Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn Bly Read Online Free PDF

Shrillingbirds. They hated everything.
    Especially things that matched or came in pairs.
    “That’s why I expect they’ll hate twins most of all. So when they’re mean to you, don’t pay them any mind,” Daphne warned after she, Luna, and Claire had unsaddled, watered, and brushed down the horses before heading from the stables toward the castle.
    “Okay, but why are they here in the first place?” asked Luna. She was already nervous about meeting the Shrillingbirds. Her tablecloth skirt had become a little bit muddy during the riding, and her face was slightly sweaty.
    “Because they know my grandfather will serve them a free lunch,” Daphne explained. “Even though they’ve got heaps of pounds, they’re too cheap to go to a restaurant.”
    Luna nodded knowledgeably. She knew that a Scottish pound meant money. It was similar to an American dollar. What Daphne meant by heaps of pounds was not that the Shrillingbirds were super-fatties, but super-rich.
    “Chin up,” said Daphne as they marched through the castle doors.
    But poor Daphne seemed less like her normal self, Luna thought. From the moment she’d caught sight of the silver Rolls-Royce, her sly good humor had disappeared. Now her chin was up and her eyes looked bright and blinky as if she might even cry.
    The Shrillingbirds were seated in the grand dining hall, at a table that could have served twenty people on one side and twenty people on the other. Lord Shrillingbird sat at the foot, carefully eating a steak with a fork and knife. Lady Shrillingbird sat at the head, sloppily drinking broth from a bowl. Some of the broth was running down her chin.
    Mac was serving them lunch. His face was rosy from so many trips up and down, up and down, from one end of the table and back again. The Shrillingbirds did not seem to notice.
    “More lemonade,” shrilled Lady Shrillingbird.
    “Pass the salt,” shrilled Lord Shrillingbird.
    “Right-o,” wheezed Mac. “Hullo, girls. Daphne, would you be a love and help me serve the toffee cake for Lady S, and the plum pudding for Lord S?”
    “Certainly, Grandpop,” said Daphne, and she followed Mac into the kitchen, leaving the twins alone with the Shrillingbirds.
    Luna looked the Shrillingbirds up and down, then down and up.
    Lady Shrillingbird was very, very red and square as a small brick.
    Lord Shrillingbird was very, very gray and round as a large stone.
    Both of them had been preoccupied with their lunches, but as soon as both Shrillingbirds caught sight of Luna and Claire, they let out identical screams.
    “Ew! Disgusting! Twins!” they cried in unison. Then they glared across the table at each other.
    “My lord, don’t copy what I say,” said Lady Shrillingbird.
    “In this instance, my lady, you copied what I said,” said Lord Shrillingbird.
    Lady Shrillingbird sniffed. “We hate anything that comes in pairs or matched sets,” she told Luna. “Especially matching bedside table lamps, or matched socks, or matched earrings. Get it? No match.” She shook her head, so that Luna could see she wore a diamond stud earring in one ear, and a swinging plastic yellow daisy earring in the other ear.
    “Get it? No match.” Lord Shrillingbird flutter-kicked his feet out from under the table. He was wearing one red polka-dotted sock, and one flowered sock with a ruffle.
    “We also hate rhymes,” continued Lady Shrillingbird. “Because a rhyme is a word match. But matching people are worst of all. Do your names rhyme, you repulsive twins?”
    “I’m Luna,” said Luna.
    “And I’m Tuna,” said Claire.
    The Shrillingbirds gaped in horror. Luna cut a look at her sister, who wrinkled her nose witchishly.
    Daphne and Mac swung out of the kitchen. Daphne shoved a plate of toffee cake in front of Lady Shrillingbird, while Mac served Lord Shrillingbird his plum pudding.
    “Overall, my lunch was too tough and bitter,” announced Lady Shrillingbird.
    “Specifically, my steak was mushy, had too many hot