One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing Read Online Free PDF

places where they may talk. And you will arrange a watch on them, EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY AND NIGHT. Understand?” “Exactly, Comrade Leader,” said Sam Ling. “A most sagacious order.”
    “So... so... so... so,” breathed the other spies.
     
    Hettie’s shelves of teddy-bears frowned down at her, accusingly. Their eyes followed her as she stamped through her apartment to the bedroom. She unclipped her pocket-watch and laid it on the bedside table. It ticked, “Room thirteen . . . room thirteen . . . room thirteen.”
    She unbuttoned her apron, snicked off a bunch of safety pins and dropped them in a box on the dresser, then opened the linen basket. The lid squeaked ... “world security . . . world security.”
    She sat on the edge of the bed, eased off her shoes and rubbed her feet. She reached down and switched on the air conditioning. The fan gathered speed. “Don’t trust anyone ... don’t trust anyone ... don’t trust ... don’t trust . . . don’t . . . don’t . . . don’t . . Hettie leaned against the bed head. It grated a soft “vital. . . important... vital.. . important.”
    She put her hands over her ears, and pushed her stubby fingers into her grey hair.
    “Och! Dammit, Maister Quincey,” she said, “why couldnae you remember what we taught you--always to look where you were going?”
    She stretched for the telephone at the side of the bed.
     
    Emily patted nine-month-old Lindon’s behind. He lay across her knee, face downwards, his eyes blinking in anticipation of the thumping. But he didn’t cry. The heavy handling gave him a feeling of security. He was gurgling, breathlessly. Emily swung him upright, until he was standing on her knees. She jiggled him. Lindon burped as his stomach muscles sagged. “There you are, then,” said Emily. “There you are. All nice and clean. All bathed and powdered.” She leaned forward and sniffed him. “Beautiful,” she exclaimed, smiling. She got up and lowered him into his cot.
    Outside, in the day-nursery, Lindon’s twelve-year-old sister, Dagmar, pulled a face at her elder brother, Carl. “You shouldn’t do that to nanny. It’s mean and nasty.”
    “She’s senile,” he growled. “She’s worse than the rest of them. ‘You can’t do this, Master Carl, you can’t do that. It’s not the way to behave, Master Carl. You’ve got to be a gentleman, Master Carl.’ Hell. I’ve had it for all my life. I’m fifteen, now. I’m too old for it, and, anyway, it’s important for me to go out tonight.”
    “YOU’VE got a date,” teased Dagmar. ‘“Sure, that’s what it is. You’ve got a date with a chick.”
    “Dry up,” snarled Carl. “Go and watch the boob tube if you don’t want to help.”
    “But suppose it hurts her?”
    Carl sighed. “It won’t It’s quite okay. Everybody at school uses it.”
    “It’s very naughty, but if I help, can I come out with you?”
    “Hell, no,” scowled Carl. “Tell you what, though. Help and I’ll give you a dollar. You can go out on your own.”
    “Okay,” smiled Dagmar. “How’re you going to get her to smoke it?”
    “I’m not,” said Carl. He scraped the small brown block of resin with the edge of his penknife. “I’m going to mix it with her ice-cream. She’ll never notice. It’s choc-ice.”
    Dagmar giggled. “Nanny’s going to pot,” she laughed.
    Carl grinned, and grated more resin into his palm. “That’ll do fine,” he said, and disappeared into the kitchen.
    “Time for bed. Time for bed,” warbled Emily, walking into the room, white towels draped over each arm, and her hair standing out from her head like pipe- cleaners. “‘Come along now, you two. Baths and bed.”
    “Aw, nanny, I’m fifteen. Can’t I stay up a little longer?”
    “Time for bed, sleepy head,” sang Emily. “Early to bed, early to rise.”
    Dagmar glanced at Carl and giggled.
    “Oh, all right,” he said, and winked at his sister.
    Emily tidied their rooms while they showered and changed