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wanted to change.
    â€˜My spider babies! ‘
    â€˜Not more of them! I thought Singapore security checked you.’ Gloria was cross.
    â€˜Where did you keep them?’
    â€˜Inside this cassette case.’
    â€˜Thought so,’ muttered Gloria. ‘It was too light. Open it up please.’ Her official voice became much louder.
    Nervously Baggy Pants opened the video. Inside the cassette space were about ten tiny spiders - just moving. Furry black legs were mixed up.
    â€˜Why are you smuggling them?’ Winston burst out. ‘It isn’t fair. I told them about Tammy and I wasn’t allowed to bring her.’
    Baggy Pants just looked sadly at his moving cassette.’I love spiders. They are the most beautiful creatures. I just wanted to take them home, put them in the linen cupboard and watch them.’
    â€˜What a nerd.’ Amy shivered. ‘ When you want a towel, put in your hand and bring out a spider’s web. Yuk!’
    â€˜We’ll have to talk with the Quarantine people, ‘ said Gloria firmly. ‘Meanwhile,I’ll take charge of these.’
    She shut the lid tightly. ‘Some people try to smuggle rare breeds, but these might be ordinary. We’ll find out.’
    Sebastian looked miserable. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but...No-one was being hurt. And Singapore security took my other ones. I couldn’t lose them all! I look after them so carefully. I even sing to them.’
    Amy got the giggles. When she started to hum ‘Ipsey Wipsy Spider’ Winston joined in. He laughed so much, he had to rush to the toilet.
    But Sebastian just looked the other way.
    â€˜Tell Gloria about the ‘slipper orchid’ man,’ urged Christopher. Amy stopped laughing. She changed her mind.
    â€˜When I’m ready.’ The longer she left it, the harder it became. Gloria was sure to ask why they hadn’t told her at once. Just handing the disc over to Gloria, meant they might not be involved anymore. Anyway, they hadn’t played it yet to check.
    Suddenly there was a blast of music right through the sound system of the plane. Passengers wearing the ear-phones pulled them out.
    The noise was so loud it could be heard even without the head set on.
    â€˜What’s happened?’
    â€˜It’s so loud!’
    â€˜Turn it off!’ called the head attendant in what- for- her was a cross voice.
    She hurried up the aisle. Winston was jerked from the crew’s private area.
    It turned out that Winston had been fiddling with the controls. He’d been trying to find out if it were possible to play his own audio through the speaker system.
    Amy was cross. She hadn’t thought of it first.

Chapter 9
Armpit Smugglers and Designer Pirates
    â€˜So what’s the worry with spiders?’
    Half an hour later, they were back in their seats. Gloria perched on the armrest because private places to talk in a plane were limited.
    People in seats alongside snoozed.
    Occasionally a little snore from Dr Chung or one of the other passengers interrupted the twins’ conversation with Gloria. Winston was determined to be included even though his attendant said he was in disgrace. So he found an empty seat on the other side of the aisle. He leaned across.
    â€˜They could bring disease. Or multiply quickly and take over some local spider’s role.’ said Gloria.
    â€˜When did you realise the spider was inside the casette? ‘Winston asked. ‘Did it show up on the security scanner?’
    Gloria shook her head. ‘Sometimes we notice when something is NOT what it should be.’
    â€˜What d’you mean?’
    â€˜Suppose we get a kilo tin of biscuits going through. But if we shake the tin, it doesn’t sound or feel like a kilo of biscuits. It might be much too heavy. Then we get suspicious.’
    Amy picked up the casette cover. ‘But this looks ordinary.’
    â€˜Yes.’ agreed Gloria. ‘