Billy and the Golden Gate Read Online Free PDF

no matter what size – have against her?”
    Rufus watches Rex.
    â€œHe just will not listen to me; and me looking out for him, the whole time,” Rufus sighs.
    Rex catches up to Daisy and yaps at her ankle. He grabs the base of her boot, stopping her. Daisy stamps her foot and turns on Rex.
    â€œRex, I am not the monster, stop biting me, or, or…” Daisy recalls the spy book her dad keeps on quoting. “Or I will be bad for your health.” She folds her arms determinedly. Rex looks up at her, his ears cocked. He mumbles a bark under his breath.
    Daisy nods. “That’s right.”
    Seeing the entire exchange Rufus says, “Ah, come on, she’s a girl Rex.”
    â€œDaisy Milicent, you are one stubborn mule, look.” Billy shoves the map in front of her, as he does so they hear a distant ominous roar. Billy looks in the direction of the sound but he doesn’t see anything.
    â€œDaisy, if we are doing this we need to do this together.”
    â€œBilly.” Daisy looks down at his feet. “Billy, your lace, you’ll trip up. OK, OK, together, I get it, but it would help if you just… keep up.” Daisy sounds exasperated.
    â€œYou know, my mum says,
patience is a virtue
, Daisy. Together.” Billy’s voice is determined.
    Rex is scratching again and by now Rufus and Peter and the bike have reached them. Daisy scrutinises the map and sees the monster. He is pretty grim, and big.
    Peter leans in over her shoulder.
    Daisy mutters, “Peter, you smell of stew, yeuck.” Peter reddens slightly and pokes at the map.
    â€œWell, if you could read this properly you might be going somewhere.”
    Daisy purses her lips and stares at the map.
    â€œMonster, water, and we have to pass by him to get to the ferry, easy-peasy.” She looks smug.
    Now it is Peter’s turn.
    â€œUh huh, easy-peasy, oh yes? And, eh, how do you propose we get past the monster, little miss clever?”
    Daisy turns and glares at Peter.
    â€œAnd your glasses are crooked. Again.”
    The map doesn’t really help as it is clear the monster guards the passage over the river very seriously.
    â€œRight, let’s get a move on then.”
    This time, all four walk together. Rex is still doing his own thing; he is absorbed with chasing the dangerous rabbits and hedgehogs they happen across – a difficult and arduous task.
    Together they see him. The monster is big, and grim. He stands beside the ferry dock with his arms folded. His skin is coloured green with blotches of purple; his nose is huge, flat with wide flared nostrils. Even at a distance Daisy can see his luminous green snot.
    â€œUuugh, that is disgusting.”
    He is wearing a woolly waistcoat, dark brown with sort of matching shorts; both items are in dire need of some patching. His feet are huge with curled horn-like toenails.
    Rex has caught up with the four of them. He is walking a fraction behind Daisy. Daisy pulls at the hood on her rain mac and straightens herself up. It’s important to present herself properly. Rex nudges at her calf muscle.
    They get to within ten feet of the monster when Daisy whispers, “Now leave this to me, I know how to deal with this sort.”
    Peter rolls his eyes and straightens his glasses. Rufus thinks about custard and Rex, while Billy opens his backpack, crouching slightly.
    Daisy takes a few brave steps.
    â€œNow look here, monster, we are not frightened you see. You must let us pass, and that’s that.”
    The monster – in olden times he’d have been called a troll – looks at Daisy and he belches 6 with such gusto Daisy’s hair blows back. He stamps his foot in the mucky riverbank and the mud sploshes up, partly covering Peter’s glasses and coating Rufus. Peter has a bit of a hissy fit.
    â€œOh yeuck!” He takes off his glasses and wipes them on his T-shirt, the bike keels over. Peter’s eyes blink several