Free The Lady Astronomer by Katy O'Dowd Page A

moved faster than Al had ever
seen him move before, and was snuggled up with Mr. O, searching his pockets in
the time that it took to blink once.
    “Do you really have sweeties?”
    Mr. O put his finger to his lips and shook
his head, backing away until his foot felt the ladder. He descended with
Leibniz continuing his search, hand holding him firmly by the scruff of the
neck.
    “So, lemur.” The family and Al
were gathered once more at the scene of the crime. “What are we to do? We
need to look into your mouth to see your sore tooth. And if it is bad, it will
have to come out.”
    The members of the clockwork orchestra
stood to attention on the kitchen table. They would distract Leibniz while Mr.
O yanked out the ivory, which was indeed rotten.
    “On three.” Mr. O, with Al’s
clamping device in hand, moved behind the lemur as son and wife held on to the
wriggling furry body. The orchestra started up with another rendition of God
Save the King and Al stopped them.
    “Not that one, no, no, no. If Leibniz
associates this with tooth-pulling and it is played every time the king visits,
well I can see mayhem and mischief ensuing. Something different please,
something soothing.”
    The orchestra complied and Al held on to
Leibniz’s hands as Mr. O opened his mouth and inserted the clamping device. He
tightened around the offending tooth, and then nodded to Al.
    “Leibniz, what’s that over there?”
    The lemur turned his head and Mr. O gave an
almighty tug. He fell backward, and Leibniz fought off the dental assistants,
shrieking. Once he had given them the slip, he climbed to the top of the
kitchen dresser and sat there glowering down balefully at them all, minus a
tooth.
    “Good boy, Leibniz,” cooed Al. “No
more sugar for you, my friend. It’s going to have to be kept under lock and
key.”
    Mrs. O smiled and jingled the keys on her
belt, showing Al the new one to the sugar cupboard.
    “Always one step ahead.” Al
smiled and sat on a chair, heavily. “Tea all round I think.”
     
    *
     
    The horses snorted disdainfully, shaking
their manes and darting glances to see if they could be seen pulling such a
contrivance.
    Freddie coaxed them onward while Lucretia
tried to keep Mrs. V with her offers of tea and cake at bay.
    “Honestly, Mrs. V, we need to get this
home.” She spread her hands wide. “Freddie won’t rest until it is in
the grounds that we have earmarked for the telescope. And I won’t rest until I
am clean again. I can still smell the river on myself.” She sniffed her
sleeve and cast her eyes heavenward.
    “Look, there’s Orion!” Lucretia
shielded her eyes and held out her arm for the owl.
    He came to rest there and snuggled in to
her. She kissed his head. “I’ve missed you. So what’s the news?” He
hopped onto the nearest horse’s rump.
    Mrs. V gave up and fell back. Usually the
most tenacious of people, she had nevertheless sickened entirely of the
exercise. She could honestly say that she hadn’t walked so far, or rather
rushed to keep up, since she was a child.
    “I’ll be off then! You remember me to
anyone who comes to visit your telescope. Nice clean rooms and good food at my
Inn!”
    Lucretia looked back and waved. Mrs. V
sighed as she realised she would have to walk all the way back home.
    She had done her best, really she had,
stalling the brother and sister for as long as she could, and keeping up for as
long as her breath would let her. Poor Mr. V had forgotten to tell his wife
that there was no need for a deception any more as lemur had been found long
ago.
    “Thank goodness for that, the woman
was driving me batty.”
    “Lucretia, she was just being nice.”
    “If that’s nice show me nasty. Come on,
Freddie. It has been a long, tedious journey. I am desperate to get clean.”
    “Well then, look, we are nearly back.”
    “Oh, I could cry, how marvellous.”
    Leibniz raced up as soon as he caught sight
of the returning party. He climbed up her dress and clung