‘Just where do you think you’re wifflin’ off to, you … you skunkus little lump of foozle fodder?’ Abominatia hissed, edging menacingly into the storeroom.
‘Erm … I-I was just looking for a missing h-hinkapoot,’ Neville stammered. ‘That’s all … I should be getting back to the stage … Dunk will be needing me.’ He tried to walk round Abominatia, but she seized him by the scruff of his collar and bowled him back into the room. Neville stumbled against the high tower of hats, nearly knocking it over.
‘I DON’T THINK SO!’ she screamed. ‘I KNOW YOU SAW THE SCORECARD!’
‘Scorecard?’ Neville laughed uneasily. ‘What scorecard?’
‘SHUT UP, YOU GRUBLING!’ Abominatia’s flytrap hair started to writhe and gnash. ‘SO WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO, NEV?’
‘Well …’ Neville decided not to be scared. He planted his feet wide, gritted his teeth and thought of Captain Brilliant. ‘I’M GOING TO TELL RUBELLA.’
‘Ha!’ Abominatia cackled. ‘You actually think I’ll let you leave this room alive and ruin generations of showbizzly talentin’? My daughter is amazely!’
‘But you cheated.’
‘So what? I had to … my daughter … is … she … is …’
‘She’s worse than terrible, you skrunt. She’s ROTTISH! But I won’t let anyone beat the Bunts!’
Neville couldn’t believe his ears. Abominatia was insane.
‘All right, all right,’ Neville said.
Abominatia stopped yelling and stared at him.
‘I’ll make you a deal. If you let me go, I’ll forget about the cards and leave them just … HERE!’
Neville punched the tower of hats, sending them raining down on Abominatia. A particularly big hat fell and wedged itself over the mad troll-woman’s face. She clutched at it and scrabbled this way and that like a headless chicken, as Neville scooted round her and darted back up the corridor towards the stage. He’d worry about finding Grimble later.
‘COME HERE, YOU DISGUSTEROUS LITTLE WHELP!’ Abominatia screamed, tripping over a box of shoes and tumbling to the floor. The hat came off her head with a loud THWUK.
‘I’LL GET YOU!’