Mr. Roy did not want Jack to stay on any more than the boy himself did. The thought of having that parrot for one day longer than he needed to filled him with horror. He had never in his life disliked anything so much as he disliked Kiki. Rude boys he could deal with, and did but rude parrots were beyond him.
Well, said Mr. Roy, pursing up his lips and looking at Kiki with dislike, well I’m sure I don’t want to keep you any longer, because it’s pure waste of your time to be here you haven’t learnt a thing but I don’t see what else to do. It’s quite plain that your uncle doesn’t want you back you can see he has sent quite a generous cheque to cover the rest of your stay here but I had other plans. With Oliver here, I intended to do a little visiting. Really, I wish we could find some place for you to go to, you and Lucy-Ann.
Jack went back to his sister and to Philip, looking so dismayed that Lucy-Ann slipped her arm into his at once.
What is it? What’s the matter?
Uncle doesn’t want us back, said Jack, and explained about the letter. And Mr. Roy doesn’t want us here so it looks as if nobody loves us at the moment, Lucy-Ann.
The three children looked at one another. And then Philip had his brain-wave. He clutched at Jack, almost knocking Kiki off her balance.
Jack! Come back home with me! You and Lucy-Ann can come to Craggy-Tops! Dinah would be thrilled. You could have a fine time with the sea-birds. What about it?
Jack and Lucy-Ann stared in excitement and delight. Go to Craggy-Tops? Live in an old half-ruined house, with a learned uncle, an impatient aunt, a half-mad servant and the sound of the sea all the time? Now that really would be thrilling!
Jack sighed and shook his head. He knew that the plans of children seldom came to anything when grown-ups had to be consulted about them.
It’s no good, he said. Uncle Geoffrey would probably say no and Mr. Roy would anyway and your uncle and aunt would just hate to have extra children on their hands.
They wouldn’t, said Philip. You could give them the cheque that your Uncle Geoffrey sent to Mr. Roy, and I bet my aunt would be thrilled. It would pay that bill Dinah talked about in her letter.
Oh, Philip oh, Jack do let’s go to Craggy-Tops! begged Lucy-Ann, her green eyes shining. I’d like it more than anything in the world. We’ll be in the way here, Jack, if we stay on, you know we will and I’m sure Mr. Roy will kill Kiki one day if she says any more rude things to him.
Kiki gave a hideous screech and stuck her head hard into Jack’s neck. It’s all right, Kiki, said Jack. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Lucy-Ann, honestly it’s no good asking Mr. Roy to see if we can go to Craggy-Tops. He thinks it’s his duty to have us here, and we’ll have to stay.
Well, let’s go without asking him, then, said Lucy-Ann recklessly.
The boys stared at her without speaking. That was an idea. Go without asking! Well why not?
It would be all right if we all turned up at Craggy-Tops together, really it would, said Philip, though he was by no means certain that it would be all right at all. You see, once you were there, my uncle and aunt couldn’t very well turn you out, and I could get Aunt Polly to telephone to Mr. Roy and explain things to him, and get him to send her the cheque your Uncle Geoffrey sent for you.
Mr. Roy would be glad to think we had gone, said Lucy-Ann, thinking what fun it would be to know Dinah. Uncle Geoff wouldn’t care anyhow. So let’s, Jack, do let’s.
All right, said Jack, giving way suddenly. We’ll all go off together. When is your train, Tufty? We’ll go down to the station saying that we’ll see you off and we’ll hop into the carriage at the last minute and go with you.
Oooh! said Lucy-Ann, thrilled.
Where’s your handkerchief? said Kiki, sensing the excitement and rocking herself to and fro on Jack’s shoulder. Nobody took any notice of her. Poor old Kiki, said the parrot sorrowfully. Poor old Kiki.
Jack put up a hand and fondled the parrot, thinking out ways and means of escape. We could wheel my trunk and Lucy-Ann’s down to the station the night before, when we take yours, he said. Nobody would notice ours was gone out of the loft. We could buy our tickets then, too. Has anyone any money?
The three of them put their money together. It would probably just buy the tickets. They simply must go off together! Now that they had made up their minds, it was quite unthinkable that anything should be allowed to prevent it.
So they made their plans. The day before Philip was due to leave, his trunk was taken from the loft, and Jack managed to get his down unobserved too. He pushed it into a big cupboard in his room, and Lucy-Ann packed it when no-one was about.
I’ll wheel my trunk down to the station on the barrow, sir, said Philip to Mr. Roy. It was the custom to do this, and the master nodded, not taking much notice. He wished Jack and that parrot were going too.
The boys managed to get both trunks on to the barrow without being seen, and set off to the station in great spirits. Escape seemed quite easy, after all. Sam and Oliver did not seem to notice anything. Sam was too excited at leaving for home himself, and Oliver too miserable at the idea of being left behind to bother about anyone else.
The next morning Philip said a polite goodbye to Mr. Roy. Thank you for all your help and coaching, sir, he said. I think I shall get on well next term now. Goodbye, sir.
Goodbye, Philip. You’ve not done badly, said Mr. Roy.
Philip shook hands with Mr. Roy, who drew back a little as a mouse ran out of the boy’s sleeve. Philip tucked it back again.
How can you have those creatures running about you like that? said Mr. Roy, and sniffed loudly.
Where’s your handkerchief? said the parrot at once, and Mr. Roy glared at it. As usual it was on Jack’s shoulder.
Could I go down to the station with Lucy-Ann and see Philip off? asked Jack. Kiki gave a squawk of laughter, and Jack gave her a little slap. Be quiet! There’s nothing to laugh at.
Naughty boy! said Kiki, just as if she knew what mischief was in Jack’s mind.
Yes, you can go down and see Philip off, said Mr. Roy, thinking that it would be nice to get rid of the parrot for a little while. So the three children went off together, grinning secretly at each other. Kiki had the last word with Mr. Roy.
Can’t you shut the door? she bawled. Mr. Roy gave an exasperated click, and banged the door. He heard the parrot’s cackle of laughter as the children went down the road.
If only I need never see that bird again, he thought to himself, little knowing that his wish was about to come true.
Jack, Lucy-Ann and Philip arrived at the station in plenty of time. They found their luggage and gave it to the porter to put on the train. When the engine steamed in they found an empty carriage and got in. No-one stopped them. No-one guessed that two of the children were running away. They all felt thrilled and rather nervous.
I do hope your uncle and aunt won’t send us back, said Jack, stroking Kiki to quieten her. She did not like the noise of the trains, and had already told one to stop whistling. An old lady looked as if she were about to get into their carriage, but when Kiki gave one of her appalling screeches, she thought again and hurried a good way up the train.
At last the train moved off, with many snorts that caused the excited parrot to tell it to use its handkerchief, much to the children’s amusement. It steamed out of the station, and, in the distance, the children saw the house where they had lived for the past few weeks, sitting at the bottom of the hill.
Well we’re off, said Philip, pleased. And it was perfectly easy for you to escape, wasn’t it? Golly, what fun it will be to have you and Lucy-Ann at Craggy-Tops! Dinah will be thrilled to bits when we arrive.
Off to Craggy-Tops! sang Lucy-Ann. Off to the sea and the wind and the waves! Off to Craggy-Tops!
Yes off to Craggy-Tops and to a wild and astonishing time that not one of the children could possibly have imagined. Off to Craggy-Tops and off to Adventure.