Inside the Worm by Robert Swindells Read Free Book Online

As Trot closed the stockroom door, Gary spoke softly. ‘There’s a snitch in our midst, Trot. A tattletale.’
    Trot nodded. ‘Sounds like it. What we gonna do?’
    â€˜Oh, I dunno. Trot. I’ll think of something.’ Gary smiled. ‘Something messy, I shouldn’t wonder.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
    THE HALL WAS in use for PE, so they had to use Mrs Evans’s room for the tryout. She supervised the stacking of chairs and tables along one wall to make floorspace, then disappeared in the direction of the staffroom with a pile of marking.
    â€˜Right.’ Sarah-Jane perched herself on a window-ledge to do her producer bit. ‘How are costumes coming along?’
    â€˜Mine’s ready,’ said Gemma, ‘but it’s at home.’
    Fliss nodded. ‘Mine too. Nobody said we were rehearsing today.’
    â€˜I know,’ grinned Sarah-Jane. ‘It was a spur of the moment decision. I couldn’t wait to see the worm in action. Has anybody brought their costume?’
    Nobody had, but it didn’t really matter. The only costume anybody was interested in at the moment lay in three pieces in the Year Eight stockroom. Trot and Gary carted it out and there was no shortage of volunteers to help Ellie-May, Lisa and the two boys into it. When the last tape was tied, Gary led his team on a trial circuit of the classroom under the admiring gaze of their classmates. Mrs Trotter had stuffed and sewn the long tail beautifully. It was rounded and tapered and flexible and it looped and snaked across the floor as the monster circled.
    â€˜OK,’ said Sarah-Jane, when the worm had done three circuits. ‘That’s beautiful, but I got us off English and we’re supposed to be working.’
    â€˜Let’s do the bits where the worm seizes villagers and drags them off,’ suggested Keith.
    There was a general cry of ‘Yeah!’ and Sarah-Jane nodded, pointing. ‘That’s the village, over in that corner. Get over there if you’re a villager.’
    â€˜Which bit’s Norway?’ demanded Barry Tune. Sarah-Jane looked at him. ‘What d’you mean, which bit’s Norway? What’s Norway got to do with it?’
    â€˜That’s where the Vikings were when the worm was eating peopleburgers,’ said Barry. ‘So that’s where us Vikings should stand.’
    â€˜Don’t be daft,’ snapped Sarah-Jane. ‘The Vikings aren’t in this bit. They can stand round the walls and watch.’
    â€˜Boring,’ muttered Barry. ‘If there’s one thing a Viking hates, it’s being bored.’ Some of the other Vikings muttered their agreement. Sarah-Jane ignored them. Meanwhile the villagers had crammed themselves into their corner and were arguing over who should be the first victim, while the worm glared balefully at them through its mad red eyes.
    After some pushing and shoving, Tara Matejak was thrust forward by Michael who cried, ‘Here’s your starter, worm.’
    â€˜Just a minute!’ Gary, who was moving towards the girl, stopped at the sound of Sarah-Jane’s voice. Sarah-Jane glared at Michael. ‘Is that what you intend saying on the day, Michael Tostevin?’
    The boy grinned. ‘’Course not.’
    â€˜Then don’t say it in rehearsal, OK?’
    Michael shrugged. ‘OK, Miss. Sorry, Miss.’ Some of his friends tittered.
    Sarah-Jane sighed. ‘OK, worm – carry on.’
    When it came to it, the business of seizing and dragging off proved far more difficult than anyone had envisaged. The jaws of the monster were not a moving part. They were set permanently agape and could seize nothing, so that Tara had to co-operate in her own abduction, thrusting her hand into a corner of the worm’s mouth and walking beside it in such a way as to suggest that she was being dragged by the arm. It wasn’t completely successful, and Trotundertook to devise a way