Jasper and the Green Marvel by Deirdre Madden Read Free Book Online

firmly tied on to her head.
    ‘Hello, Nelly! How are you?’
    ‘I’m all right,’ she replied cautiously.
    ‘Love the hat! It really suits you.’ She didn’t reply to this, but scowled down at them.
    ‘We’re really sorry we were mean to you,’ Rags said, ‘and we promise we won’t ever do anything like that ever again.’
    Nelly narrowed her eyes. ‘Did Benny have a word with you?’
    ‘Benny? Who’s he?’
    ‘My big brother.’
    The two rats nodded. ‘He, er, he sort of pointed out to us that we hadn’t been very kind to you,’ Rags said.
    ‘But we knew that anyway,’ Bags added.
    ‘And we will be nice from now on. Incredibly nice.’
    And then Nelly said something that astonished them.
    ‘Can I be your friend?’
    ‘You?’ Bags replied before he could stop himself. ‘But you’re a girl! A soppy girl, and a bat into the bargain! We couldn’t poss—Ouch!’ Rags had given him a sudden sharp kick in the shins.
    ‘Of course you can be our friend!’ he cried. ‘There’s nothing we would like better. We were just about to ask you the same thing. I’m Rags and this is Bags. We’ll make a great team, the three of us.’
    ‘Oh, goody,’ said Nelly. ‘I’m so pleased. Now tell me, what are you up to? What are you doing prowling around the house in the middle of the night?’
    ‘We’re looking for the Green Marvel,’ Rags said. ‘Have you ever heard of it? Do you know what it is?’
    ‘I do, of course,’ Nelly replied. ‘It’s a necklace. Look, you can see it here in the painting.’ She unfurled her wings from her sides and fluttered up to settle on the golden frame. The rats were hugely impressed that she could do this. Even if she was a soppy girl, it was quite something to be able to fly.
    ‘Where are you looking?’ she asked.
    ‘That’s the problem,’ Rags said. ‘We hardly know where to begin. Do you have any ideas?’
    ‘Well, we could ask, I suppose.’
    ‘Ask who?’
    ‘Why Georgiana, of course. The woman in the painting. It was her necklace, after all, so she might be able to help.’
    Rags and Bags looked at each other. What a strange little creature this bat was! What could she possibly mean? ‘Georgiana’s my friend,’ Nelly prattled on. ‘She likes me lots. I haven’t seen her in a while but we could go and ask her right now. Will we do that?’
    ‘Why not?’ Rags said, thinking it was bestto humour her. ‘We have no other plans for the night.’
    ‘Very good then,’ Nelly cried. ‘I’ll take you to her room. Follow me!’

15 Georgiana
    The little bat fluttered up the wide staircase and the rats scampered after her. She then led them down a long narrow corridor until they came to a door at the end of it, which stood half open.
    ‘In here,’ she whispered.
    There was a lovely moon that night. A cool silvery light shone through the high windows so that Rags and Bags could see where they were. The room was prettily furnished, like a little parlour, with a sofa and two chairs covered in yellow silk. The curtains were tied back with thick tasselled cords. There was abookcase full of small books, bound in leather, and a marble mantelpiece on which sat a golden clock.
    ‘But there’s nobody here,’ Bags said.
    ‘I have to call her,’ Nelly replied. ‘I’ll do it now but you won’t be able to hear me.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘I have a special high-pitched call. People like Georgiana can hear it and other bats, but nobody else. Mrs Haverford-Snuffley can’t hear it either and she doesn’t even know about it.’
    Nelly opened her mouth wide. It was red and moist against her dark furry body and it was full of narrow, pointed teeth. Rags and Bags thought she looked incredibly creepy. She gave a second silent cry.
    And then it happened.
    A beautiful young woman came into the room. The rats recognised her immediately from the painting downstairs. She had the same white skin and straight nose. Her reddish curls were piled high on top of her head