Eel.
“I am,” replied Jack. “One of the wires for the flying has come loose again. It keeps happening, and I don’t understand it. I check it and it’s fine, and then when I go back half an hour later, it’s loose again. It’s as if it’s taken on a life of its own.” It was not the first incident with the flying apparatus. Only a few days before, when Cosi had been lowered from the air, the stagehand had discovered that her safety harness had been unclipped. If she had fallen, it could have been disastrous and when Jasper had found out about it, he had shouted at Jackand even waved his hook at him.
“She could have been killed,” he roared, and Cosi looked really frightened, as if she had only just realised how serious it all was.
Jack had held an investigation, but the stagehand concerned, Gary, had sworn blind that he had done up the clip and Jack was certain the man was telling the truth. He had written it in the incident book and instigated a new system of extra checks whenever any of the children were flying. He’d been shaken by what had happened and was being doubly vigilant. And now this latest episode with the wire was beginning to make him doubt himself.
At that moment Olivia and Cosi walked into the Green Room. Jack, Eel and Tom stared at them, amazed. They had come straight from wardrobe and they were wearing identical Edwardian-style white nighties and each had a blue bow in her hair. Olivia’s straight hair had been ringletted so it looked just the same as Cosi’s.
“Wow,” said Tom. “That is seriously spooky.”
“You do look amazingly alike,” said Jack.
“I can hardly tell the difference,” saidCosmo.
“Oh, you know,” said Cosi breezily. “She’s the one who can fly and act, and I’m the one who can’t.”
“Don’t be silly, Cosi,” said Olivia. “You’re really improving fast.” She saw that Jack was looking tired. She knew it meant that he was worrying about something. “Are you all right, Dad?”
He smiled at her and the years fell away from his handsome face. “Fine. It’s just another hiccup with the flying apparatus. I’m beginning to think it’s jinxed. One of the wires keeps loosening when it shouldn’t. I can’t work out why it keeps happening.”
“Does it matter?”
“Not by itself. There are plenty of other inbuilt safety precautions. Although one of you children could get a nasty bump if it wasn’t totally tight.”
“But nobody would get killed or really badly hurt, would they?” asked Cosi anxiously. “They might just get a bit shaken up and bruised? Like that actress who played Peter Pan who the stagehands used like a wrecking ball?”
Jack laughed. “So you’ve heard that story,have you? There’s nothing for you to worry about, Cosi. Remember I showed you how it all works and which wires do what. You won’t be dropped, I promise, and you won’t come to any harm, not on my watch. You’re safe as houses.”
At that moment, Jon walked into the room. He did a double take when he saw Olivia and Cosi.
“That’s amazing! Wardrobe and make-up have done a fantastic job. I’d have to look hard to tell you two apart. The audience is never going to guess that it’s not you doing all the flying, Cosi.” He looked at Jack. “Shall we practise the swap now? Is everything ready?”
“Yes, I’ve just checked all the equipment, it’s all in order and we’re ready to go.”
“OK. Around ten minutes until everyone on stage. I’ll put a two-minute call out for you.”
“I’ll be flying first out the Darling nursery window and then Livy will take over from me, won’t she?” asked Cosi, sounding anxious.
“Yes,” said Jon. He peered into Cosi’s pale face. “There’s absolutely nothing to be worried about, you know. It’s all under control. I promise.”
Cosi smiled wanly and hurried away,while everyone else waited in the Green Room for Jon’s call to assemble in the wings.
But when they trooped on stage, Jon
“I am,” replied Jack. “One of the wires for the flying has come loose again. It keeps happening, and I don’t understand it. I check it and it’s fine, and then when I go back half an hour later, it’s loose again. It’s as if it’s taken on a life of its own.” It was not the first incident with the flying apparatus. Only a few days before, when Cosi had been lowered from the air, the stagehand had discovered that her safety harness had been unclipped. If she had fallen, it could have been disastrous and when Jasper had found out about it, he had shouted at Jackand even waved his hook at him.
“She could have been killed,” he roared, and Cosi looked really frightened, as if she had only just realised how serious it all was.
Jack had held an investigation, but the stagehand concerned, Gary, had sworn blind that he had done up the clip and Jack was certain the man was telling the truth. He had written it in the incident book and instigated a new system of extra checks whenever any of the children were flying. He’d been shaken by what had happened and was being doubly vigilant. And now this latest episode with the wire was beginning to make him doubt himself.
At that moment Olivia and Cosi walked into the Green Room. Jack, Eel and Tom stared at them, amazed. They had come straight from wardrobe and they were wearing identical Edwardian-style white nighties and each had a blue bow in her hair. Olivia’s straight hair had been ringletted so it looked just the same as Cosi’s.
“Wow,” said Tom. “That is seriously spooky.”
“You do look amazingly alike,” said Jack.
“I can hardly tell the difference,” saidCosmo.
“Oh, you know,” said Cosi breezily. “She’s the one who can fly and act, and I’m the one who can’t.”
“Don’t be silly, Cosi,” said Olivia. “You’re really improving fast.” She saw that Jack was looking tired. She knew it meant that he was worrying about something. “Are you all right, Dad?”
He smiled at her and the years fell away from his handsome face. “Fine. It’s just another hiccup with the flying apparatus. I’m beginning to think it’s jinxed. One of the wires keeps loosening when it shouldn’t. I can’t work out why it keeps happening.”
“Does it matter?”
“Not by itself. There are plenty of other inbuilt safety precautions. Although one of you children could get a nasty bump if it wasn’t totally tight.”
“But nobody would get killed or really badly hurt, would they?” asked Cosi anxiously. “They might just get a bit shaken up and bruised? Like that actress who played Peter Pan who the stagehands used like a wrecking ball?”
Jack laughed. “So you’ve heard that story,have you? There’s nothing for you to worry about, Cosi. Remember I showed you how it all works and which wires do what. You won’t be dropped, I promise, and you won’t come to any harm, not on my watch. You’re safe as houses.”
At that moment, Jon walked into the room. He did a double take when he saw Olivia and Cosi.
“That’s amazing! Wardrobe and make-up have done a fantastic job. I’d have to look hard to tell you two apart. The audience is never going to guess that it’s not you doing all the flying, Cosi.” He looked at Jack. “Shall we practise the swap now? Is everything ready?”
“Yes, I’ve just checked all the equipment, it’s all in order and we’re ready to go.”
“OK. Around ten minutes until everyone on stage. I’ll put a two-minute call out for you.”
“I’ll be flying first out the Darling nursery window and then Livy will take over from me, won’t she?” asked Cosi, sounding anxious.
“Yes,” said Jon. He peered into Cosi’s pale face. “There’s absolutely nothing to be worried about, you know. It’s all under control. I promise.”
Cosi smiled wanly and hurried away,while everyone else waited in the Green Room for Jon’s call to assemble in the wings.
But when they trooped on stage, Jon
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