The Courage of Cat Campbell Read Online Free PDF Page B

refused to go to school and taken shelter in their cellars. A number of kindergartners had apparently been in hysterics, and when the asteroid didn’t hit, hordes of angry parents had turned up at the Parkers’ house demanding to know what Peter was playing at, scaring their children half to death.
    â€œI wasn’t off by much in my asteroid calculations,” Peter replied calmly. “It was entirely possible.”
    â€œWell, I think your earthquake sensor sounds very interesting,” Marie Claire said, hobbling over to the stove. She picked up a pan of potatoes.
    â€œMarie Claire, I’ll do that,” Cat offered, rushing over to help. “You look like your ankle is hurting.”
    â€œIt’s a little achy today, but nothing that your mother’s dinner won’t put right.”
    The meal was delicious, although Cat couldn’t eat a thing. She was far too excited, and every few seconds she would pat her pocket, unable to resist the temptation to feel the magic wand.
    â€œCat, are you looking for something?” Poppy finally asked. “You seem very distracted.”
    â€œNo, just thinking about my Antonia Bigglesmith project. And I had two Twirlie bars at Gran’s house,” Cat admitted. “So I’m not really hungry.” This was true, but it certainly didn’t account for her loss of appetite.
    â€œOh, Cat, how can you eat those things?” Poppy sighed. “They’re full of additives and preservatives.”
    â€œAnd taste heavenly,” Cat pointed out, smiling at her mother. She loved the soft vanilla-flavored cake and sweet cream filling of a Twirlie bar. So what if they had a shelf life of a hundred years? They were Cat’s favorite treat in the entire world. She would take a Twirlie bar over a homemade cupcake any day of the week.
    As the dinner wore on, Cat found it harder and harder not to say anything. She kept squirming about on her chair and had to press her lips together to stop her news from bubbling out. She would explode if she didn’t tell someone.
    â€œCat, have you got fleas?” Peter asked, leaning forward and claiming the last roast potato. “Because you’re starting to make me feel itchy.”
    â€œI have to show you something,” Cat burst out. “This old pilot’s cap that belonged to my great-granddad. It’s going to be part of my costume.”
    â€œReally?” Peter looked surprised.
    â€œI just told you I was going as Antonia Bigglesmith.”
    â€œNo, I don’t mean ‘really’ about that. I mean, really, you want to show me?”
    â€œGo on,” Poppy said. “We’ll do the dishes and call you down when it’s time for dessert. It’s nice to see you two working on your projects together. Who are you going as, Peter?”
    â€œHerbert Onsteen!” Peter said, getting up from the table. “Greatest inventor who ever lived.”
    â€œYou don’t need a costume then, do you?” Cat said, grinning. “You’re tall, you’ve got the mad scientist hair! Little bits of paper sticking out of your pockets.”
    â€œThis better be quick,” Peter muttered, following Cat out of the kitchen. “Because I’m not missing your mum’s gingerbread.”
    â€œWait till you see what I’m going to show you,” Cat said, charging up the stairs.
    â€œWell, I know it’s not a pilot’s cap,” Peter replied, lolloping after her.
    Cat pulled him into her bedroom and shut the door. “Peter, the most amazing thing happened this afternoon. You are not going to believe it!”
    â€œWhy are you telling me then?”
    â€œI can’t tell my mum, or my friends. Not that you’re not a friend,” Cat added hastily. “But you know what I mean.”
    â€œDo I?” Peter sat down on Cat’s bed.
    â€œYes, of course you do. You’re a good secret keeper.”
    â€œAhhh, so