*For goodness" sake, don"t make somebody else invisible!" said Rosemary in alarm.
*Not somebody, something!" said John from between tight lips. *It"s the only way!"
Mrs Podbury was advancing from the crowd.
*Now just tell me where you live, dear, and we"ll take you home in a nice taxi!" she said in a cooing voice.
But Rosemary did not have to answer. With a twist of his wrist John tipped the remaining green liquid over the marble statue. There was a little hiss, and suddenly the steps were there, the pedestal was there, but the statue of Sir Bartle Boole, J.P., had vanished into thin air.
There was a moment"s pause and then a gasp rose from the crowd, which wavered and fell back.
*I think it"s time we went home to dinner!" said the short fat mother faintly, and seizing her pram in one hand and the protesting Ida in the other, hurried away.
It suddenly seemed that no one in the crowd wanted to meet the eye of anyone else.
*Quick!" said John as the crowd began to melt. *Now"s our chance! Scram!"
Together they ran for the gate. Rosemary looked back once. The knot of people had disappeared as completely as the statue of Sir Bartle Boole, J.P. They dashed past the taxi, whose driver was looking angrily around for his fare, down the road and around the corner as fast as they could go.
*Let"s go home!" panted John, *before anything else happens! What a morning!"
17.
Adelaide Row
When they reached home, without a word John and Rosemary made for the Green Cave. Rosemary flopped down with a sigh of relief. She could see where John was sitting by the sudden flattening of gra.s.s and fallen leaves beside her. A couple of beetles scuttled away from his invisible weight, protesting in shrill, startled voices.
*I"m sorry we disturbed you!" said Rosemary.
*Nice manners! Nice manners!" chirruped a sparrow as it hopped on to the next bush.
*Now then," said John. *I"ve been doing some pretty hard thinking. We"ve got so many problems to solve that we shall just have to take them as they come. The first is, what are we to say to your mother about me? I can"t go in to dinner like this!"
Rosemary frowned.
*Couldn"t you send a note to say you"ve been called away on urgent business?" she suggested.
*Oh, be your age, Rosie!" said John. *You know very well that your mother would want to know what the urgent business was. And if you told her, she wouldn"t believe a word of it. I shouldn"t blame her, either."
*Well, supposinga I know! Go to the telephone box at the end of the road, ring up the Williamses in the flat below, and ask if you can speak to Mum. All you need do is remind her that you were going to see your aunt one day, and would it matter if you did not come home for dinner, and then ring off quickly before she asks awkward questions. I"ve got tuppence."
John had a penny, and two halfpennies which a kindly pa.s.ser-by changed for them. Rosemary went with him to the call box. She watched the receiver apparently leap into the air and remain suspended, as John clamped it against his ear. She heard the pennies drop and saw the dial whizzing around of its own accord. After a pause the receiver floated down again and the door suddenly burst open, b.u.mping her painfully on the nose.
*Sorry," said John. *I forgot you couldn"t see I was coming out. It"s all right. Your mother didn"t seem to mind a bit. But you"d better hurry up because dinner has been ready for half an hour and it"s spoiling. It"s my favourite, steak and kidney pie and chocolate blancmange. Just my luck."
*I"ll bring you some to the greenhouse," said Rosemary, *as soon as I can. You"d better see if Woppit has had any message from Blandamour."
It was rather an uncomfortable meal, spent in heading her mother off the subject of John"s sudden pa.s.sionate desire to see an aunt of whom he was not usually very fond. After dinner, Rosemary was just putting a generous helping on a plate for John when her mother said, *Really, darling, I don"t think we can feed Woppit on steak and kidney pie! I"ve put some fish sc.r.a.ps on the cracked dish in the meat safe for her. Wash the dishes for me, dear, will you? I"ve promised to go around to old Mrs Hobby to fit her for a new summer frock. You know she can"t get out much now. I"m afraid you"ll have to see to your own tea, darling. I hope you won"t be lonely."
*I shall be too busy looking for the kittens, Mummy. We simply must find them," said Rosemary.
When she reached the greenhouse carrying the cracked dish, she found Woppit curled up asleep on John"s knee. She was getting used to seeing the things that he was holding floating in the air. It seemed that the old cat had accepted his invisibility quite calmly. To her it was just another example of the unaccountable way that humans behave. She opened her eyes and jumped down at the word *dinner", wriggling and writhing in a way that Rosemary found quite alarming until she realized that the cat was only rubbing herself against John"s invisible ankles. She explained about the dinner.
