Fly Frenzy Read Online Free PDF Page A

horror. “Eee-eek. Look at me. I might be carrying the plague . . . ”
    He and his wife disappeared into the hallway, calling back, “Come on! Eeeeeek! Chase us!”
    â€œHow many times must I tell you,” they heard Sniff scold him, “not to keep bringing up the plague?”
    With much squealing and hand flapping, Mrs. Sharpe and Tarquin ran out after them.

    Josh and Danny grinned at each other. Then they flew up away from the dusty, dark cave behind the sofa. From high up on the ceiling, they could see the hedge birds still lying on the floor. Only one of them had lost a wing.
    â€œLet’s fly back and get Petty to debug us. Then bring Mom around here fast to confront them before they have time to destroy the evidence!” said Danny.
    â€œOK,” said Josh. “If we can ever get Mom to believe us.”
    Danny zoomed across the room and out into the hallway. But Josh suddenly felt rather peculiar and heavy. One moment he was in the air, about to fly after his twin brother—the next . . .
    Josh found himself face down on the swirly red carpet. He had just changed back into a boy! He sprang up and opened his mouth to shout to Danny. Then he realized that he couldn’t. He was in Mrs. Sharpe’s living room! She and Tarquin were just outside in the hall squawking about Scratch and Sniff.
    â€œLet’s get the poker and the coal tongs from the fire. We can beat them out with those!” shrieked Mrs. Sharpe.
    And the living room door was flung open.

Josh hurled himself back behind the sofa—a much tighter fit this time—just as they walked in.
    â€œUgh! How disgusting!” shuddered Mrs. Sharpe. “We shall have to call in an exterminator. But how can we? The neighbors will see. I will be so humiliated. Imagine—rats! Vermin in my home—my garden!”
    Josh stared through a narrow gap between the sofa and the wall. He watched them crouch down by the hedge birds. There was a whimpering noise.
    â€œOh for heaven’s sake!” snapped Mrs. Sharpe. “Stop crying, Tarquin!”
    â€œBut, Mother! One of them scratched me when I tried to kick it. I might have caught the Black Death,” sniffed Tarquin.
    â€œFor a genius, you really are an oaf, Tarquin!” was his mother’s tender reply.

    Jammed behind the sofa, Josh wondered what to do next. The evidence of cheating in the Best Garden Contest was right in front of him. But now he was trapped! The window was just above his head. But if he tried to escape through it, Mrs. Sharpe and Tarquin would see him. They could call the police and then hide the evidence of their own crime before the police arrived. Even with Danny backing him up, who was going to believe two eight-year-olds against Mrs. Sharpe and her son?
    And where was Danny?
    This was not going as planned. Not at all. Josh sighed. Then he felt something digging through his jeans pocket. His new camera! Josh grinned. He got the camera out and turned it on. He focused the zoom lens through the gap. Then he took a picture of Mrs. Sharpe and her son. Not a very flattering one . . .

    â€œIt’s like a plague in here!” muttered Mrs. Sharpe. “First flies, then rats—whatever next? A swarm of locusts?” Just as she reached for Mom’s favorite hedge bird her eyes widened and she paused.
    â€œWhat was that clicking noise?”
    â€œLocusts?” breathed Tarquin, looking scared.
    â€œIt came from behind the sofa!” she whispered. Mother and son turned to stare right at the spot where Josh was hidden. He could see them through the gap, but could they see him?
    â€œTarquin—go and look behind the sofa!” ordered Mrs. Sharpe.
    â€œBut—I don’t want to!” wailed Tarquin. “It might be more rats . . . ”
    â€œIf you want any dessert today, you’ll do as you’re told!” snapped his mother.
    Tarquin crept toward the sofa. He curled his bony fingers across