Olivia, Cuddle, Chloe and her mum watched from the wings of the stage as Hypno gestured for Grace to sit in a velvet chair. He sat down opposite her.
Chloe’s mum had her arms folded crossly as she spoke to the stage manager. “I want my daughter’s necklace back now!”
“Keep the noise down, please,” he replied. “Hypno’s about to begin.”
“Don’t worry,” Olivia said quietly to Chloe. “We’ll get your necklace back as soon as he’s finished his act – whatever it is.”
“Hypnosis,” the stage manager whispered. “That’s what his name’s short for. He puts people into a very deep sleep.”
“What if Grace isn’t sleepy?” Olivia asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” the stage manager said. “He’ll make her sleep and tell her to do funny things.”
Olivia gulped. Would Grace be all right?
Onstage, Hypno held up Chloe’s necklace between Grace’s face and his own. He swung it gently.
“Keep your eyes fixed on the necklace,” he intoned. “You’ll soon be feeling tired.”
Cuddle pushed between Olivia and Chloe and strolled on to the stage.
She stood behind Grace’s chair, blinking in the spotlights.
“Cuddle!” Olivia whispered. “Come back!”
But the little kitten clambered up the back of Grace’s chair. Her crooked tail twitched in time with the necklace as it swung back and forth.
“You’re getting sleepy,” Hypno told Grace. “Very sleepy…”
But his own voice began to sound tired and his head swayed, following the movement of the necklace.
Olivia watched Cuddle. The kitten swished her tail back and forth, faster and faster, and the necklace became a gleaming blur. Olivia’s eyes widened. Cuddle was controlling it!
Hypno gave an enormous snore. He tipped forward from his chair on to the stage, where he curled up – fast asleep.
Olivia giggled. “Cuddle made Hypno hypnotize himself!”
The stage manager ran onstage, his face red. “Er, ladies and gentlemen! We seem to – um – have a problem.”
The necklace was still in Hypno’s hand. Before Grace could reach it, two men with Star Maker T-shirts hurried past her. They each took one of Hypno’s arms and dragged him away.
“Stop!” yelled Chloe’s mum, running after them. “That’s my daughter’s lucky necklace!”
Backstage, the stage manager rubbed his eyes. “Bring the curtain down, before anything else goes wrong!” As the curtain swished shut, Grace picked up Cuddle and joined Olivia and Chloe backstage.
“You need to get ready, Chloe,” the stage manager called, glancing at his clipboard. “It’s nearly your turn to go on.”
Chloe shook her head so hard that her bun started to tumble down.
“Not without my necklace or my mum. I can’t do it.” Then she ran off.
Grace drew Olivia to one side. “I know why Cuddle’s brought us here,” Grace whispered. “We’ve got to help Chloe perform – whether she has her lucky necklace or not.”