Read Online The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Saunders
Ads: Link
said, stretching. “It’s no good squabbling—if you want to help Oz, you must put your differences aside. Alan, don’t forget Spike.”
Alan opened the trunk and a cloud of smoke puffed out.
“SPIKE!” shrieked Demerara. “How DARE you smoke in a government vehicle?”
“Ugh! Ugh! I’ve been under stress!”
“I’ll give you STRESS, you unspeakable rodent!”
The young river policeman picked up the grimy rat and dropped him on the pavement.
“I’m getting out of here—see you, kids!” said Spike, dashing into the gutter and jumping down the nearest drain before Demerara could pounce on him.
“It’s been great to meet you all,” said Alan. “Good luck, Lily—I feel pretty bad that Oz was kidnapped on my watch.”
“You couldn’t help it,” Lily said.
“Oz is a very bright guy, and I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be fine.” He shook hands with Lily and Caydon, pressed Demerara’s paw and drove away.
Lily and Caydon looked at each other.
“I didn’t mean you were boring,” said Caydon. “I just meant—I’m going to miss Oz.”
“You can’t miss him more than I do—I’ve never had to live without him in my entire life.”
The front door of Number 18 opened, and there was Dad in his dressing gown. “Well, they warned us you’d be back at the crack of dawn! Hi, darling.”
Lily hugged him, trying not to burst into tears again. “Hi.”
“Hi, Caydon—would you like to come in? My wife’s making toast.”
“No thanks,” Caydon said. “I’d better get home. See you, Lily.”
“See you.”
It was strange and horrible to be back at home without Oz—and extremely strange that her parents were so cheerful.
“I’m glad you had a nice time,” Mum said happily. “And wasn’t it great that Caydon was taking the same diving course? I was afraid you’d be lonely without Oz—but he’s having a wonderful time at that music camp.”
“Oh—good.”
Music camp. That was where Mum and Dad thought he was.
“Have some toast.”
“No thanks, they gave us breakfast.”
Lily drank a cup of tea, listening to her parents chatting, slightly comforted by the warmth of Demerara’s body across her feet.
“Drat, my nail polish has chipped!” The yowling voice floated up from under the table. “Be brave, Lily dear. We’ll find Oz, and Isadore had better watch out—it’s PAWBACK TIME!”
8
The Grotto
Oz felt a terror so intense that it blocked out everything else. He had been dragged through the murky river water by a maniac in a white suit, sure he was about to be killed. But the maniac had suddenly pulled him out of the water and dropped him on hard pavement, and as soon as he realized he wasn’t dead yet, Oz began to pay attention to his surroundings.
His diving equipment was torn away from him. While he lay panting and exhausted, he was gagged and blindfolded, and his arms and legs bound.
“Keep quiet,” a voice hissed in his ear, “and I’ll let you live.”
He was picked up again and dropped on another floor. Oz guessed he was in a truck or van. He could feel the engine throbbing around him, and the van lurching as it sped through the darkened streets.
Why wasn’t anybody chasing them? Was Lily all right? How were they going to explain this to his poor parents?
The van lurched to a halt. Oz strained his ears for clues to where they were. He heard the door open and felt rough hands pulling him out. He was then flung over someone’s shoulder.
After a lot of jolting he was dropped again, this time onto a carpet.
“I’m out of condition!” The voice was breathless. “That’s what happens when you spend too much time in the lab.”
Oz was untied, and his gag and blindfold removed. He struggled into a sitting position, shivering in his wetsuit and blinking in the light.
This was amazing. He was in a cavern, its roof hidden by thick black shadows. The desert of darkness was punctuated by little puddles of lamplight, showing groups of furniture
Alan opened the trunk and a cloud of smoke puffed out.
“SPIKE!” shrieked Demerara. “How DARE you smoke in a government vehicle?”
“Ugh! Ugh! I’ve been under stress!”
“I’ll give you STRESS, you unspeakable rodent!”
The young river policeman picked up the grimy rat and dropped him on the pavement.
“I’m getting out of here—see you, kids!” said Spike, dashing into the gutter and jumping down the nearest drain before Demerara could pounce on him.
“It’s been great to meet you all,” said Alan. “Good luck, Lily—I feel pretty bad that Oz was kidnapped on my watch.”
“You couldn’t help it,” Lily said.
“Oz is a very bright guy, and I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be fine.” He shook hands with Lily and Caydon, pressed Demerara’s paw and drove away.
Lily and Caydon looked at each other.
“I didn’t mean you were boring,” said Caydon. “I just meant—I’m going to miss Oz.”
“You can’t miss him more than I do—I’ve never had to live without him in my entire life.”
The front door of Number 18 opened, and there was Dad in his dressing gown. “Well, they warned us you’d be back at the crack of dawn! Hi, darling.”
Lily hugged him, trying not to burst into tears again. “Hi.”
“Hi, Caydon—would you like to come in? My wife’s making toast.”
“No thanks,” Caydon said. “I’d better get home. See you, Lily.”
“See you.”
It was strange and horrible to be back at home without Oz—and extremely strange that her parents were so cheerful.
“I’m glad you had a nice time,” Mum said happily. “And wasn’t it great that Caydon was taking the same diving course? I was afraid you’d be lonely without Oz—but he’s having a wonderful time at that music camp.”
“Oh—good.”
Music camp. That was where Mum and Dad thought he was.
“Have some toast.”
“No thanks, they gave us breakfast.”
Lily drank a cup of tea, listening to her parents chatting, slightly comforted by the warmth of Demerara’s body across her feet.
“Drat, my nail polish has chipped!” The yowling voice floated up from under the table. “Be brave, Lily dear. We’ll find Oz, and Isadore had better watch out—it’s PAWBACK TIME!”
8
The Grotto
Oz felt a terror so intense that it blocked out everything else. He had been dragged through the murky river water by a maniac in a white suit, sure he was about to be killed. But the maniac had suddenly pulled him out of the water and dropped him on hard pavement, and as soon as he realized he wasn’t dead yet, Oz began to pay attention to his surroundings.
His diving equipment was torn away from him. While he lay panting and exhausted, he was gagged and blindfolded, and his arms and legs bound.
“Keep quiet,” a voice hissed in his ear, “and I’ll let you live.”
He was picked up again and dropped on another floor. Oz guessed he was in a truck or van. He could feel the engine throbbing around him, and the van lurching as it sped through the darkened streets.
Why wasn’t anybody chasing them? Was Lily all right? How were they going to explain this to his poor parents?
The van lurched to a halt. Oz strained his ears for clues to where they were. He heard the door open and felt rough hands pulling him out. He was then flung over someone’s shoulder.
After a lot of jolting he was dropped again, this time onto a carpet.
“I’m out of condition!” The voice was breathless. “That’s what happens when you spend too much time in the lab.”
Oz was untied, and his gag and blindfold removed. He struggled into a sitting position, shivering in his wetsuit and blinking in the light.
This was amazing. He was in a cavern, its roof hidden by thick black shadows. The desert of darkness was punctuated by little puddles of lamplight, showing groups of furniture
Similar Books
