An Awfully Beastly Business: The Big Beast Sale by The Beastly Boys & David Sinden & Guy Macdonald

Author:The Beastly Boys & David Sinden & Guy Macdonald [The Beastly Boys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857076472
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ulf clung on tightly as Al soared up through the night sky. The owl-man beat his powerful wings, lifting Ulf high above the streets and rooftops until they were soaring over the city skyscrapers. With just a gentle flick of his wingtips, Al was able to manoeuvre skilfully through the air.

Ulf looked down in awe at the city below, the lights of windows like tiny yellow stars in the dark.

‘You okay, Ulf?’ Al asked.

‘I think so,’ Ulf replied, nervous in case he fell.

‘Hold on tight,’ Al said, and he dived down through the darkness to a wharf where boats were moored. He swooped low above the water, landing on a wooden jetty beside a large houseboat.

‘This is our first stop, Ulf. Home to Fred the froglanoid.’

Al transformed back into his human form and called, ‘Fred, are you there? It’s Al. There’s someone here to see you.’

Ulf heard the sound of shuffling from inside the boat’s cabin. Its door opened and out stepped a bald-headed man with strange scars on his neck.

‘What’s up?’ the man asked, then he looked at Ulf in surprise.

‘I’m Ulf,’ Ulf said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. ‘I’m from the RSPCB.’

Fred the froglanoid glanced down quizzically at Ulf ’s bare hairy feet.

‘The city’s not safe for metamorphs at the moment,’ Ulf went on. ‘There’s a beast hunter looking for you. You’re all to meet by the Williamson Bridge at midnight to leave the city. Everyone’s going back to RSPCB headquarters for safety.’

‘I’ll get going straight away,’ Fred said. He kicked off his slippers and stepped down on to the dockside. Ulf noticed his feet were large and webbed. ‘I’ll tell the marsh banshees on my way.’

Fred’s skin turned slimy and green. The scars in his neck opened, changing into gills, and his eyes moved to the sides of his face. ‘It’s good to see you again, Ulf,’ he said, a long tongue flicking from his mouth. He dived into the water and with one kick he was gone.

See me again? Ulf thought, thinking the froglanoid must be mistaken. But we’ve only just met.

‘Come on, Ulf. We’ve many more metamorphs to gather before midnight,’ Al said. ‘Next stop, Charna the spidrax.’

As Al turned back into his winged form, Ulf climbed on to his shoulders and they flew up into the sky. They soared over a grimy industrial part of the city and looked down on dark warehouses with smashed windows and overgrown yards where the snow lay deep and undisturbed.

They swooped down to one of the warehouses and in through a door that was hanging off its hinges. The warehouse looked derelict, with large cobwebs strung across its rafters. Ulf could see bats trapped among them.

‘Charna, are you here?’ Al called.

‘Who isssss it?’ a shrill voice hissed from above.

‘Al. And Ulf from the RSPCB.’

Ulf looked up among the webs and saw a metamorph beast with eight spidery legs creeping down towards them. It dropped to the floor, transforming into a woman wearing a black silk robe.

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