After pulling Gruntilda round in the coach and waiting for the troll-ball scenery cloth to lower in front of them, the hinkapoots all skittered back to the side of the stage and gathered round Halitosis’s feet.
‘Congruntulations,’ she whispered to them. ‘You were marvellish.’
‘That was great,’ Neville said to Halitosis.
‘Thanks!’ The troll-girl beamed. ‘Listen, Nev, I have to glump back to the dressin’ room and get some things readsy for the Tremundous Hinka-hurl. Can you get them back in the basket and lock the lid for me?’
‘No problem,’ said Neville.
‘Squibbly!’
Halitosis walked away, leaving Neville with the little crowd of hinkapoots. He carefully lifted the lid of the hamper and pointed inside.
‘IN!’ he said, trying to sound as commanding as possible.
Nothing happened.
‘IN!’ Neville said again.
The hinkapoots stared at him with their tiny jet-black eyes and … and … OH NO!
The hinkapoots scattered in all directions. ‘COME BACK!’ Neville howled as they shimmied up the curtains and spun around the floor. He tried to grab them as fast as he could and fling them into the basket. ‘Please don’t go on the stage … PLEASE DON’T GO ON THE STAGE!’
‘CHIK-CHI-BRUK-BRUH-CHIK!’
‘Ouch!’ Neville pulled one off his leg as it bit his knee, and grabbed another three that were swinging on the scenery ropes. He had to jump to catch one that was scampering up the hallway doorframe, and then tug at another that was chewing the spokes on the back wheels of the coach. This was terrible!
Huffing and puffing, Neville dropped the little beasts into the basket and counted them.
‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine …’ Neville was sure there had been ten hinkapoots before. He started looking frantically about. Halitosis would be so upset if one of her hinkapoots was missing and they weren’t able to perform the Tremundous Hinka-hurl.
‘Hello,’ he whispered. ‘Little hinka–’
Neville froze. There in the doorway that led to the dressing rooms stood the tenth and final hinkapoot. It waggled its ears and chirped happily. Neville noticed the little tag dangling round the creature’s neck and his heart started racing even faster. It was Grimble, Halitosis’s prize hinkapoot.
‘CLICK-CHIK-CHRUP-CHIK-CHIK!’
Grimble stuck its little green tongue out at Neville, then turned and bounded down the hallway.