Thunder Raker by Justin Richards Read Free Book Online Page B

Alfie—now we know exactly where the satellite is. All we need to do is find and train some badgers.”
    â€œEr,” Beth said, “I don’t think that was quite what Alfie had in mind. Was it, Alfie?”
    â€œThen he should have explained better,” Chloe said. “Now the SPUD agents will get the satellite and it’s Alfie’s fault. Look—they’re searching that part of the garden now.”
    Alfie could see several men in dark glasses approaching where Jack had found the satellite. He quickly took the ball from Jack and kicked it high over the fence. “My turn,” he said.
    A few minutes later, having asked Mrs Prendergast politely if he could get his ball back, apologised for kicking it over again andpromised that yes, they would play further away from her fence, Alfie was in the garden. He could see the satellite nestling under a holly bush at the edge of a flowerbed. The football was close by. But so was a SPUD agent, searching on hands and knees for the satellite…
    The man drew back into cover as Alfie approached. Alfie reached the football and kicked it towards the bushes, running quickly after it…

    Soon, Alfie was back with his friends from Class 3D. He was carrying a silver ball about the size of Harry’s head. Lights flashed round the edge, and it made bleep—bleep noises.
    â€œThat,” Harry said seriously, “is not our football.”
    There was a special assembly before the end of school, where Mr Trenchard thanked Class 3D for their excellent work recovering the whatever-itwas. He gave Miss Jones a certificate that had been specially printed by Mr Cryption. It said:
    Everyone was delighted. Even Chloe spared Alfie a smile. But then she seemed to realise what she was doing, and it changed into a frown.
    â€œAnd I gather from someone’s father…” Mr Trenchard said, pausing to wink knowingly at Harry, “…that the SPUD agents sent to find the satellite, thought they’d worked out where it crashed and have returned to SPUD HQ with a football. They are, even as I speak, trying to find out how it works.”
    â€œI think you just kick it,” Harry said.“No homework tonight?” Alfie’s dad asked as they watched television together that evening.
    â€œNo. We did so well at school we were let off homework for today.”
    â€œI’m glad you’re settling in,” Dad said. “You know, I wasn’t really sure if you’d like it.”
    â€œDad, can I ask you something?”
    â€œOf course you can, Alfie. Something about school?”
    â€œSort of. Dad—are you really a postman?” Alfie asked.
    Alfie’s dad smiled and nodded. But he said nothing.
    Agent Alfie will return in On Her Majesty’s Postal Service .

Hedgehog Slab Illusion
    Huh?
    Well, Mr Cryption might seem to be talking rubbish, but in fact everything he says is in code. Here are some of the code words that Mr Cryption uses together with what they really mean—provided by the Government Rapid Analysis Decoding and Encryption Section (GRADES). Other words have not yet been deciphered—perhaps you can work them out?
    You can also use the list to say things in code, like Mr Cryption. But be warned—if you do, no one will know what you are talking about !
    Codeward
Meaning
Alert
Letter
Antelopes
Satellite
Anthology
Collection
Artichoke
Watch out
Bananas
Tummy
Bath
Big tub of water
Binoculars
Colour
Blue
Difficult
Bridges
Dangerous
Butter
Damaged
Cardigans
Success
Carpet
Unexpected
Casement
Enclosed frame
Cashflow
Expensive
Crisis
Envelope
Dilemma
If
Doom
Clever
Enormous
Worked
Extraction
Code-breaking
Fester
No
Flammable
When
Flippers
Flippers
Frosting
Frosting
Garden
Talking
Geography
Need
Gherkin
Outstanding
Gold
Stay
Golf
Camouflage
Hamster
Teacher
Hat