CHAPTER FORTY

GRIPPING!

‘STOP!’ yelled Ted. He vaulted down to the ground and ran over to Jonny’s tree. ‘Jonny, stop! You’ve proved you are my true brother. You don’t need to touch the pants for me! Please, come down.’

Jonny let out a sigh of relief and, still clinging to the branch, slowly looked down. He wanted to see Ted’s face, capture this moment, share a smile, give his brother the thumbs up. But as he waved his upturned thumb he also noticed the ground far, far below. He had climbed higher than he’d ever climbed before, determined to prove to Ted that he was a worthy brother, but now the ground seemed to be rushing up towards him. He felt dizzy. His arm waved madly as he flailed, dipped, tried to grab on to the branch again and, horror of horrors … GRABBED THE HANGING PANTS OF DOOM INSTEAD!

A cry of ‘NOOOO!’ went up from everyone below as Jonny grasped the pants. They came loose from the branch and hung limply in his fist. He stared at them, frozen, one hand wrapped tightly around a branch, one holding the dreaded, terrible underwear. Would he scream? Fall? Throw up? All three at once?

Nope!

Instead, he laughed. A quiet laugh of surprise, which rippled into a full, throaty laugh of glee.

I’ve done it, he said to himself. I’ve done the thing I was always so scared to do. And, actually, it’s OK. The Pants of Doom are just old pants, with cars on. That’s all. Ha!

He gazed at them a little longer, then stuffed the pants into his pocket.

‘Are you all right?’ Ted shouted up at him.

‘Yeah,’ he said, as he began his slow, careful descent. ‘Never better!’

Safely on the ground once more, Ted slapped Jonny on the back and grinned at him.

‘You absolute nutter,’ he said.

‘Proved I’m your brother, though,’ said Jonny.

‘You definitely did,’ said Ted. ‘Now, can we please go home?’

‘Yes!’ said Jonny, and everyone cheered.

‘Wait! No!’ said Jonny. ‘We have to set Alfie free and those other kids in the warehouse. But let’s be quick. I still don’t know who’s behind Sibling Swap, but they won’t be pleased if they catch us releasing their swaps.’

‘Aren’t you going to lob the Pants of Doom back up in the tree first?’ asked Ted, but Jonny didn’t hear him. He was already heading out of the copse, his band of brothers running along behind him.