Free Chew Bee or Not Chew Bee by Martin Chatterton Page A

face poking through the mess. Goldstein’s knee appeared to be in Sir Victor’s ear. Rosenbloom was nowhere to be seen.
    Sir Victor yelled something. But he was already too far downstream for Willy to hear what he was saying. Willy was fairly sure it wasn’t an invitation to dinner.
    Willy turned and grabbed the reins of Sir Victor’s horse. Stealing this horse would land him an appointment with the executioner for sure. But the way Willy saw it, he was already in so much trouble that a little more would make no difference. He swung himself up onto the horse’s back and jabbed his heels into its flanks. The horse took off towards London like a comet. Willy clung on for dear life.
    With a bit of luck he’d be back in time for the performance.

14
The Play’s the Thing

    Charlie Ginnell trotted backstage. He poked his head around the dressing room door and raised his eyebrows. ‘Almost ready?’ he panted. ‘They’re getting restless out there.’
    Walden Kemp was slumped on a chair, his head in his hands. ‘No,’ he sighed miserably. ‘It’s turning into a disaster. It’s our sell-out London opening night and Yorick says he can’t operate the backstage stuff without Waggledagger!’
    â€˜My make-up is a mess!’ wailed Olly. A thick line of eyeliner was running down his face. ‘Waggledagger normally makes sure it’s perfect!’
    â€˜And who’s going to wax my fiddle bow at the interval?’ said Elbows. ‘That’s Waggle-dagger’s job!’
    â€˜I s’pose you do get used to him,’ said Minty who was struggling with his ghost costume. ‘Waggledagger sort of grows on you.’
    â€˜Like fungus,’ said Minimac.
    Elbows threw his fiddle bow at him.
    Yorick came into the dressing room, a hammer in one hand and a length of rope in the other.
    Charlie pulled a hand through his hair and looked at Yorick. ‘Any ideas?’ he asked.
    â€˜I s’pose we could ditch a few of the songs,’ said Yorick. ‘Cut the best scenes out. Wiv some clever lightin’ maybe they’d never know the difference.’
    Walden moaned from his chair.
    Charlie shook his head. ‘How would that help, Yorick? Olly’s make-up is melting, Elbows’s fiddle’s in need of some TLC, andMinty needs help getting in and out of that costume!’
    â€˜Cut songs?’ said Olly. ‘My fans would go nuts!’
    â€˜They’re nuts already,’ said Minimac.
    â€˜Now wait just a minute, you overgrown lump of timber!’ said Olly. ‘My fans are the be——’ He stopped as loud chanting came from the front of the theatre.
    â€˜Black Skulls! Black Skulls!’ yelled the crowd. ‘Black Skulls! Black Skulls!’
    â€˜I’m going to have to go out there and cancel the show,’ said Charlie.
    â€˜Cancel?’ said a voice outside the dressing room. Willy appeared in the doorway, dusty, smiling and smelling faintly of horse dung. ‘Why would you want to cancel?’
    â€˜Waggledagger!’ cried Yorick. ‘Yer back!’ For a moment he looked like he was going to kiss Willy, but then he coughed and began picking his teeth instead. ‘You cut it a bit fine, didn’tyou? Couldn’t you ’ave come back sooner?’
    Willy got straight to work. He adjusted Minty’s ghost costume, picked up Elbows’s fiddle bow and started fixing Olly’s smudged make-up.
    â€˜Wait a minute!’ said Charlie. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be in Richmond? We could get in serious trouble if Skellington catches Waggledagger back here!’
    â€˜Then let’s make sure he doesn’t catch him!’ said Walden. ‘He’s back! That’s the main thing!’
    â€˜I hope you’re right,’ said Charlie.
    â€˜I hope he’s right, too,’ muttered Willy. All he wanted was for The Ghost to show up, so he could show