Eddy Stone and the Alien Cat Attack Page 8

  “Hello!” Eddy shouted, as he unlocked the front door. No answer.

  “Food!” shouted Millie, pushing past him and making a dash for the kitchen.

  “Why is the cupboard full of cat food?” he heard her calling seconds later. “There are stacks and stacks and stacks of tins and boxes of it.”

  “I’ve no idea,” said Eddy, as he caught her up. She was right. There was nothing else in there at all. “Let’s try the fridge.”

  That was more like it. There was some cooked chicken. Or rather, some cooked chickens. Six of them.

  “You start on one of these,” he said. “And I’ll get some to take back for Henry and Thursday. They’ll be hungry, too. I’ll go and grab my backpack from under the stairs.”

  He had just found it when he heard the rattle of a key in the front door. His mum stepped into the hallway.

  “What a lovely day,” said his mum in a flat voice. “Nice and normal.” She walked straight past him without a glance and headed towards the kitchen. She’s hypnotized just like the others, Eddy thought. And now he didn’t need to think how he would feel if his parents were the same as everyone else. He knew how he felt. Terrible.

  His mum found Millie sitting at the kitchen table with a half-gnawed drumstick in each hand, and the rest of one of the chickens in front of her.

  “You can’t eat that,” his mum said, grabbing the roasted bird. “It’s not normal. Chicken is for the cats.”

  “Mine!” Millie shouted, dropping one of the drumsticks and grabbing the other side of the chicken. It came apart in their hands and fell to the floor in pieces.

  Eddy’s mum bent down to pick up the wrecked chicken. There was a knock at the door.

  “The others must be here,” his mum said, “just like they normally are.” She went to let them in. “And leave that chicken for the lovely cats,” she called.

  “Quick,” said Eddy. “She didn’t say anything about the other five in the fridge. Let’s get a couple of them into my backpack while she’s not looking.”

  They just had time to stuff the birds inside and do up the zip before the rest of the family piled into the kitchen.

  “Lovely day,” said Eddy’s dad.

  “Lovely,” agreed Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ken. Millie ran over to them, arms outstretched for a hug.

  “Mummy,” she shouted. “I missed you while I was in space. It was horrid.”

  “What are you talking about, dear?” Her mother brushed her away. “Space, indeed. Everything here has been perfectly normal.”

  “Daddy!” Millie turned to Uncle Ken. “Did you miss me?”

  “Don’t be silly, Millie,” he answered. “We were only out for a couple of hours working on the project.”

  The project. Eddy’s ears pricked up. He didn’t know what the project was, but he reckoned it must be part of the Malvalian plan. If he and Millie waited here to follow their parents when they went out again, the grown-ups would probably lead them straight to whatever the alien had them working on.

  “But we were gone for ages,” said Millie. “It was horrible.”

  “Nonsense,” said her dad. “It’s a lovely day. Nothing horrible about it.”

  “Stop it!” shouted Millie, on the edge of tears. “I don’t like it!”

  “They’re hypnotized, remember,” Eddy said gently. “Like everyone round here.”

  Millie dashed out of the room. She was back almost immediately, clutching a long strand of silver tinsel that she had pulled from the Christmas tree. She climbed onto a chair and wrapped the tinsel round her father’s head.

  “Now stop being hypnotized and be you,” she said. “Tell me a joke.”

  “No time for jokes,” said her dad.

  “But you always tell jokes,” said Millie.

  “I’m afraid that tinsel’s not going to work,” said Eddy. “Remember what Thursday said. Once someone’s mind is being controlled, tinsel isn’t enough to break the hold.”

  “Lovely hat, dear,” said Aunt Maureen.

  “Lovely sparkle,” said Eddy’s mum.

  “Lovely,” said Uncle Ken.

  “Will they ever get right again?” asked Millie.

  I don’t know, Eddy thought.

  “Of course they will,” he said. “You wait and see.”

  One thing was clear, Eddy realized glumly. He was stuck with Millie. As if trying to save the world wasn’t enough responsibility for one boy.

