Off the tree Fred went in a – possibly showy – triple somersault. He landed on Santa’s above-the-living-room-window sleigh, skated along the top edge and then swung round the antlers of one of the reindeer – Donner, or possibly Blitzen – into the air, spinning like a top.
“OH MY!!!” screamed Eric and Janine. They ran underneath where he was, in the hope of catching him.
“It’s OK, Mum and Dad!!!” Fred shouted back, although he was spinning so fast it was difficult to hear him – as soon as his mouth was the right way round, it was the wrong way round. If you see what I mean. He spun in a graceful arc on to the edge of the roof, putting one foot out to leap again, and again, across the tiles.
“What did he say?” said Eric.
“He said it was OK. And it will be,” said Ellie.
“How do you know?!” said Janine. “All you’re doing is madly practising your video-game technique!!!”
Ellie carried on working the Controller. The cat had sped off across the roof. Fred leapt over her in a single bound and landed in front of her.
Margaret reacted badly – possibly because she was no longer able to recognise this jumping, leaping person as Fred. Possibly she thought: It’s a kangaroo crossed with a monkey! Which is understandably frightening for a cat.
She furred up like cats do, let out a long yowl and dug her claws into the roof. This wouldn’t have been so worrying were it not for the large number of wires under her paws at that particular moment.
“Time’s running out, Stones!” said Derek White, who seemed to have become a little crazed by it all.
“You can’t switch the lights on now, Derek!” said Eric.
“My cat’s up there!” said Janine.
“And our son!” said Eric.
“Yes!” she said. “Him too!”
“Come on, family,” said Derek. “Time for the traditional countdown … Ten!”
The other Whites – Kirsty, Leo and Emma – looked a bit uncertain: but it’s hard when a countdown starts not to join in. Especially when it’s Christmas (even in October).
“Nine!” they all said.
Eric and Janine stared at each other, distraught. Then Eric said: “Ellie!”
“Eight!”
“Ellie! You’re his older twin! He always does what you tell him!”
“Yes! Tell him to come down! With Margaret Scratcher!”
“Seven … Six … Five …”
Ellie looked at her parents. Then she squinted up at the roof. Fred was approaching the cat. But Margaret Scratcher was digging her claws in. This would require something special.
“Four … Three …”
“ELLIE!!” said Eric and Janine Stone together. “DO SOMETHING!!”
“I’M DOING SOMETHING!!!” said Ellie.
She put her fingers on the right and left front bumpers of the Controller, clicking them together, while pressing down with her thumb on the diamond button and toggling the control stick from side to side.
She looked up.
Fred had leapt up again. But this time his body revolved upside down, like he was doing a cartwheel in the air. It was a trick move, which Ellie knew and most people didn’t. Margaret Scratcher certainly didn’t because for a second she just watched, astonished, forgetting to ruffle up her fur or growl or, most importantly, dig her claws into the wires.
Which allowed Fred, as he came down on the far side of his flying cartwheel, to grab the cat and lift her off the roof …
“Two …”
… then bounce off the guttering, fly a few metres over the garden, stick an arm out to swing round a branch of the Christmas tree and come down gracefully …
“One!!!!”
A blaze of lights (and a tinny chorus of Jingle Bells from a connected iPod in the house) accompanied Fred as he landed, feet together, in front of Eric and Janine, who were staring, open-mouthed.
Fred held out Margaret Scratcher.
“Happy Christmas, Mum,” he said.