DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO.’
‘Oh! I mean, yes,’ said Howard.
‘Yes, oh yes,’ said Mr Bullerton. ‘So just you wait. And in the meantime, I want you to brighten yourself up a bit. Where ’s your Christmas spirit? Eh?’
‘Err. . . ’ said Howard. ‘I think I used it all up over Christmas.’
‘Well GET IT BACK AGAIN,’ shouted Mr Bullerton.
‘I’ll do my best,’ said Howard.
‘Ppffh,’ snorted Mr Bullerton, and left.
‘Best be off then,’ said the postman, cheerfully.
‘One for the road?’ offered Howard, filling the kettle.
‘Ooh, go on then,’ said the postman.
CLATTER! went the trolley, out in the corridor. ‘I’m not standing around here all day while he guzzles tea. Ten. Nine.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Purvis.
‘What’s it doing?’ hissed Mickey Thompson.
‘FIVE-FOUR-THREE-TWO-ONE,’ said the trolley. ‘RIGHT, I’M OFF.’ It gave a lurch and started to trundle up the corridor.
‘Come on,’ said Purvis, hopping on to the bottom shelf.
‘Wait for me!’ said Mickey Thompson,
leaping,
and missing.
‘Here,’ said Purvis, reaching.
‘Yikes,’ said Mickey Thompson, running.
‘Hup,’ said Purvis, grabbing.
‘HELP! said Mickey Thompson, d a n g l i n g.
CLATTER!
went the trolley, jerking to a halt. ‘You,’ it said.
‘Meep,’ peeped Mickey Thompson.
‘If you’re getting on, kindly get on. If you’re not getting on, kindly get off. One or the other: not both.’
Mickey Thompson got on.
‘All aboard, fifty-two?’ said the trolley.
‘All aboard,’ said Purvis, and the trolley clacketty-rattled off up the corridor.
‘Phew,’ said Mickey Thompson.
‘He’s a one, isn’t he?’ whispered Purvis.
‘Hmph,’ said Mickey Thompson. ‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Of course,’ said Purvis.
‘Only we seem to be going quite fast,’ said Mickey Thompson.
CRACK! went the trolley, clattering around a corner.
‘It’s fine,’ said Purvis.
CLACK! went the trolley, clattering around another corner.
‘PURVIS!’ shouted Mickey Thompson.
‘HOLD ON!’
shouted
Purvis.
‘THREE TWELVETY TEN!’
shouted the trolley, as they barrelled down a corridor.
‘NOTHINGY NINE SIX!’
‘What’s the matter with it?’ said Mickey Thompson.
‘I think it’s over-excited,’ said Purvis. ‘I’ll see if I can have a word.’
He crept to the edge of the shelf and peered out.
‘Err, excuse me,’ called Purvis.
‘SEVENTY MILLIONTY NOTHINGY NOUGHT ONE!’
‘Hello?’ called Purvis.
‘FIFFERTYFIFFERTYTWOOOOOOOOOOOO?’ hooted the trolley.
‘Yes, it’s me,’ said Purvis. ‘Err, we were just wondering. . . ’
‘WHAT?’ shouted the trolley.
‘When’s the next stop, please?’ asked Purvis.
‘FIVE TWO FIVE TWO FIVE TWO FIVE TWO FIVE!’ shouted the trolley.
Purvis went back in.
‘It’s no good,’ he said. ‘He’s gone bonkers.’
‘What are we going to do?’ wailed Mickey Thompson.
‘I’m thinking,’ said Purvis.
‘Think faster,’ said Mickey Thompson.
‘WHA-OOO!’ yelled the trolley, hurtling.
‘I’M ON FIRE!’
‘WHAT?!’ shrieked Mickey Thompson.
‘Oh, shoosh,’ said Purvis. ‘It’s just a figure of speech.’
‘I think I’m going to be sick,’ said Mickey Thompson.
‘DON’T YOU BE SICK IN ME,’shouted the trolley, crashing through some swing doors.
‘STAIRS OR LIFT, FIFTY TWO?’
‘LIFT!’ yelled Purvis.
‘HERE WE COME,’ shouted the trolley. ‘OPEN UP, YOU!’
‘PING!’ went the lift, just in time. They shot inside and rattled to a halt.
‘Well, really,’ said the lift.
The mice plopped out of the trolley and lay on the lift floor, puffing.