  “Everyone sit down for lunch,” said Eddy’s mum. She took three plates from a dresser, and set them at the head of the table, then put a whole chicken on the middle plate and divided the pieces of the bird that had fallen on the floor between the other two.

  “I want some of the middle one, please,” said Millie. But none of the grown-ups replied.

  Eddy’s dad handed round six forks, while his mother went to the cupboard and pulled out six cans of cat food.

  “All grab one of these,” she said.

  “I’m not eating that,” said Eddy.

  “Don’t be silly, dear,” said his mother. “It’s exactly what we normally have. Come on. Tuck in.”

  The grown-ups eagerly ripped the lids off the cans and plunged their forks in. Eddy’s dad pulled out a pale brown lump and popped it in his mouth.

  “Lovely chunks,” he said as he chewed.

  “And lovely jelly,” agreed Eddy’s mum.

  Millie sat, arms folded, scowling at the can in front of her.

  “Come on, Princess,” said Uncle Ken. “You need to eat some lunch. Aren’t you hungry?”

  “I’m starving,” said Millie. “But this isn’t proper food. I’d rather eat sandworms, thank you.”

  “Don’t be cheeky, Millie,” said Uncle Ken. “It’s delicious. Look.” He stuffed a large forkful into his mouth and made exaggerated “yum yum” noises.

  “Ewwwww!” said Millie.

  “I’m not going to let you waste good food, young lady,” said Uncle Ken. “If you’re going to be so picky we’ll have to do it like we did when you were tiny.” He dipped a fork into Millie’s can of cat food and pulled out a glistening pinkish piece. “Here comes the train,” he said, pushing the fork slowly towards her mouth, “into the tunnel.”

  “No trains today,” said Millie. “The tunnel is closed for the Christmas holidays.” She clamped her lips tight.

  “You’re missing a real treat,” said her mum. “It’s lovely.”

  “Don’t blame me if you are hungry later,” said Uncle Ken.

  A couple of mean-looking moggies suddenly jumped up onto the far end of the table near the plates of chicken. They both looked like they knew their way round a catfight. One had a half-chewed ear, and the other a scarred bald patch over one eye.

  “Hey! Get down!” said Eddy, shooing them away. “You’re not allowed in here.”

  “What are you doing, Eddy?” said his dad. “Of course they are allowed in here. We left the front door open for them. Don’t listen to him,” he said, turning to the cats. “You enjoy your lunch.”

  The cats stared at Eddy for a moment, their eyes narrow and hard, and then each chomped into one of the plates of chicken pieces.

  “That’s not fair,” said Millie. “Why do they get chicken? I want chicken. That chicken.” She pointed to the whole chicken on the middle plate.

  “Don’t be silly,” said her mother. “You can’t have that. That’s for Ginger Tom.”

  As if his name was a signal, a ginger cat leaped onto the tabletop, landing next to his lunch. He skidded across the polished surface, and came to a halt in front of Eddy.

  Eddy looked at Ginger Tom.

  The trouble with cats, thought Eddy, is that they are really hard to tell apart. Of course, they have different colours of fur, but once you get past that, a lot of them look very much alike.

  This one looked very much like Drax G’varglestarg.

  Was it?

  Back in the house where it had all started? Back with a couple of bruiser bodyguards and a plump roast
chicken all to himself?

  That made sense.

  Ginger Tom, who of course really was the Malvalian Drax G’varglestarg in cat disguise, looked at Eddy and Millie. Funnily enough, Drax was thinking much the same thing as Eddy. That humans were really hard to tell apart, but these two looked very much like the pair that had been sent away in the podule. But they couldn’t be – could they? Still, why worry? It would make no difference. As long as they were hypnotized like all the rest.

  Drax stared at Eddy’s untouched can of cat food.

  “I think he’s wondering why you aren’t eating your lunch,” said Eddy’s mum.

  Now Eddy was sure of it. Drax G’varglestarg. Mr Furrytummysnugglepaws. Ginger Tom. The Malvalian. A lot of names for just one cat.

  This cat.

