavored cat treats.
Two minutes later she was back. Bonnington was nowhere to be found, she said.
“Did you check the kitchen closet?” asked Liz.
“Twice,” said Lucy.
“Try the garden, then.”
Lucy went out, rattling hard.
“Funny,” said Liz. “It’s very unusual for Bonny to go missing. I hope he didn’t get himself in any sort of —”
A-row-oo-wee-yow-oooooo!
“That was him,” she said, putting down her tea.
“Mom!” cried Lucy.
Liz dashed into the garden.
David said a quick prayer and shot out after her.
On the patio, Lucy explained what had happened. “I rattled the box and he yowled, Mom. Listen.” She shook the box again.
Yow-oo-wee-ar-ooooo!
Liz twisted toward Mr. Bacon’s garden. “That came from next door.”
“Hhh!” gasped Lucy, nearly dropping the cat treats. “You don’t think …?”
Liz didn’t wait to hear. With a
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