belonged. “But I really better get going — that laundry won’t drive to Crisp ’n Clean by itself.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Mrs. Digby. “Some of it looks like it’s crawling with life. Bacteria gone wild.”
“I better step on it then,” Hitch called, and he was almost running. Despite the wisecracking, it was pretty obvious that Hitch actually was in a hurry, and Ruby was certain that it had nothing to do with laundry.
“You need me to assist?” hissed Ruby, following him to the front door.
“I appreciate the offer, kid,” said Hitch. “But I reckon Mrs. Drisco might be kind of disappointed if she doesn’t see your bright and smiling face in class this morning.”
Drat
. She had forgotten that today was Monday, and therefore she was expected at school.
“I could cut class,” Ruby suggested. “I mean, it would be no big deal, not if Spectrum needs me to work on something?”
“Spectrum can handle this, kid,” assured Hitch. “I’ll radio you if things get tricky. Just concentrate on your cover story; act like a schoolkid for a while.” He patted her on the head and disappeared out the door.
“Could you be slightly more patronizing?” muttered Ruby as she straightened her barrette.
She walked back into the kitchen, swallowed the last mouthful of her cereal, and slung her satchel over her shoulder. “OK, Bug, I’ll take you for a sprint.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of being late for class, you little insect,” said Mrs. Digby, fixing Ruby with the old Mrs. Digby X-ray stare. When the housekeeper looked at her like that, Ruby could almost believe that she could read her thoughts.
“Course not, Mrs. Digby. I won’t go far, and I’ll send Bug back on his own. I’ll make it on time, I swear.” She gave Mrs. Digby her “trust me” look, but Mrs. D. wasn’t born yesterday.
“Don’t give me those big eyes of yours,” she said.
“OK,” said Ruby, spitting into her hands and pressing them together. “I promise in spit. Satisfied?” This was how the Digby family sealed their oaths; a promise sealed with spit was a promise to be kept.
Mrs. Digby sniffed. “All right, but I better not be getting calls from that Mrs. Drisco. I haven’t got time to listen to her blathering; she’s a very disagreeable woman.”
“You hear me arguing?” said Ruby.
Mrs. Digby sniffed and switched on the radio, and out came that same strange sound.
“Not again! Why are you spouting out this plainly diabolical earache? If I wanted to listen to this kinda terrible assault to my ears, I would have bought myself a cockatoo.” She banged it with her rolling pin. “That’s me and Chime Melody through. I warned you,” she said, snapping the radio off and marching out of the room.
“Weirder and weirder,” said Ruby to herself.
RUBY HEADED OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF LITTLE BAY. She needed to take a look at the ocean before she went to school; not that it was likely to tell her a whole lot, but she just felt it might help to go and sort of drink it in.
She climbed on her bike and whistled to Bug — he liked to run alongside, and a sprint out to the ocean was nothing for him. When they got within a quarter mile, they both sensed something pretty strange.
It was a sound, a sort of clacking sound.
As they got nearer, Ruby figured out what it was. Hundreds upon hundreds of crabs, all making their way along the sands. “That’s kinda weird, huh Bug?”
The dog went to investigate, sniffing at the creatures and backing off as they snapped their tiny claws at his nose.
Ruby let go of her bike and slowly picked her way through the crabs, expecting to come to the place where they ended — but they didn’t end, they just kept on coming.
Then, far, far on the other side of the beach, she saw a diver walking toward the ocean. She called out to him, but he didn’t hear her, and before she could reach him he had ducked under the sea’s surface. A few yards up the beach sat
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Mrs. Digby. “Some of it looks like it’s crawling with life. Bacteria gone wild.”
“I better step on it then,” Hitch called, and he was almost running. Despite the wisecracking, it was pretty obvious that Hitch actually was in a hurry, and Ruby was certain that it had nothing to do with laundry.
“You need me to assist?” hissed Ruby, following him to the front door.
“I appreciate the offer, kid,” said Hitch. “But I reckon Mrs. Drisco might be kind of disappointed if she doesn’t see your bright and smiling face in class this morning.”
Drat
. She had forgotten that today was Monday, and therefore she was expected at school.
“I could cut class,” Ruby suggested. “I mean, it would be no big deal, not if Spectrum needs me to work on something?”
“Spectrum can handle this, kid,” assured Hitch. “I’ll radio you if things get tricky. Just concentrate on your cover story; act like a schoolkid for a while.” He patted her on the head and disappeared out the door.
“Could you be slightly more patronizing?” muttered Ruby as she straightened her barrette.
She walked back into the kitchen, swallowed the last mouthful of her cereal, and slung her satchel over her shoulder. “OK, Bug, I’ll take you for a sprint.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of being late for class, you little insect,” said Mrs. Digby, fixing Ruby with the old Mrs. Digby X-ray stare. When the housekeeper looked at her like that, Ruby could almost believe that she could read her thoughts.
“Course not, Mrs. Digby. I won’t go far, and I’ll send Bug back on his own. I’ll make it on time, I swear.” She gave Mrs. Digby her “trust me” look, but Mrs. D. wasn’t born yesterday.
“Don’t give me those big eyes of yours,” she said.
“OK,” said Ruby, spitting into her hands and pressing them together. “I promise in spit. Satisfied?” This was how the Digby family sealed their oaths; a promise sealed with spit was a promise to be kept.
Mrs. Digby sniffed. “All right, but I better not be getting calls from that Mrs. Drisco. I haven’t got time to listen to her blathering; she’s a very disagreeable woman.”
“You hear me arguing?” said Ruby.
Mrs. Digby sniffed and switched on the radio, and out came that same strange sound.
“Not again! Why are you spouting out this plainly diabolical earache? If I wanted to listen to this kinda terrible assault to my ears, I would have bought myself a cockatoo.” She banged it with her rolling pin. “That’s me and Chime Melody through. I warned you,” she said, snapping the radio off and marching out of the room.
“Weirder and weirder,” said Ruby to herself.
RUBY HEADED OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF LITTLE BAY. She needed to take a look at the ocean before she went to school; not that it was likely to tell her a whole lot, but she just felt it might help to go and sort of drink it in.
She climbed on her bike and whistled to Bug — he liked to run alongside, and a sprint out to the ocean was nothing for him. When they got within a quarter mile, they both sensed something pretty strange.
It was a sound, a sort of clacking sound.
As they got nearer, Ruby figured out what it was. Hundreds upon hundreds of crabs, all making their way along the sands. “That’s kinda weird, huh Bug?”
The dog went to investigate, sniffing at the creatures and backing off as they snapped their tiny claws at his nose.
Ruby let go of her bike and slowly picked her way through the crabs, expecting to come to the place where they ended — but they didn’t end, they just kept on coming.
Then, far, far on the other side of the beach, she saw a diver walking toward the ocean. She called out to him, but he didn’t hear her, and before she could reach him he had ducked under the sea’s surface. A few yards up the beach sat
Similar Books
