The Terror Time Spies by David Clement-Davies Read Free Book Online Page A

coming, Armande?  I mean, Count.”
    “Bien sure,” said the fifteen year old, if rather doubtfully, “Of course, Monsieur.”
    Armande was shaking and Henry suddenly felt very grown up indeed.
    “But he can’t,” said Spike hotly, “he’s not one of us.”
    “He’s a Frenchie you mean, Spike?” said Henry, suddenly puzzled, “and now that we’re at war, not on our…”
    “No, ninnee, he’s not a Rat Catcher.”
    “Oh, blast the Rat Catchers,” cried Henry Bonespair angrily, “This is going to be a far better gang now.”
    Spike glared at her stupid brother, thinking it horribly unfair, since she had only just joined, but Skipper and Armande looked up. 
    “A gang that isn’t frightened by this Frenchie Terror,” said Hal. 
    The young people all stood a little straighter and the boys nodded.  This French Revolution seemed everywhere now and an idea like this made them feel rather better. 
    “Then it’s settled,” said Henry, reaching into his shirt, “We leave inside the hour.  But there’s something we should do first.  We’ll swear on this .”
    “The Magic Nometer,” nodded Spike, as Henry pulled it out and it flashed in the moonlight, “but swear what?” she added, looking loyally at the Rat’s Tail and feeling guilty.
    “The new oath, Spike, of our brand new Secret Society.”
    Skipper Holmwood dropped the mouldy rat’s tail in the dirt. 
    “And what do wes calls ourselves?” he asked, excitedly now.
    “The Guilteen Gang,” suggested Spike and Armande looked green.  Henry paused portentously, wondering about some name like The Terror Spies . 
    “The Pimpernel Club,” he cried instead. 
    The name’s association with the dashing Scarlet Pimpernel, real or not, seemed to give the children added courage.  One by one they all whispered it together - ‘The Pimpernel Club’ - as the boys and Spike put out their right hands too.   
    “And the Oath?” urged Spike, delighted to be one of the boys. 
    Henry nodded and slowly he began -“ I swear…on the Sacred Time piece, and my life, to dedicate myself to the cause of the world famous Pimpernel Club.”
    Skipper, Nellie Bonespair and Armande, 9th Count St Honoré, felt strange and a little silly, as they all began to mouth it too. 
    “ And I swear to keep the Secrets of the Pimpernel Club, whatever happens,” prompted Henry Bonespair, wondering what exactly would happen, “to conceal the identity of its loyal members, to honour its secrets and honourable codes, and to uphold all its brave ideals .”
    Henry’s eyes flickered bravely, as the boys and Spike waited. 
    “Which are?” asked Armande, not feeling very heroic at all, as Henry suddenly remembered Mr Robespierre’s words. 
    “ Er … To act boldly in the cause of the innocent,” he said, even more loudly, “ Um.  To use cunning and disguise in the name of the oppressed.   To defeat tyranny and injustice at every turn, like the Scarlet Pimpernel himself .”
    Just then Henry Bonespair thought he heard a voice, just like at the well, but this time coming from an old dresser, abandoned in the barn.  It was muffled, annoyed and just as foreign. 
    “ Bureaux’s a coming through ,” it seemed to say.   
    Henry wondered if the whole estate was really haunted, as again there seemed to be a strange glow all around them, but the others had obviously heard nothing at all again. 
    Hal shook his head and felt that water still lodged in his right ear.  That must be it, he thought.
    “What about trouble though?” asked Nell gloomily, picking up the precious rat’s tail and putting it safely in her little pocket.  “Getting into trouble, H?”
    “ And we swear to obey it’s leader,” snapped Henry Bonespair.  “ Without question .”
     “Er.   Pardon, Henri,” said Count Armande suddenly, standing straighter, and fingering his torn cuff, “but as Ninth Count of St Honoré, and true French Aristocracy, do you not think it is I who should be