[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

for yourself," he said. "You'd better get back to bed right away."
George nodded and crept into his bed. The possibility that his life  though
barely started  might soon be over stunned him.
"I'll get Dr. Leroy right away," Boots assured him. "But first  no offence,
old boy  I think& " He wheeled out George's quarantine screen and placed it
between the two beds, making sure the sign was on George's side.
"Creeping caliotis!" George moaned. "Tell the doctor to hurry!"
"I will," Boots promised. "But don't you move from that bed. You need
complete bed rest or you've had it." Boots picked up his books and headed for
class  leaving George at death's door.
* * *
At four that afternoon Bruno hurried to his room with a jar containing the
last of the five hundred and fifty ants he owed Elmer. As he was about to open
the door, a loud scream erupted from within, followed by an enormous crash.
The door flew open and out shot Elmer, his expression wild, his nose bleeding.
He ran full-tilt into Bruno, knocking him down and sending the jar of ants
spiralling into the wall, where it shattered. Once again Dormitory 2 was
crawling with insects.
"My ants!" Bruno shrieked, in perfect imitation of Elmer.
"Skunk!" cried Elmer. "What's a skunk doing in our room?"
Bruno had been waiting all day for that question. "I'm a skunkologist," he
explained. "My world is the skunk world."
Elmer just stared at him. Then Petunia trotted out into the hall and Elmer
screamed again.
"Stop that," warned Bruno. "If you upset her, she'll spray the whole place."
Elmer crouched behind Bruno and continued to scream as the skunk explored the
hall.
"Shut up!" called a voice. "I'm trying to do my homework!"
A door opened and a boy peered out into the hall. "Oh, no! Ants!" he cried.
"They're back! And this time they've brought a skunk with them!"
More doors opened. Soon dozens of boys were milling around.
"Ants!"
"Skunk!"
"Help!"
Bruno, worried that Petunia was going to be trampled in the riot, picked her
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up and carried her over to Elmer. "Here, Petunia," he said. "Kiss and make up.
You weren't nice. You gave Uncle Elmer a nasty fright." Elmer backed away,
trembling.
"Stand still!" Bruno ordered. "You'll step on my ants!"
"Youkeep antstoo ?" cried one boy. "201's a bughouse!"
"I had ninety-six ants in that jar," Bruno sternly informed Elmer. "You owe
me ninety-six ants."
Only then did Bruno notice a familiar figure standing at the end of the hall,
his arms folded, watching. Mr. Sturgeon spoke quietly, but every boy heard and
obeyed. "All of you  into your rooms. Walton, give me that skunk."
Bruno held Petunia out to Mr. Sturgeon. She bit his finger. "I'll get her
cage, sir," Bruno said quickly. He went into his room, fished the cage out
from under the bed and locked Petunia in. "Here she is, sir."
"You carry it," ordered Mr. Sturgeon. "And follow me. Unless I'm mistaken,
this animal is the pet of a young lady at Miss Scrimmage's. I am not going to
ask how it came into your possession because, frankly, I do not wish to know.
But we will return it to its owner together."
* * *
Boots tiptoed into his room after classes. The light was dim and the victim
lay still on his bed, looking paler than the sheets and apparently breathing
his last.
"Where have you been?" George moaned. "Where's the doctor?"
"Brace yourself," Boots told him, tying a handkerchief around his face like a
surgical mask. "Dr. Leroy has creeping caliotis too; so does three-quarters of
the school. They're dropping like flies. It's a full-fledged epidemic!"
"Has anybodydied ?" George asked, terrified.
"Not yet," Boots replied gravely, "but there are lots in comas. The army has
sent a medical unit and the campus is in quarantine. There's even a
roadblock."
"But did you tell them about me?" George groaned.
Boots nodded. "Of course, but you're three hundred and fifty-second on the
waiting list. Don't worry. I'll stay and take care of you until help comes."
George was overcome with gratitude. He reached for a paper and pencil on the
night table. "I've been writing my will," he croaked, his throat obviously
very sore. "I'm going to leave you my Magneco for your devotion, Melvin." He
wrote a few lines and collapsed back onto the pillow. "Could you get me a cold
cloth for my head?" he pleaded. "I must have a terribly high fever."
Boots wet a washcloth and gently placed it on his room-mate's forehead. "I'd
better go and write my mother," he said sadly. "If I catch creeping caliotis
from you I'll want her to have a last few words to remember me by."
"Ooooh!" groaned George. He raised a trembling hand to his forehead and
picked up the wet cloth to rearrange it. Large red blobs covered the white
terry-cloth. He stared at it for a few seconds, then rubbed it across his
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cheek. More red blobs.
"Paint," said George softly; then louder, "Paint& Youtricked me!I'll kill you
!" He leaped out of bed, grabbed a cricket bat and tore after Boots, who by
this time was out of the room and halfway out of the building.
* * *
Mr. Sturgeon, Bruno and Petunia were making their way across the campus when
Boots flashed by. "Hello, sir!" he panted.
Seconds later a pyjama-clad George Wexford-Smyth III thundered by in hot
pursuit, screaming and waving a cricket bat.
Bruno did not dare comment, but as they continued on their way, he distinctly
heard Mr. Sturgeon murmur, "I hope he catches him."
Desperate measures
Bruno was getting impatient: Elmer was having real trouble falling asleep.
How was he ever going to get out to see Boots? And hehad to see Boots. The
present strategy was getting them into more hot water than they had ever known
existed. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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