The Starlight Barking by Dodie Smith

Author:Dodie Smith [Smith, Dodie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Novela, Aventuras, Fantástico, Infantil
Publisher: ePubLibre
Published: 1966-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

7. The Clothes that Clanked

The white cat looked around the kitchen and said, “Dirty, as ever.”

Several dogs sneezed.

“That’s the pepper in the air,” said the white cat. “She must be using even more than when I lived with her.”

Pongo was reading a recipe which lay on the table. It was headed “My Favourite Pie.” He said, “Listen to this. ‘Line a pie dish thickly with black pepper. Sprinkle with a very little meat. Put a thick layer of white pepper, then a thick layer of horse radish mixed with mustard. Top with red pepper. Serve very hot.’”

“You couldn’t serve that cold, even if you froze it,” said Missis.

Most of the dogs were sneezing now.

The Sheepdog said, “We’d better go upstairs. There may be less pepper there—though we may find worse things than pepper. Keep close to me, Tommy. You can’t defend yourself as we dogs can.”

Up in the hall, which was painted in violent colors forming angular shapes, Missis said, “These walls used to be green marble.”

“Fake marble,” said the white cat.

“And the drawing-room walls were red marble,” said Pongo. “They reminded us of raw meat.”

Missis peered through the open drawing-room door and said, “Now they’re like the hall, only worse.” As well as angular shapes there were angular faces with horrid expressions. And in the dim light that came through the drawn curtains some of the painted faces looked frighteningly real. Missis backed out hastily.

Pongo looked into the dining-room and warned Missis not to. “All the painted faces in there have very long noses. I think they’re all portraits of Cruella.”

“I suppose she is here?” said the General doubtfully. “The house seems deserted.”

“She’s probably upstairs,” said the white cat, who had been practising her claws on a purple rug. “Let’s go and see.” She turned to the Staffordshire and asked him to come with her.

“It’ll be a pleasure,” said the Staffordshire, looking at the clawed rug. “I’d say you and I have the same idea, though you favor claws and I favor teeth.”

Pongo said to the Dalmatians, “You are not to attack Cruella. She can’t be to blame for what’s happening today.”

Missis said earnestly, “Oh, Pongo, you’re wrong!”

Could he be wrong? Pongo began to fear he might be. There was something very strange about this silent house with its painted faces, something that felt menacing. And if Cruella had bewitched all the humans in the world perhaps they wouldn’t wake up until… well, something was done about her. Anyway, he couldn’t stop the white cat and the Staffordshire, who were already on their way upstairs. He hurried after them and so did all the others.

The white cat stopped outside a closed door and said, “That’s where the de Vils slept.”

The door slowly opened. Beyond it was complete blackness, from which came a mysterious rasping sound. The darkness and the rasping sound were so frightening that the white cat and the Staffordshire drew back, though both of them were brave animals.

The white cat said, “Often I can see in the dark but not in that kind of darkness.

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