nodded slyly toward her class.
âAll ze robberies are at night!â he hissed. âAnd who comes out at night? Vampires!â
â And Fangless burglars,â said Miss Gargoyle firmly. âNow we really must get going. Goodnight, Eric!â
She climbed onto the bus and sat down.
âCrazy old ghoul,â said Lee, âsaying vampires might be the robbers.â
âI know,â said Billy. âIf he hates vampires so much, why does he work in a vampire school?â
âWell,â said Bella, âhe couldnât get a job in a Fangless school, could he? Heâd frighten everyone to death.â
âNow, now,â said Miss Gargoyle. âMr. Goreâs a harmless old soul. Or he would be, if he had a soul. Anyway, tonight weâre going to enjoy ourselves.â
Max, the bus driver, started the engine.
âReady, Miss Gargoyle?â he asked, fiddling with the bolt on his neck.
âYou bet,â she grinned. âNext stop, the county fair!â
Chapter 2
Peg Legâs Castle
The county fairgrounds were next to a ruined castle. As the school bus pulled up, the vampires saw large crowds of Fangless folk and all kinds of brightly lit stalls and carnival rides. There were merry-go-rounds, a roller coaster, and a huge Ferris wheel that was almost as tall as the castle.
âRight,â said Miss Gargoyle, as the vampires filed excitedly off the bus. âWhile weâre here I want you all to find out five things about the castle.â She held up a pile of papers. âYou can write them on these work sheets.â
The vampires groaned.
âYou mean we actually have to do some work ?â asked Lee.
âThatâs right,â said Miss Gargoyle. âRemember, this is a school trip. Itâs meant to be educational . You might live in a ruined castle yourselves one day, so itâs important to know a bit about them. And the three best work sheets will each win a special prize.â
âItâs cool, guys,â snickered Big Herb, the laziest boy in the class. âWeâll just ask the castle ghosts!â
âNo, you wonât,â said Miss Gargoyle. âFirst, that would be cheating. Second, there arenât any ghosts.â
âWhat, a ruined castle with no ghosts?â said Big Herb in disbelief.
âYes,â said Miss Gargoyle, as she handed out the work sheets. âThe castleâs last owner was Peg Leg Pete, the famous pirate. He had fifty pet parrots whose squawking made such a terrible racket, no one could hear the ghosts wailing and screeching. So they all moved out and never came back. See, Iâve told you one thing about the castle already. Okay, now off you go. Enjoy yourselves.â She smiled. âMake sure youâre back at the bus by midnight. Donât get lost, and donât go flashing your fangs or turning into bats in front of Fangless folk. The school will get complaints!â
The young vampires all ran gleefully into the fair.
âWow!â said Lee. âWhat should we ride on first?â
âHow about the Ferris wheel?â said Bella.
âI donât know,â said Billy. âIâm not crazy about heights.â
âOh, come on,â said Lee. âIâll pay for this one.â
They joined the line for the Ferris wheel.
âThree rides please,â said Lee, handing over some coins to a man with shifty eyes and a thin mustache. The man took Leeâs money and quickly pushed the children into car number eight.
âHey,â said Lee. âYou didnât give me any change!â
âNonsense,â sneered the man, locking them in. âPesky kids. Have a nice ride!â He laughed nastily, and before Lee could say anything else, the Ferris wheel whisked them up into the air.
âWhat a cheat!â fumed Lee, glaring down at the man. âI want my money!â
âYeah,â agreed Bella. âHe was horrible