The Courage of Cat Campbell Read Online Free PDF Page A

and pointed her wand at the creature again. She felt the same delicious, tingly feeling, which was just as Clara Bell had described, and the spider began bouncing around the room.
    â€œAre you all right, Catkins?” her grandmother called up. “Grandpa thought he heard you scream.”
    â€œI’m f-fine, Gran,” Cat panted, watching the spider bounce about like a rubber ball, hitting the walls and ceiling and continuously changing colors. “Never been better!” she called down, clamping her lips together to stop herself from screaming out, “I’m magic! I’ve got the gift! I’m a Late Bloomer like Clara Bell.” It was all Cat could do not to charge around the attic doing cartwheels. This was the moment she’d been waiting for her whole life. And now that it was here, she wanted to shout it all over Potts Bottom.
    The spider gave a particularly high bounce and landed smack in the middle of a large, sticky web that hung from a corner of the attic. There was a strong smell of licorice, a sweet, dark, treacly scent that must have been what magic smelled like. Cat was relieved to see that the spider appeared to be trapped. It had stopped moving and changing color, staying a lovely shade of magenta that reminded Cat of an enormous jewel caught in the web.
    â€œDid you find the cap?” Edith shouted up as Cat took off the uniform, trembling all over with excitement. Her hands shook as she put the clothes back in the box, squashing them on top of the books and mini cauldron.
    â€œI did. I found a lot of great things I can use,” Cat yelled, stuffing the pilot’s cap in too. The wand Cat kissed and slipped into her pocket, pulling her sweater down so you couldn’t see the tip. It was far too precious to let go of. She gave a soft laugh and did a little dance. “I’ve got the gene,” Cat whispered, picking up the box. “I’ve really got the gene.”
    She couldn’t tell anyone yet though, not even her grandparents, not until she had figured out how to tell her mother first. And that wasn’t going to be easy, especially when Cat told her mother that she wanted to apply to Ruthersfield Academy.

Chapter Four
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Out of Control
    G RANDPA ROGER HAD DRIVEN CAT as far as the narrow canal path would allow him, so she wouldn’t have to walk the whole way home lugging the box of stuff. Luckily, after showing her grandparents the pilot’s cap, Granny Edith had waved her hands at Cat and said, “Take that dusty box out of my kitchen, Cat. Whatever’s inside, you’re welcome to it.”
    Now, as Cat walked along the gravel path that led to the bakery, she felt as if she was hugging an enormous box of secrets. Secrets so special and amazing that she didn’t care how heavy the box was or how much her arms ached; she had never been happier in her life. The air was crisp and fresh, laced with the tang of wood smoke, and a harvest moon hung low in the sky, reflecting its light off the canal.
    â€œI’ve got the gift!” Cat whispered, needing to say the words out loud because she still couldn’t really believe it.
    There was a sweet, spicy scent wafting from the bakery, and Cat knew that her mother was making gingerbread. The shop door was closed, so Cat staggered around to the back, sending the chickens scattering. They lived in a little coop that Cat’s dad had built, but most of the time the chickens roamed freely around the yard, gobbling up stale cake and bread crumbs that Poppy and Marie Claire threw out for them. Light streamed through the kitchen window, and Cat could see her mother pulling a pan of gingerbread out of the oven. Auntie Charlie and Uncle Tom were sitting by the fire with Marie Claire, and Peter’s lanky frame was sprawled across the table, sketching something out on a piece of paper. His glasses had slipped down his nose and he appeared to be talking to himself, which was not uncommon