At the Firefly Gate by Linda Newbery

You understand that, don’t you?’
    Mumbled yeses.
    ‘And what’s more, I think you’ve taken unfair advantage of Mrs Mobbs. Simon, you know you’d never have got away with this if Miss Murphy had been taking the class as usual. It was a bit sneaky, don’t you think?’
    A barely audible yes from Simon.
    ‘Henry, I’m going to have to phone your parents to explain what’s happened today. But what I’m going to suggest is that I phone the authority and ask for special permission for you to attend school for the last two days of term — since you’re so keen to be here.’ She looked at him kindly. ‘It’s a big change, isn’t it, leaving primary school? You might as well enjoy the last two days. Simon and Jonathan, go back to your classroom. As soon as the bell goes I want you back in here. I’ll tell Mrs Mobbs what’s happened and you can apologise for messing her about. Henry, you stay here while I make some phone calls.’
    Simon gave a rueful backward glance as he slipped out of the door behind Jonathan, abandoning Henry. But Mrs Tregarth smiled at him and said, ‘Well! I’ve heard of people truanting
out
of school, but this is the first time I’ve had someone truanting
in
!’

FOURTEEN
    HENRY THE NAVIGATOR
    Henry had another telling-off from Mum and Dad — but not too serious, as he could tell they thought it quite funny that he’d smuggled himself into school. Mrs Tregarth had phoned the education authority, and for the last two days of term Henry was added to the class list as a visitor. To Class 6M, though, he was Henry the Stowaway, Henry the Illegal Immigrant. Oddly, it made him quite popular.
    ‘Here’s the boy who loves school so much he couldn’t bear to stay away!’ Miss Murphy greeted him. ‘Simon, are you sure there’s no one else you’d like to invite to join the fun?’
    The lessons today were hardly lessons — there was a team quiz, with prizes, and then a coach trip to the swimming-pool (Mrs Tregarth had told Henry to bring swimming things) and, lastly, making a huge collage on a whole side of the hall. Henry was looking forward to tomorrow, when everyone was bringing food for a party, and there was going to be a special visit from a theatre company.
    The weather, though, didn’t match his cheerful mood at all. The sky turned so dark and heavy that Miss Murphy had to put the hall lights on. By home-time, as Henry waved goodbye to Simon and Elissa and walked across to Pat’s, the bruised, purplish-grey clouds seemed to be smothering the village, and the first rain-drops — fat and warm — were spitting at the dry, dusty ground. Henry had the uneasy sense of something bad waiting to happen. A low, thundery growl rumbled in the distance.
    Grace, holding her school bag over her head, ran up the path behind him while he waited for Pat to answer the door. She pushed past Henry and dumped her bag, with only a grudging ‘Hi’ to her mother. Henry hadn’t seen her yesterday, as she’d gone to Tracy’s after school. Since Tuesday he’d been looking forward to trying out the flight simulation game; he hoped she hadn’t forgotten.
    Pat put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture — not that anyone was making any noise — and told them that Dottie was lying down in her room. ‘She’s not feeling too good. Must be this muggy weather. If it’s going to rain, that’ll clear the air, I hope. Might make her feel better.’
    ‘Aunt Dottie’s always ill,’ Grace grumbled.
    Henry gave her a hard look, which she didn’t even notice. So much for being upset about Dottie, he thought. She was Two-faced Grace, all right.
    ‘I suppose you’re going to say don’t use the computer?’ Grace whinged, pausing on the bottom stair.
    ‘No, you can, as long as you keep the sound right down,’ Pat said.
    Grace ran on up; Henry dithered, not sure what to do, with Dottie in bed and no one in the garden.
    ‘Why don’t you go up too, Henry?’ Pat suggested. ‘Grace can show you the