*I"m afraid you and Woppit will have to share it."
*If so be you can swallow into an invisible stomach," said Woppit, *you can have all mine and welcome. You"ve done your best for my little furry favourites, according to your lights. I"ll say that for you."
*It"s very good of you," said John hastily, putting the dish of congealed sc.r.a.ps on to the floor, *but I wouldn"t dream of taking any of it!"
*I managed to bring you some apples and biscuits," said Rosemary.
*Well, that"ll have to do," said John in a resigned voice. *Now look here, Rosie," he went on between bites of apple, *we can"t do the counter-spell until tonight when the moon is up. Luckily it"s on the wane. I"ve looked it up in my diary, so this afternoon let"s concentrate on finding the kittens."
There was a low moan from Woppit.
*Now all we know is that Mrs Cantrip sold them somewhere in Broomhurst this morning. Do shut up, Woppit. It"s no use moaning. The only clue we"ve got is what she said to Miss Dibdin, "Two pins in a packet, two peas in a peck." Sounds nonsense to me."
*Look here, John," said Rosemary, *there is one thing we must do first, and that is to pay back Mrs Flackett. It"s a debt of honour."
*I"ve been thinking that, too," said John. *I keep feeling I"ve heard the name Flackett before somewhere. Suppose we find out where Adelaide Row is and go there straight away."
*And we can try to puzzle out what the "peas and pins" bit means as we go," said Rosemary.
They found Adelaide Row in a street guide, and John put the remains of the five shillings his father had given him in his pocket, and Rosemary asked Mr Featherstone if she might pick a bunch of flowers to give to Mrs Flackett. By the time they had reached Broomhurst and actually found the house, it was growing late in the afternoon. They had talked of nothing else, but they were no nearer to guessing what Mrs Cantrip had meant by *Two pins in a packet, two peas in a peck."
Adelaide Row consisted of half a dozen houses so small that they might have been built for rather large dolls. At the back, the railway rushed and roared. The front gardens were overshadowed by the high blank wall of a warehouse, which was only the width of a narrow path away from the garden gates. But the houses had been freshly whitewashed, and most of the gardens, which were separated from one another by low green palings, managed to grow marigolds and nasturtiums and Virginia stock. In fact, they had the feeling of houses that had once been in the country and were surprised to find themselves in the middle of a town.
Mrs Flackett was sitting outside her front door on a kitchen chair, popping peas into a colander. Hanging from a hook in the little porch was a canary singing its head off.
*Yes, dearie?" said the old woman, as Rosemary walked up the path. *What do you want? Why it"s you, Rosemary, isn"t it? Changed out of your nightie yet?"
Rosemary laughed and nodded.
*I"ve come to pay back the money you lent us. You were so awfully good to us, about the cocoa and not telling. We thought you might like a bunch of flowers. I was allowed to pick one of everything there was in the garden. The feathery stuff is parsley that"s gone to seed. I think it"s pretty."
*Well!" said Mrs Flackett heartily. *Isn"t that kind of you, dear! There"s nothing I like better than a bunch of flowers from a real garden. Shop ones is never the same somehow."
The flowers were beginning to wilt, but she buried her round nose in them and gave a long sniff.
*I"ll put "em in a vase straight away. They"ll soon perk up. Where"s your friend John?"
*I"m meeting hima presently," said Rosemary truthfully. She had arranged to meet him by the garden gate on which, from its jerky way of opening and shutting, she guessed he must be swinging.
*Be a love and go on with them peas, will you? Just while I put the flowers in water."
Mrs Flackett rose heavily to her feet and disappeared through the small front door. Rosemary knelt on the gra.s.s and went on popping the peas into the colander. It did not take her long to finish, and it is worth mentioning that she did not eat one.
*Two peas in a peck," she said thoughtfully, plunging her hand into the colander and letting the peas trickle through her fingers.
*Peas in a peck! Peas in a peck!" sang the canary, up and down the scale like an opera singer. Rosemary looked up.
*There"s some chickweed among the pea pods. Would you like it?" she said, standing on the chair and holding it up for the bird to see.
