complicated things a bit, but not much. I would still go and get help. Yes, Billy might be stuck with Little Miss Crazy and her dolly for a while, but he’d made my life a misery for years, and I found it difficult to feel too bad for him.
‘And here’s the best part of all,’ Caddie gushed. ‘We’llall be hiding somewhere here in the school, and if you don’t find us in one hour…’ She glanced at her doll and giggled. ‘Billy dies.’
Chapter Seven
THE GAME BEGINS
“ F our little rules,’ continued Caddie, barely pausing for breath after dropping her bombshell. ‘One, you’re not allowed to leave the school. Go outside and
something bad happens to Billy.’ ‘Something bad like what?’ Caddie shrugged. ‘Up to Raggy Maggie. She’s good at doing bad things.’
I nodded. ‘I bet. What’s the second rule?’
‘No shouting for help,’ Caddie warned. ‘If we catch you doing that, something bad happens to Billy. Something even worse than bad.’
‘Got it,’ I said.
‘Rule number C is that you’re not allowed to use your magic powers. We know all about them, and if you use them even once then that’s cheating.’
‘What’ll happen if I do?’
‘Something bad, of course!’ Caddie giggled. ‘How many rules is that?’
‘Three.’
‘OK. Rule number four is the most important of all, so listen very carefully.’ She got up from her chair and skipped round to where I was sitting, swinging Raggy Maggie by her arms.
When she reached me, she rested a hand on my shoulder. Her dark eyes stared into mine, her face solemn and sincere. ‘The most important rule of all,’ she said, quietly, ‘is: have fun.’ Her face broke into a broad, happy smile. ‘Winning’s not important.’
‘It’s pretty important for Billy,’ I pointed out.
‘Well, yes, but it’s the taking part that counts. If a game’s not fun, then what’s the point in playing it?’
‘Right,’ I said. ‘Have fun. I’ll try.’
‘Oh, goodie!’ she beamed. ‘Any questions?’
‘Just one. What makes you think I’ll play?’ I asked. ‘I don’t even like Billy. What makes you think I’ll help him?’
‘Because Daddy said you would,’ Caddie replied. ‘He says you’d want to play at being the big brave hero.’
I frowned. ‘What? I don’t even know who your dad is.’
‘Not my daddy, silly.’
She turned away and looked up at the wall behind me. Her lips moved as she silently tried to work something out in her head. ‘What’s it called when the big hand is at twelve and the little hand is at two?’ she asked.
‘Two o’clock.’
‘And what’s one hour up from two o’clock?’
‘Four o’clock,’ I said, hoping to buy myself some more time.
‘Liar, liar, pants on fire,’ she sang. Her hand reached for the teapot on the table. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain.
A howl of anguish rose up from Mrs Milton. I opened my eyes and whipped my head round. Caddie was standing behind me, tipping the teapot over the head teacher. As before there was nothing to be seen coming from the spout, but Mrs Milton was thrashing around in pain, babbling and sobbing as her skin blistered and burned.
‘Stop it,’ I pleaded. ‘Stop it, leave her alone.’
‘Cheating is very naughty,’ Caddie tutted, tipping the teapot up to empty the last of the contents over the helpless headmistress. ‘This is what happens when you cheat.’
‘But it was me who cheated, not her. It’s me you should be punishing.’
Caddie stopped pouring and gave that little high-pitched giggle again. ‘See? Daddy was right,’ she said. Opening the lid of the teapot, she peeked inside. ‘Alldone,’ she shrugged, and she let it drop to the floor.
I watched Mrs Milton lie there, still writhing in pain. I’ve never felt more guilty for anything in my whole life.
‘Three o’clock, don’t be late,’ Caddie said, slipping her feet back into her oversized shoes. ‘Billy’s counting on it.’
‘Are you going to
‘And here’s the best part of all,’ Caddie gushed. ‘We’llall be hiding somewhere here in the school, and if you don’t find us in one hour…’ She glanced at her doll and giggled. ‘Billy dies.’
Chapter Seven
THE GAME BEGINS
“ F our little rules,’ continued Caddie, barely pausing for breath after dropping her bombshell. ‘One, you’re not allowed to leave the school. Go outside and
something bad happens to Billy.’ ‘Something bad like what?’ Caddie shrugged. ‘Up to Raggy Maggie. She’s good at doing bad things.’
I nodded. ‘I bet. What’s the second rule?’
‘No shouting for help,’ Caddie warned. ‘If we catch you doing that, something bad happens to Billy. Something even worse than bad.’
‘Got it,’ I said.
‘Rule number C is that you’re not allowed to use your magic powers. We know all about them, and if you use them even once then that’s cheating.’
‘What’ll happen if I do?’
‘Something bad, of course!’ Caddie giggled. ‘How many rules is that?’
‘Three.’
‘OK. Rule number four is the most important of all, so listen very carefully.’ She got up from her chair and skipped round to where I was sitting, swinging Raggy Maggie by her arms.
When she reached me, she rested a hand on my shoulder. Her dark eyes stared into mine, her face solemn and sincere. ‘The most important rule of all,’ she said, quietly, ‘is: have fun.’ Her face broke into a broad, happy smile. ‘Winning’s not important.’
‘It’s pretty important for Billy,’ I pointed out.
‘Well, yes, but it’s the taking part that counts. If a game’s not fun, then what’s the point in playing it?’
‘Right,’ I said. ‘Have fun. I’ll try.’
‘Oh, goodie!’ she beamed. ‘Any questions?’
‘Just one. What makes you think I’ll play?’ I asked. ‘I don’t even like Billy. What makes you think I’ll help him?’
‘Because Daddy said you would,’ Caddie replied. ‘He says you’d want to play at being the big brave hero.’
I frowned. ‘What? I don’t even know who your dad is.’
‘Not my daddy, silly.’
She turned away and looked up at the wall behind me. Her lips moved as she silently tried to work something out in her head. ‘What’s it called when the big hand is at twelve and the little hand is at two?’ she asked.
‘Two o’clock.’
‘And what’s one hour up from two o’clock?’
‘Four o’clock,’ I said, hoping to buy myself some more time.
‘Liar, liar, pants on fire,’ she sang. Her hand reached for the teapot on the table. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain.
A howl of anguish rose up from Mrs Milton. I opened my eyes and whipped my head round. Caddie was standing behind me, tipping the teapot over the head teacher. As before there was nothing to be seen coming from the spout, but Mrs Milton was thrashing around in pain, babbling and sobbing as her skin blistered and burned.
‘Stop it,’ I pleaded. ‘Stop it, leave her alone.’
‘Cheating is very naughty,’ Caddie tutted, tipping the teapot up to empty the last of the contents over the helpless headmistress. ‘This is what happens when you cheat.’
‘But it was me who cheated, not her. It’s me you should be punishing.’
Caddie stopped pouring and gave that little high-pitched giggle again. ‘See? Daddy was right,’ she said. Opening the lid of the teapot, she peeked inside. ‘Alldone,’ she shrugged, and she let it drop to the floor.
I watched Mrs Milton lie there, still writhing in pain. I’ve never felt more guilty for anything in my whole life.
‘Three o’clock, don’t be late,’ Caddie said, slipping her feet back into her oversized shoes. ‘Billy’s counting on it.’
‘Are you going to
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