Atticus Claw Goes Ashore Read Online Free PDF Page A

jewels,’ he remarked. ‘And it didn’t turn out too well then.’
    ‘Next time will be different,’ Ginger Biscuit growled. ‘Wait and see. Instead of a camel rug I’ll have a cat one. And I’ll use that handkerchief of his to spit rat guts into.’
    ‘Not so fast, Ginger-chops,’ Thug said. ‘We’ve got a few plans of our own for Atticus Claw when we get back to Littleton-on-Sea.’
    ‘CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA!’
    The magpies chattered excitedly. The thought of Littleton-on-Sea cheered them. But not as much as the thought of what they planned to do to Atticus Claw when they arrived. Thinking up horrible ways to get their revenge was how Thug and Slasher made it through the day.
    ‘We’re gonna get the crows in to beak him up,’ Thug boasted.
    ‘Then the jackdaws are gonna drop a brick on his head,’ Slasher explained.
    ‘Then the jays are gonna pull out his claws out so that Jimmy can make them into a knuckle-duster,’ Thug chuckled.
    ‘Then we’ll use his tail to patch up the nest,’ Slasher sniggered.
    ‘And we’ll make the rest of him into a nest snuggler,’ Thug finished.
    ‘Sure. But first you’ve got to get out of here,’ Ginger Biscuit yawned. ‘And I’ve already told you, there’s not much chance of that.’
    ‘What does Zenia want to keep us for anyway?’ Slasher grumbled. ‘She doesn’t need us any more.’
    ‘Because she doesn’t want you singing your heads off to the fuzz,’ Ginger told him. ‘Anyway, you go back to Littleton-on-Sea and Inspector Cheddar will arrest you again.’
    ‘I hate that bloke,’ Thug grumbled.
    ‘And his cheesy kids,’ Slasher spat.
    ‘You’ll end up back in Her Majesty’s Prison for Bad Birds.’
    Slasher pulled a face. ‘That place was torture!’
    ‘It was better than this,’ Thug said gloomily. ‘At least we didn’t have to clean out Zenia’s poo bucket. Only Jimmy’s.’
    ‘Here ve are!’ Zenia returned with a plateful of chopped steak. She placed it in front of Ginger Biscuit.
    Just then two men approached the stall. One had no teeth. The other had no hair. They both wore eye patches. One of the men wore a long blue velvet jacket with lace at the sleeves.
    ‘Look at the buttons on that!’ Thug regarded them longingly. ‘They’re all shiny.’
    ‘Ahoy there, matey!’ the one with no teeth said.
    Zenia Klob rounded on them. ‘It’s Ms, not matey!’ she screeched. ‘Vot do you vant? I gotmelons, two for an Egyptian pound.’
    ‘How about three for a doubloon?’ One of the men produced a gold coin from his pocket.
    Zenia snatched it and raised it to the light to get a better look. ‘Vere did you get this?’ she demanded greedily.
    The man snatched it back. ‘Never you mind. We don’t want any melon anyway. We want your parrots.’
    ‘What parrots?’ Thug looked about.
    ‘I think he means us,’ Jimmy Magpie said. His eyes gleamed. ‘Quick boys, start squawking!’
    ‘Why?’ Slasher whispered.
    ‘Cos this might be our ticket out of here!’ Jimmy hissed. ‘These clowns think we’re parrots! Zenia wants their money. If she sells us, we can escape!’
    ‘Oh yeah!’ Thug said. ‘That’s brilliant, that is, Jimmy.’
    ‘Squawk, squawk!’ the magpies cried. ‘Squawk, squawk!’
    ‘Shut it, birdies,’ Zenia Klob cried. ‘Or I’ll hairpin you!’
    The magpies fell silent.
    ‘How much?’ the man with the jacket asked.
    ‘Thirty doubloons for a pair,’ Zenia said.
    ‘Ten,’ the man countered.
    ‘Tventy,’ Zenia came back.
    The man hesitated. ‘What do you think, Tony?’ he asked his friend. ‘This one looks pretty mangy.’ He prodded Thug with a fat finger.
    ‘Who are you calling mangy?’ Thug cried. ‘Chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka! Oomph!’
    Jimmy punched Thug in the crop. ‘Don’t blow our cover!’ he hissed. ‘Or you’re on poo bucket duty for the rest of the year. Keep squawking!’
    ‘Pam wanted three,’ the other man replied.
    ‘Who’s Pam?’ Slasher whispered.
    ‘A