The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories by Garth Nix, Joan Aiken, Andi Watson, Lizza Aiken Read Free Book Online

facing the top of the stairs was open, and she stole through it. This was Mr. Armitage's study, which Mr. Whizzard had decided should be his private office. Just now, however, he was out having his lunch, and the room was empty. Sarah went to work at once. She laid a few thumbtacks carefully on what she supposed to be her uncle's chair, and was just attaching a neat contrivance to the telephone, when there came an interruption. The huge black cat, Walrus, who had stayed behind when the family left, had strolled into the study after Sarah and was taking a deep interest in the dejected-looking cuckoo sitting under the glass dome. While Sarah was busy laying the thumbtacks, he leaped onto the desk, and after a moment's reflection, knocked the glass case off the desk with one sweep of his powerful paw.
    "Sarah!” cried Mr. Armitage in terror. “Save me from this murdering beast!"
    Completely startled, thinking that her uncle must have come in unheard while her back was turned, Sarah spun around and let fly with her water pistol. The jet caught the unfortunate bird in mid-air, and at once (for the weather was very cold) he turned to a solid block of ice, and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The cat pounced at once, but his teeth simply grated on the ice, and he sprang back with a hiss of dismay.
    At that moment Mr. Whizzard returned from lunch.
    "Dear me!” he said peevishly. “What is all this? Cats? Little girls? And who has been meddling with my cuckoo?” But when he saw Mr. Armitage's frozen condition, he began to laugh uncontrollably.
    "Warlock! Warlock! Come in and look at this,” he shouted, and another man came in, wearing a mortarboard and magician's gown.
    "The lads have just arrived in the dragon-bus,” he said. “I told them to go straight in to tea, as the workmen haven't quite finished dividing up the classrooms. What have you got there?"
    "Poor Armitage has become quite seized up,” said Mr. Whizzard. “If we had a deep-freeze—"
    Before he could finish, several young student-magicians dashed into the room, with cries of complaint. They were all sneezing.
    "Really it's too bad, when we're all tired from our journey! Sneezing powder in everything and tea all over the floor. A joke's a joke, but this is going too far. Someone ought to get the sack for this."
    "What is the matter, my lads?” enquired Mr. Whizzard.
    "Someone's been playing a lot of rotten practical jokes."
    Sarah quailed and would gladly have slipped away, but she was jammed in a corner. She tried to squeeze past the desk, but one of the drawers was open and caught her suitcase. A small bomb fell out and exploded on the carpet, amid yelps of terror from the students.
    "Seize that child,” commanded Mr. Whizzard. Two of them unwillingly did so, and stood her before him. He cast his eye over the diabolical contents of her suitcase, and then the label attracted his attention.
    "Armitage. Ah, just so, this is plainly an attempt at sabotage from the evicted family. They shall pay dearly for it. Nightshade, fetch an electric heater, will you? There's one in the front hall."
    While they were waiting, Mr. Whizzard sat down in his chair, but shot up again at once, with a murderous look at Sarah.
    "Good. Now place the bird before it, in this pencil tray, so as not to dampen the carpet. The cat sits at hand on this chair, ready for when the thawing process commences. It should not be long, I fancy. Now my young friends, you may return to your interrupted meal, and as for you,” with a savage glance at Sarah, “a little solitary confinement will do you no harm, while I reflect on how to dispose of you."
    Sarah was dragged away and locked into a beaverboard cell, which had once been part of Harriet's bedroom.
    "Now I think we deserve a quiet cup of tea, after all this excitement,” said Mr. Whizzard to Mr. Warlock, when they were left alone. “We can sip it as we watch poor Mr. Armitage melt. I'll ring down to the kitchen.” He lifted the