  And if this cat realized that he and Millie weren’t hypnotized, that they were spies plotting to stop the plan to steal all the water, what would Drax do to them? Eddy didn’t want to think about it. Not with hundreds of cats stalking through the town, all of them with sharp teeth and claws, all of them controlled by the Malvalian.

  The ginger cat padded back across the table, took a bite of chicken, and turned to watch Eddy.

  There was only one thing to do. Eddy leaned across to Millie and whispered in her ear, “Can you do something really grown-up for me?”

  “Of course I can,” said Millie. “I am nearly five.”

  “Good. I think that cat is the cat, and it is very, very important that it looks like we are hypnotized like everyone else, or we will be in big trouble. So we have to do what everyone else is doing. Which means that we are going to have to eat this cat food.”

  “Ewwww!” said Millie. “Spew!”

  “We’re each going to take a forkful, and I’m going to count to three, and then we are going to swallow it. Okay?”

  “I will try,” said Millie.

  Eddy stuck his fork into the can and loaded it with cat food. He held it up. The jelly quivered on the prongs.

  “One. Two. Three.”

  The jelly slithered on his tongue. He bit into a chunk. It was chewy and mildly meaty.

  He swallowed it down as quickly as possible.

  “Mmm!” he said. “Lovely!” And then “Mmm!” again, hoping that might just about make it sound as if he meant it.

  “Ukkkk!” said Millie. “Ickkk! Urrghh!” Then after a few seconds, “Oh! It’s not that bad. Better than worms.” She took another forkful. “In fact, it’s quite nice. And I am starving.”

  That turned out to be enough to convince Drax, who took a few more hurried bites of chicken, then disappeared out of the house again, with the two mean moggies trailing behind.

  Eddy put his fork down next to his can of cat food. That was quite enough of that.

  A few moments later, four forks clattered into four empty cans.

  “Lovely,” said four grown-up voices.

  “Right,” added Eddy’s dad, rising out of his chair. “Time to get back to the project.”

  “Come on,” Eddy said to Millie, after their parents had left the room. “We need to go with them.”

  “Do we have to?” said Millie.

  “Yes,” said Eddy. “It’s our chance to see what this project is. It must be what Ginger Tom – Drax – has got them all working on. And if we can get some photos of it, we’ll be able to convince people outside that something is wrong here. So let’s get moving.”

  “But I haven’t finished my can yet,” said Millie. She lifted out an enormous forkful of cat food and jammed it into her mouth.

  PLLLRRRRRRP! said her stomach.

  Eddy and Millie found the four grown-ups putting their coats on in the hall.

  “I’m taking this mirror,” said Eddy’s dad, lifting it down from the wall.

  “Lovely,” said Eddy’s mum. “I’ve got all the pan lids and Maureen’s going to carry the rolls of kitchen foil.”

  “And I’ve grabbed the silver tray from the sideboard,” said Uncle Ken. “Hey, I wonder if this tinsel would be any good?” He unwound the strand that Millie had wrapped round his head.

  “What are those things for?” Millie asked Eddy.

  “I don’t know,” said Eddy. “But we’re going to go with them and find out.”

  “I don’t like people being hypnotized,” said Millie. “I want them to be like they used to be.”

  “Me too,” said Eddy. “That’s why we need to persuade the government or the army or someone in charge that the cat is an alien. Then they will stop his plan to steal the water, and everything will go back to how it was before.”

  At least, I hope so, he thought. But he didn’t say that to Millie. He was trying to hide how worried he was for her sake. But it wasn’t easy.

  Eddy pulled his backpack on, and he and Millie followed the four adults out of the house. Millie had grabbed her cuddly Horaceboris from where she had left him when she and Eddie had first gone to see the podule in the woods, along with a small bag that she had stuffed with comics and crayons and paper. She held Horaceboris by the hand as they joined a stream of people on the street, all carrying shiny metal objects, and all heading in the same direction, down towards the harbour.

  “Stay close to me,” said Eddy. “I’m going to ask people some questions to try and get clues about what this is all for.”

