Alice-Miranda at Sea by Jacqueline Harvey Page A

narrow passageway where they were willing themselves to be invisible. Only Alice-Miranda stayed put.
    The tyrant paced among the cooks, who had begun to resemble a row of trembling jellies.
    â€˜That fish . . .’ he roared, then picked up a large boning knife, plunging it into the chopping board and just missing the creature’s head . . . ‘iz dead!’
    â€˜Thank goodness for that,’ Lucas smirked. The other children giggled.
    â€˜What waz that?’ the giant bellowed. ‘Who iz in my kitchen?’
    â€˜Isn’t that line from a fairytale?’ Millie whispered.
    â€˜Yes – and didn’t those kids end up in an oven?’ Sep gulped.
    Alice-Miranda strode towards the colossus. ‘Hello, my name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I’m very pleased to meet you.’
    â€˜She’s done for.’ Lucas covered his eyes as his cousin-to-be reached out her tiny hand.
    â€˜Who said that?’ the giant replied.
    â€˜Me, sir. Down here. You see, you’re ever so tall and I’m really quite tiny so it would help if you looked down,’ Alice-Miranda suggested.
    The giant lowered his eyes. He raised his left paw to his forehead.
    â€˜Oh no! He’s going to crush her,’ Millie squeaked.
    Then he ran his fingers slowly through his hair.
    â€˜What you doing in my kitchen?’ he demanded.
    â€˜Aunty Gee gave us permission to have a look around the ship and, well, we got a little bit lost and that’s when we found the kitchen. Do you know from out in that corridor it smells like roasting meat and baking potatoes and the best of Mrs Oliver’s cakes all rolled into one? My stomach almost did a backflip. I’m rather hungry after all our exploring. But I must say, sir, you have the quietest kitchen I’ve ever been in. Your chefs are very attentive.’
    â€˜Aunty Gee, you zay she gave you run of ship. Who is Gee?’ He looked perplexed.
    â€˜Oh, you probably know her as Queen Georgiana. But I call her Aunty Gee. She’s Mummy’s and Aunt Charlotte’s godmother and my Granny Valentina’s best friend since nursery school,’ Alice-Miranda explained.
    â€˜The Queen Georgiana, she iz your aunt?’ he asked.
    â€˜Well, not really, not by blood, but that doesn’t matter because I adore her just the same – and I think she’s quite fond of Mummy and Aunt Charlotte and me, too.’
    The giant looked around. The other chefs had slowed down considerably and were glimpsing the action from the corners of their eyes.
    â€˜Get on with it!’ he roared.
    The chefs went back to their whisking and whipping and whizzing quick-smart.
    â€˜And you are close to Queen?’ he asked.
    â€˜Oh, yes, very close. We almost always see her at Christmas and for birthdays,’ Alice-Miranda prattled. ‘And another couple of times at least throughout the year. I didn’t catch your name, sir,’ Alice-Miranda finished, gazing up at him.
    â€˜I am Vladimir.’ He raised his nose in the air and stood like a proud rooster.
    â€˜Do you have a surname, Mr Vladimir?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
    He stepped back. ‘No, no surname. I don’t need one.’
    Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Well then, I’ll call you Chef Vladimir. Now tell me, that accent of yours, it’s rather lovely. Is it Russian, by any chance?’
    Vladimir gazed at this tiny child with her cascading chocolate curls and eyes as big as saucers and wondered if she was real.
    â€˜Yez, I am Rrrrusky and prrroud,’ he replied with perfect rolling Rs.
    The other children, hearing the exchange, began to emerge from their hiding spot.
    â€˜And who are you?’ Vladimir demanded as he caught sight of the foursome. His tone sent Jacinta scurrying behind Millie.
    â€˜These are my good friends, Millie, Jacinta, Lucas and Septimus, but he prefers Sep.’ Alice-Miranda waved her hand, urging them