Selby Scrambled by Duncan Ball Read Free Book Online Page A

awake.’
    ‘What does it matter about my secret now?’ Selby thought. And then he said out loud, ‘Okay, okay. My problem is that I’m in prison.’
    ‘Yeah, well that’s my problem, too. So keep the noise down.’
    The man rolled over again.
    ‘This is amazing,’ Selby thought. ‘I just talked and he doesn’t seem to care at all. Hey, you,’ Selby said out loud again, ‘didn’t you notice that I talked?’
    ‘So what? Go to sleep.’
    ‘But I’m a dog. I’m not supposed to talk. I don’t know how I learned to do it. It just happened. I was sitting in front of the TV one day and suddenly I could understand what they were saying.’
    As Selby talked about his life with the Trifles, the man slowly sat up on his bed listening to every word. On and on Selby talked till themiddle of the night. He talked about Dr Trifle’s inventions, and about Mrs Trifle’s troubles as mayor, about Willy and Billy — everything.
    Finally, he had said it all.
    ‘That’s really interesting,’ the man said. ‘And trust me, I won’t give away your secret.’
    ‘You won’t?’
    ‘I would but nobody would believe me.’
    ‘They wouldn’t?’
    ‘No, because I’m a liar. I’ve been a liar all my life. From when I was a little kid I never ever told the truth,’ the man said. ‘Hey, I like you, dog. What’s your name?’
    ‘Selby,’ Selby said.
    ‘Call me Tats,’ the man said. ‘So how long are you in for?’
    ‘I’ll find out tomorrow. Ten years, I think.’
    ‘Wow! That’s a long time in a dog’s life. What was the evidence?’
    ‘A photo of me running through Poshfield without a leash.’
    The man gave a long, low whistle.
    ‘It’s hard to argue with a photograph,’ he said. ‘Did you realise you were set up?’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘It wasn’t a coincidence that the mayor’s poodle chased you into Poshfield. This mayor guy would have been spying on you. Then one day you were out near Poshfield and he had his mutt chase you over the line. Was there a car behind you?’
    ‘Come to think of it, I think there was.’
    ‘That was the mayor. He let his dog out of the car and then took pictures when you got into Poshfield. That’s what I reckon.’
    ‘But that’s
sooooooooo
unfair!’ Selby wailed. ‘I’m going to tell the judge everything.’
    ‘It’ll be your word against that mayor guy. And he’s got a photo. Besides, if you talk, your life will be ruined forever. You said that yourself.’
    ‘It’s already ruined.’
    ‘No, it isn’t,’ Tats said. ‘How about escaping?’
    ‘Escaping? Sure — but how?’
    Tats grabbed one of the window bars. He slid it up easily and then took it out.
    ‘Can you fit through there?’
    ‘How’d you do that?’ Selby asked.
    ‘Years of work. Last week I finally got it loose. But now I don’t need to escape because they’re letting me out next month. Come on, off you go, little guy.’
    Selby climbed up onto the windowsill.
    ‘Thank you so much,’ he said as he jumped down to the ground.
    ‘Pssst!’ Tats pssst-ed. ‘Where will you go?’
    ‘Home,’ Selby whispered back.
    ‘But you can’t. Sooner or later the cops will get you. You can’t go home ever again. Go as far away as possible. Someone will take you into their home.’
    ‘But I don’t want anyone else. I only want to live with the Trifles. They’re the most wonderful people in the world.’
    ‘Selby, take it from an old crim: you need a plan. Everyone needs a plan. Forget these owners of yours and work out a plan for the rest of your life. Now go!’
    Selby dashed across the road and through the darkened streets of Poshfield.
    ‘It’s nice to be free,’ he thought, ‘but what good is freedom when I can’t
(sniff)
live with the Trifles? And it’s all because of that horrible
    Denis Dorset and that bloodthirsty dog of his. If I ever see him again I’ll bite him into next year!’
    Suddenly Selby caught sight of Poshfield Manor, the mayor’s mansion.
    ‘Hey, hang