  It took just a few minutes for Eddy to gather two important pieces of information.

  One – that it was a lovely day.

  Two – that everything was normal.

  Apart from that, no one said anything. They just kept walking.

  Millie’s stomach had plenty to say, however. It was making very odd noises – squelches and rumbles and raspberries.

  “Are you feeling okay?” said Eddy.

  “My tummy’s a bit funny,” said Millie. “But I think it is just wind.”

  The nearer they got to the harbour, the thicker the crowd became. By the time they reached the waterfront there was a wall of people in front of them, blocking their view.

  “What is this?” said Millie.

  “I don’t know,” said Eddy. “Let’s just wait with everyone else and see what happens next.”

  What happened next was not much. And it turned out to be in no hurry to finish. But eventually they shuffled forward, the people in front of them moved away, and they had a clear view.

  Ahead of Eddy lay the familiar shape of Tidemark Bay’s harbour, a wide horseshoe of rock and stones.

  What was not familiar was the lattice of scaffolding that towered around the harbour wall. Almost all the poles were bare, but at the far end was a patch that had been decked out with shining objects that glittered in the weak winter sun.

  “What is it?” said Millie. “What are they making?”

  “I’ve no idea,” said Eddy. “But it’s very odd. And anyone who saw this would know that something strange was going on. Let’s take some photos and get out of here.”

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket, turned on its camera, and raised it for the first shot.

  “MWWWAAAAAOW!”

  A large cat jumped down from the harbour wall and landed in front of him, hissing and spitting. Four more emerged from the forest of people’s legs, claws unsheathed and snarling.

  “They don’t like that, do they?” said Eddy. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. The cats stopped snarling but continued to eye him suspiciously.

  “I can take the pictures,” said Millie. “I can hold up Horaceboris and hide the camera behind him. I will be a spy and no one will know because they will think I am just a sweet little girl.”

  “I don’t know,” said Eddy.

  “I can be sweet,” said Millie fiercely.

  “What if you break it?”

  “I do not break everything,” said Millie. “And anyway it’s not my fault. And anyway have you got a better idea?”

  Eddy waited for a moment until the cats lost interest and wandered away, then slipped his phone to Millie. She tucked it behind her
cuddly.

  “Won’t be long,” she said.

  “We should stick together,” said Eddy.

  But she had already disappeared into the crowd.

  Eddy watched for her. All around him, shining metal objects caught the light as people carried them down to the harbour. What were they for? What was the cat planning to do? How did it fit with stealing the water? At least the photos would prove that something was wrong here. And then someone would have to believe him and take over the job of stopping it.

  He was just beginning to wonder if something had happened to Millie when he heard her voice behind him.

  “The rabbit will sleep in his burrow tonight.”

  “What rabbit?” said Eddy. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s spy talk,” said Millie.

  “Just give me the phone back and we’ll get out of here,” said Eddy.

  “Don’t you know anything?” said Millie. “Spies don’t talk to each other like that. I’ve seen it on TV. They do special code talking so that no one else can understand what they mean. You’ve got to do it too. You’ve got to do spy talk back to me or I won’t play any more.”

  He didn’t want to argue with her. They would just draw attention to themselves. And that was the last thing they needed.

  “Alright,” he sighed.

  “Start again,” said Millie. She skipped round in a wide circle and came up behind him. “The rabbit will sleep in his burrow tonight.”

  Eddy tried to think up a suitable answer.

  “But the squirrel will sit watching his nuts,” said Eddy. “Now can I have it?”

  “No,” said Millie.

  “Why not?”

  “Because that wasn’t the right answer.”

  “Oh, come on,” said Eddy loudly. A couple of the cats wandered over again and stared at them. “I don’t like the way those cats are looking at us. We’d better get moving. You can give it back to me once we’re out of town.” He grabbed her hand and led her away from the harbour. “Lovely day,” he called back towards the cats. “And everything’s normal.”

  They found Henry and Thursday back by the podule. Thursday had scuttled halfway up a tree, and was hanging from a thick branch by most of his legs, and waving the others in the air.