The canary stopped in mid trill, c.o.c.ked its black eye and said, *You just try me!"
*All right, here you are!" said Rosemary and pushed it through the bars of the cage.
*Very obliging of you, I"m sure," said the bird, making little stabbing pecks at the chickweed. *Quite common, hearing humans seem to be around here. But you aren"t like the one inside. He claps his hands over his ears and groans every time I say anything to him. Bad manners, I call it!"
*Do you mean there is someone inside the house who understands you, too?" asked Rosemary.
But before the canary could answer, Mrs Flackett was back with a large slice of homemade currant cake on a willow pattern plate.
*Talking to my Joey, are you? He"s a rascal, he is!" She looked up at the cage and whistled a tune and the bird whistled back.
*She isn"t a hearing human," he sang. *But she as near understands what I say as makes no matter."
*I"ve brought you a bit of cake," went on Mrs Flackett. *You must be hungry coming all that way, and here"s a slice in a paper bag for your friend."
*Thank you!" said Rosemary. *I"m very hungry. May I eat it now?"
*I thought you didn"t like boys," she said presently. Mrs Flackett had lowered herself carefully into the chair.
*Not in the way of business, I don"t," she said. *Messing up my nice clean stairs. Home"s different, and there"s boys and boys! Why bless me if you haven"t finished the peas for me! I thought a nice chump chop and new potatoes with them might tempt my poor Albert for his tea."
She sighed.
*Is he very ill?" asked Rosemary.
*Not to say ill in himself," said Mrs Flackett. *It"s just that hea well, he imagines things."
*What did I tell you?" sang the canary up and down the scale. Rosemary gave him a quick look. She knew better than to answer aloud.
*Stays in the house all day. He won"t even go to work, and him doing so well! Always good at his books he was since he was a lad. He won"t have the doctor; he won"t even speak to his young lady. Ever so upset she is. She works in the same business, in the perfumery. Me being a widow, and him all I"ve got, I worry terrible."
*But what does he imagine?" asked Rosemary, brushing the last of the cake crumbs off her lap.
*It all began when a black cat came into the shop, about a week ago. He says he distinctly heard it speak! Why you"ve dropped your plate, dearie!"
Rosemary picked it up, and her face was rather red.
*He doesn"t work at Hedgem and Fudge, does he?" she asked faintly.
*Why, however did you guess?"
*Ia I think I"ve heard the name before," she answered lamely. *I must go now and meet John. Please, please don"t worry about Albert! I"m sure he"ll get well again!"
*I"m sure I hope so, dear," said Mrs Flackett with a worried frown. Then she brightened. *But come again any time you"re pa.s.sing!" she called as Rosemary went down the path.
*John! John! Where are you?" Rosemary whispered cautiously when she reached the gate.
*Here!" he said just by her ear. *Where I said I"d be."
*Oh, John, it"s dreadful a"!"
*I know, I know. I heard it all," he said gloomily. *I got bored watching you stuffing currant cake, and the canary stuffing chickweed. It"s a funny thing, but wherever I look everyone is eating except me! Anyway, I came into the garden after a bit to see what was going on, and I heard. This magic is getting things in a mess!"
*Mrs Flackett sent a piece of cake for you," said Rosemary, holding out the bag.
*Oh, good!" said John more cheerfully.
*All the same, I popped her peas for her and I"ve got an idea a""
*Come on!" said John. *Let"s find somewhere quiet where n.o.body will notice you talking to thin air, or me making currant cake disappear."
18.
Calidor
They turned the corner at the end of Adelaide Row and walked along the path that ran by the railway cutting. There was a wire fence on one side and a high wall on the other. n.o.body was about, except two small boys with eyes for nothing but train spotting, so they sat down on a flight of steps which led up to the road.
*I"ll tell you what I think," said Rosemary. *The pins in a packet and peas in a peck is quite simple really. I suddenly thought of it when I had finished popping Mrs Flackett"s peas, and I saw them all in the colander. I think it just means that one pea is very like another, so that the best way to hide one special pea would be to put it with a peck of others. The same way with pins. One pin would be very hard to pick out in a packet."
*Mm," said John, in the fluffy voice of someone whose mouth is very full. *That"s very clever of you, Rosie! Well, the only place I can think of where there might be a whole lot of kittens is a pet shop."