Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat by Michael Bond

Author:Michael Bond [Michael Bond]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749011345
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2012-09-11T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Some twenty minutes later Monsieur Pamplemousse reappeared along the towpath, heading back the way he had come. As he had feared, Le Creuset was nowhere to be seen.

There was no sign of the lock-keeper either, or his wife. Their cottage door was shut, which wasn’t altogether surprising. Apart from the one launch, he had seen no other sign of movement on the canal that morning.

Having no great desire to ask if he might use their phone again, Monsieur Pamplemousse pedalled on his way, aiming to stop at the next place where he could make a call in reasonable privacy.

Drawing a blank on Abeille’s clothes had been an unforeseen set-back. He was positive he had found the place where they had landed; the tree and its surroundings were etched on his memory like a bad dream. Either they had been blown off the branch by the wind, or someone had got there first. If only Pommes Frites hadn’t got himself stuck in the porthole he might have helped search the surrounding fields. But Pommes Frites wasn’t with him. Pommes Frites knew which side his bread was buttered.

Perseverance received its just reward at Gissey-sur-Ouche. Propping his bicyclette up against a bus stop which boasted a telephone kiosk, Monsieur Pamplemousse picked his way gingerly over a manhole cover which had been forced out of its mounting by the heavy rain and dialled the number he had been given.

The Director had beaten him to it. Madame Ambert was expecting his call and had made arrangements to take him out to lunch.

‘It will be easier to talk. Besides, I feel I owe you a proper meal after last night’s travesty.’ A car would pick him up.

Monsieur Pamplemousse was too wet to argue, and a bus shelter was better than nothing for the time being. Having described where he was, he hung up and took stock of his surroundings.

Alongside a timetable, which occupied most of a glass-encased notice board, there was a printed warning issued by the Direction des Services Vétérinaires. Anti-rabies tablets had been laid down near known habitats of foxes in the area. DO NOT TOUCH and DO NOT GATHER was the message they were trying to get across. The same body was carrying out a dératinisation in the district. It struck Monsieur Pamplemousse that nature was probably doing the job for them. Any self-respecting rat would be miles away by now, swimming for its life.

Taking advantage of a momentary easing of the rain, he set out on a brief voyage of exploration. It lasted all of five minutes. The high spot was a doorknocker made from the bleached skull of some unidentifiable animal. Having got as much mileage as he could out of it, Monsieur Pamplemousse returned to the bus shelter.

A notice from the Militaire Territorial warned of manoeuvres being carried out using Armes de Guerre. Bugles would be used to sound the retreat. Poor devils. He didn’t fancy their lot.

A Festival des Arts was being held next month.

Somewhat improbably, strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ came from a radio in a nearby house.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.