All through school that day, Marcus kept shooting Lucie mean looks. And all through school that day, Lucie kept wondering what it was he wanted.
At playtime, Lucie’s teacher kept her back.
“Is anything the matter, Lucie?” asked Miss Singh kindly. “You seem very distracted today.”
Lucie liked Miss Singh. For a moment she was tempted to confide in her. Then she imagined herself saying, “Marcus Mainwaring has found out that my dog is really a talking wolf, and is threatening to tell everybody so she can be sent to a zoo or cut up in a laboratory,” and she knew she couldn’t.
“There’s nothing wrong really, Miss Singh,” she said.
As she was leaving the classroom, she nearly bumped into Marcus, listening at the door.
“You sneaky sneak, Marcus!” said Lucie. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“That would suit you, wouldn’t it,” sneered Marcus. “You and that ugly brute of yours.” He turned away. “I’ll see you after school. You’d better be there.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Lucie.
He turned round again. “What do you mean?”
“Well — what’s the point? What’s in it for me?”
“I already told you. If you don’t come I’m going to tell.”
“But you might do that anyway,” Lucie pointed out. “I’ll tell you what — I’ll come but only if you promise never, ever to tell anyone that Wolfie is a wolf.” Lucie was not sure that she trusted Marcus to keep a promise, but she thought it worth a try.
“All right,” said Marcus at last.
“You promise?”
“Yes.”
“Then say it.”
“I promise not to tell anyone that Wolfie is a wolf.”
“On Gnasher’s life?”
“On Gnasher’s life.”
“All right then,” said Lucie. “I’ll see you later.”
She felt a bit better, even though she was not sure she could trust Marcus to keep a promise. She would have felt much worse if she had seen his face as he walked away. He was smirking. Give him to next door’s dog, his mother had said. Well, Marcus was not prepared to give up Gnasher He had a much better plan.
* * *
Directly school finished Marcus raced to the After School Club. It met in a building separate from the main school next to the school gates. Lots of children whose parents were still working went there. At the moment, though, it was still quiet.
The staff who ran the club always gave out drinks and snacks to the children. And for that reason it often had another visitor too.
“Hey kitty!” called Marcus. “Puss, puss, puss!”
From around the corner of the building came a little orange cat. It stood for a moment, hesitating. “Mew!” it called. Then it ran towards Marcus, expecting its usual saucer of milk.
Marcus crouched down and held out a hand. The cat came closer. And closer. When it was close enough he grabbed it.
“Mew!” said the little cat indignantly.
Marcus tucked it under his jacket.
* * *
Lucie also left school as quickly as possible and went to meet Fang at the gates. Almost immediately they saw Marcus coming towards them.
“Hey Lucie,” yelled a voice. It was Alex, waving at them. He was holding the hand of his little sister, Grace, while their mother chatted to another parent.
“Why’s he always sticking his nose in?” muttered Marcus. “Ignore him! Look, I’ve something to show you.”
He beckoned her a little way from the main crush by the gates. With extreme suspicion, Lucie and Fang followed. “What is it, Marcus?” Lucie asked.
“This!” Suddenly Marcus flung back his jacket. There was the little orange cat, clinging desperately with its claws to his shirt.
“Here,” said Marcus to Fang with an evil grin. “I’ve brought you a playmate.”
The little cat made mewling noises as Marcus wrenched it away from his shirt and held it out to Fang.
Lucie just stared. She was frozen with terror. She waited for Fang to snap up the cat. After all, Fang was a wolf. How would she be able to resist when it was right under her nose?
Around them, heads were turning. All the parents and children were now staring at Fang and the little orange cat.
Fang opened her mouth very wide. Her lips curled back. Her pointed teeth gleamed white against her long, pink tongue…
Then she finished yawning and sat down to scratch her hind leg.
Lucie heaved a sigh of relief. The watching parents and children did the same. Only Marcus was disappointed. Scowling, he dropped the cat.
Unfortunately somebody was still terrified that Fang would go for the cat. And that was the cat itself! As soon as Marcus let go it went streaking across the pavement — and straight into the road.
Now cats are quick and this one must have had a sixth sense for cars. It was across the road in a flash of orange, and safe on the opposite side. But meanwhile something even worse happened. While everyone was still staring at Fang, or else the cat, little Grace Beamer went toddling into the road.
“Pussy Tat!” she cried. “Pussy Tat!”
A blue car was coming straight towards her.
Lucie noticed first. “Fang!” she screamed. “Do something!”
Everything happened very fast. While the children and parents were still staring — almost as if they had been put under a spell — Fang bounded into the road. With a swish of her tail, she seized Grace in her mouth, and leapt for the opposite pavement. The car’s brakes squealed. Grace’s mother squealed louder — then fell in a faint. Marcus squealed too (this was because Alex had just thumped him). Then it seemed like everybody was squealing at once.
Everybody except for Grace. “Nice Doggy,” she said, patting Fang on the nose. “Woof woof!”