Hilda - Cats by Paul Kater Read Free Book Online Page B

deserved.
    "And if you're looking for the other two,
they're still against the wall of the nursery," Hilda added. "They
were being somewhat of a pest, so we put them away for a while. To
cool off, so to speak."
    "Against the wall?" Snow White as well as
Jordan were not prepared for that. "Why don't they come in here
then?"
    "Well, they can't get off the wall without
the help of these people," Esmee pitched in her little bit. "The
boys were really somewhat of a nuisance." Her voice still carried
some of her anger about the boys' behaviour. Jordan look as if he
was unable to believe that.
    "Cauldron fodder," Baba Yaga added innocently
as Prince Jordan left the room.
    Shortly after that a howl penetrated the
room. It was clear that Prince Jordan had found his sons, stuck to
the wall. And getting them off it had proven loudly impossible. The
prince came into the parlour again. "Could someone please get my
sons from that wall? I refuse to speak any more until they are free
again."
    "Sounds like a fair trade," Baba Yaga said.
"I'd go for the quiet, Hilda. Not trying to influence you of
course."
    Hilda sighed, casting a resigning look at her
friend. She walked out and liberated the twin princes. After that,
Prince Jordan said that there was nothing more he could say.
    "Well, at least we know what we wanted to
know," the witch said. "Maybe now is a good moment to say goodbye
and retreat to our rooms, to see what next steps we'll take. I take
it that you have a room for Babs here, right?"
    "Oh, certainly," said Snow White. "The one
next to yours is still free, I will see to it that it is
prepared."
    "Good good," said Hilda. "We will go and have
a walk." She took William's hand. "Babs, are you coming? And Esmee,
we may need you as well."
    Baba Yaga took Esmee's arm. "Come on, no
escaping, no excuses. You're wanted, so you come."
    The pink witch didn't even try to resist when
the crone witch dragged her from the room.
    Once the magical people had left, Prince
Jordan belched. "I'm sorry."
    His wife slapped him. "Next time be sorry
before you do that, Jordan. And otherwise keep it inside you until
the children are gone."
    Dicky and Billy were sitting on the couch,
eating chocolates. They both belched.
    -=-=-
    "Where are we going? We are not going far,
are we? I have other things to do, you know." Esmee was not feeling
comfortable as she was taken along. Her ordeal ended as they had
reached the room of Hilda and William.
    "Sit." Esmee sat.
    "We're going to scout outside. Tonight."
Hilda sat on the bed. The cats did so too. "I am going to take the
first watch. Esmee, you will take the second one. William does the
third and if nothing happened, we've all lost some good
sleep-time."
    Esmee frowned as she worked out the schedule.
"We three? What about Baba Yaga?" The old witch just looked at
Esmee. "Oh. I see." The pink witch frowned again. "We are going to
look for the cat, aren't we?"
    "Someone please give that witch a gold star,"
Baba Yaga said. She produced one and handed it to Esmee who stared
at it. "And you will get another one if you catch the cat."
    William asked what Hilda had in mind in case
one of them spotted the cat. "We should have something of a cage
ready, I think," he suggested, "and slap the beastie in it with
some magic."
    "Excuse me?" Esmee held up her hand. "My
magic is not strong enough to do something like that."
    "Sounds like you get a double shift, Willy,"
Baba Yaga giggled. It was an eerie sound. "Unless we pimp this
little witch a bit." The old witch looked at Esmee. "Let's see..."
Esmee's pouch flew into Baba Yaga's hands. "Not strong enough.
Indeed."
    Esmee looked aghast. "You cannot-"
    "I should not be able to, Esmee," said Baba
Yaga, "but since I can, it looks like you and I have a bit of work
to do before this evening." She became very serious. "We don't know
what we are up against. Since cats this big don't grow on trees, we
can only assume it is something else."
    "Indeed," Hilda took over. "And we may