Shakespeare nearly fell off the desk in surprise. It was Lara.
‘Hello, Shakespeare, or should I say Agent CAT,’ woofed the dog. ‘Apologies that you’re having to hear this message from the boat’s cabin, but I feared that you would never be persuaded aboard …’
Too right
, thought the cat.
‘In fact, I was worried that your fears might even drive you from the home – and people – you love.’
Shakespeare calmed a little. He felt a bit ashamed of his plan to run away from home.
And Sophie in particular
.
‘Because, Agent CAT, what has become clear is that, in the short time you’ve been with us, we’ve grown very fond of you. Sophie in particular. As the family guardian, I don’t want you breaking her heart.’
Or her mine
, thought the cat, swishing his tail in regret.
‘And,’ continued the video, ‘we must all learn to confront our deepest fears. In fact,’ woofed Lara, gazing seriously into the wobbly camera, ‘it is when we confront our deepest fears that we find out who we truly are. So, Agent CAT, I had no choice but to force you aboard. You will find the professor and the Cook family having fun on board the
TriTanic
. But, before you join them, you must wear the collar that you will find in the professor’s briefcase. The diamond will put you in peril. We believe the diamond thief is on board and will attempt to steal the gem. Your mission, and
you have no choice but to accept it, is to help Professor Cortex to catch the criminal.’ Lara left a dramatic pause. ‘Or
criminals
. We are very much hoping that we might also be able to stop any more satellites being shot down.’
Shakespeare had gone from terrified to excited.
It does sound kind of cool
, he thought.
I love the idea of keeping an eye on the passengers and working out who the baddie is
.
Lara’s woof lowered to an even more serious level and her sticky-up ear rose to full alert. ‘But, Agent CAT, you have a more important task. You must keep the children from danger. We call it “rule number one” and it’s really all that matters.’
Shakespeare felt a shiver run down his spine.
‘So, Agent CAT, we are relying on you, your skills and your bravery. A chance to prove yourself on a double mission – solve the crime AND keep the children safe. Over and out.’
Lara saluted the wobbly camera and Shakespeare heard Star woofing, ‘Nice one, Mum, it’s in the can,’ before Spud’s face leered at the screen and he pulled a silly doggy grin as the video cut to black.
Shakespeare sat tall and proud. He tried to
think logical thoughts.
It’s a two-day river cruise. And yes, I’m surrounded by water, but the boat’s not going to sink
. Shakespeare knew the vessel was carrying 150 passengers. ‘One of them is an evil baddie,’ he purred. ‘Watch out – here I come.’
The cabin door opened and Ben walked in. ‘Hi there, puss,’ he said. ‘Good to see you’re awake. I’m assuming you’ve seen Lara’s vid? In which case you’ll know the mission. And you’ll be needing some help to slip into this.’ He pulled the diamond necklace from the professor’s bag.
Shakespeare gulped.
That’s a whopper!
He stretched his neck as Ben clipped it in place.
‘Remember,’ said the boy, ‘you belong to the reclusive Maximus Rich. The professor’s already made himself known. He’s quite enjoying himself, playing the eccentric multi-zillionaire. It gives him a chance to be even more bonkers than normal. Come on, puss, let’s go bag ourselves a diamond thief.’
10. Maude Aboard
The Shard stands out on the capital’s skyline. Its tip is a gleaming focal point of steel and glass, the tallest and most modern of London’s buildings.
Yet, on the inside, it was 1950. The top floor was inhabited entirely by pensioners. The floor had a patterned carpet, to hide the dirt. Portraits of royalty looked down on proceedings. Everything was last millennium. And that was exactly the point.
To be part of this elite group you
‘Hello, Shakespeare, or should I say Agent CAT,’ woofed the dog. ‘Apologies that you’re having to hear this message from the boat’s cabin, but I feared that you would never be persuaded aboard …’
Too right
, thought the cat.
‘In fact, I was worried that your fears might even drive you from the home – and people – you love.’
Shakespeare calmed a little. He felt a bit ashamed of his plan to run away from home.
And Sophie in particular
.
‘Because, Agent CAT, what has become clear is that, in the short time you’ve been with us, we’ve grown very fond of you. Sophie in particular. As the family guardian, I don’t want you breaking her heart.’
Or her mine
, thought the cat, swishing his tail in regret.
‘And,’ continued the video, ‘we must all learn to confront our deepest fears. In fact,’ woofed Lara, gazing seriously into the wobbly camera, ‘it is when we confront our deepest fears that we find out who we truly are. So, Agent CAT, I had no choice but to force you aboard. You will find the professor and the Cook family having fun on board the
TriTanic
. But, before you join them, you must wear the collar that you will find in the professor’s briefcase. The diamond will put you in peril. We believe the diamond thief is on board and will attempt to steal the gem. Your mission, and
you have no choice but to accept it, is to help Professor Cortex to catch the criminal.’ Lara left a dramatic pause. ‘Or
criminals
. We are very much hoping that we might also be able to stop any more satellites being shot down.’
Shakespeare had gone from terrified to excited.
It does sound kind of cool
, he thought.
I love the idea of keeping an eye on the passengers and working out who the baddie is
.
Lara’s woof lowered to an even more serious level and her sticky-up ear rose to full alert. ‘But, Agent CAT, you have a more important task. You must keep the children from danger. We call it “rule number one” and it’s really all that matters.’
Shakespeare felt a shiver run down his spine.
‘So, Agent CAT, we are relying on you, your skills and your bravery. A chance to prove yourself on a double mission – solve the crime AND keep the children safe. Over and out.’
Lara saluted the wobbly camera and Shakespeare heard Star woofing, ‘Nice one, Mum, it’s in the can,’ before Spud’s face leered at the screen and he pulled a silly doggy grin as the video cut to black.
Shakespeare sat tall and proud. He tried to
think logical thoughts.
It’s a two-day river cruise. And yes, I’m surrounded by water, but the boat’s not going to sink
. Shakespeare knew the vessel was carrying 150 passengers. ‘One of them is an evil baddie,’ he purred. ‘Watch out – here I come.’
The cabin door opened and Ben walked in. ‘Hi there, puss,’ he said. ‘Good to see you’re awake. I’m assuming you’ve seen Lara’s vid? In which case you’ll know the mission. And you’ll be needing some help to slip into this.’ He pulled the diamond necklace from the professor’s bag.
Shakespeare gulped.
That’s a whopper!
He stretched his neck as Ben clipped it in place.
‘Remember,’ said the boy, ‘you belong to the reclusive Maximus Rich. The professor’s already made himself known. He’s quite enjoying himself, playing the eccentric multi-zillionaire. It gives him a chance to be even more bonkers than normal. Come on, puss, let’s go bag ourselves a diamond thief.’
10. Maude Aboard
The Shard stands out on the capital’s skyline. Its tip is a gleaming focal point of steel and glass, the tallest and most modern of London’s buildings.
Yet, on the inside, it was 1950. The top floor was inhabited entirely by pensioners. The floor had a patterned carpet, to hide the dirt. Portraits of royalty looked down on proceedings. Everything was last millennium. And that was exactly the point.
To be part of this elite group you
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