Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone Read Online Free PDF

wanted to say?"
    "I merely wanted to discuss—"
    A rapping on the French doors caught my attention. Through the window panes I spied the gleaming pate of Professor Lepworthy.
    I let the professor in. "Why, Professor. Whatever are you doing out there? Did no one answer the front door?"
    Professor Lepworthy entered without bothering to answer. All his attention seemed to be focused on my uncle. "I have been thinking," he announced as if that was all we needed to know.
    Uncle Augustus strode forward and grasped Lepworthy's hand. "Welcome, sir."
    "Augustus, may I call you Augustus?"
    "Certainly," said Uncle.
    "Please call me Maximus."
    "Maximus, then. Come in and sit down." Uncle Augustus pulled a chair out and the professor sat.
    Professor Lepworthy laid an enormous book on the tea table. The title was
Insectile Creatures.
"I have something here that may be of great use to you in two ways, Augustus." Next to the book he placed a box of waxed paper.
    "What's this?" I asked. I did not see how those two objects could possibly help our present situation.
    Uncle leafed through the book, pausing to look at some of the pictures. "Yes, Maximus. It does whet the old appetite. But what good is that?"
    "Hunter-gatherers," Professor Lepworthy stated as if the term explained everything.
    "Hunter-gatherers?" I repeated with raised eyebrows.
    "Say what?" said Uncle Augustus.
    "The Tou-eh-mah-mah people are hunter-gatherers. When they are in the same state as you, Augustus, they gather insects in finely woven picnic baskets to take with them wherever they go, thus avoiding the frantic compulsions you exhibit," the professor explained.
    "He can scarcely carry a basket everywhere in polite society. It would be remarked on," I said.
    "Ah, but if he had a book about his new interest in insects, people would merely consider him a trifle eccentric," said the professor.
    Uncle Augustus picked up the waxed paper and waved it about. "And if that book had several insects pressed between bits of waxed paper, it would be a veritable Tou-eh-mah-mah picnic basket."
    "You catch on quickly, Augustus." The two men smiled at each other. They were quite obviously kindred spirits.
    "But that does nothing to alter the situation. True, Uncle Augustus could go about more easily, but he would still be in the same state," I protested.
    "And a happy state that is," Uncle mumbled.
    I appealed to the professor. "Can't you do something?"
    "I brought the book." The professor tapped
Insectile Creatures.
    "Which does nothing but enable him to continue as he is,"
I said. I could see my London season receding farther and farther into the distance.
    Lepworthy nodded. "True," he said. "It seems but a temporary solution. Augustus cannot carry such a large tome about forever, but it should do for now."
    "Carrying it shouldn't be too hard," said Uncle. He hefted the book under one arm and jumped from the tea table to the Jacobean chair and back without any difficulty. "Ha!" he said triumphantly. "And double ha."
    I considered what the professor had said. As a solution, the book was inconvenient. Perhaps Uncle Augustus would tire of carrying it and realize he needed to take the antidote. There was also the little matter of keeping the book stocked. "How will you get enough insects to be satisfied?"
    "Watch." Uncle darted out through the French doors.
    While we waited for Uncle to return, I tried to catch Professor Lepworthy's attention to tell him what I thought of his scheme, but he refused to meet my gaze and hummed tunelessly as he stared off into space. Less than thirty seconds later, my avuncular relation was back.
    The professor set out several bits of waxed paper. As Uncle Augustus placed an insect on each piece, the professor folded the paper and stuck it into the book. When the two of them were finished, quite a few slips of paper protruded from between the pages.
    Uncle Augustus stepped back and surveyed his work. "Very good. Very good, indeed." Sliding one of the