Teacher Screecher (5 page)

“No problemo!” said Boris. “We can use the hole.”

“Hole? What hole?” asked Lee.

“I'll show you,” said Boris. “Come on!”

Lee, Bella, and Billy followed Boris out into the driving rain and howling wind. They landed on the roof by a gap where a tile was missing.

“That's weird,” said Lee. “I've never noticed that hole before.”

“It wasn't there until today,” said Boris. “Old Gore took the tile out at lunchtime. I saw him do it.”

“Why would he do that?” said Lee.

The wind suddenly died down and the four bats heard voices below.

“Ah, Miss Fitt, Miss Fitt! Velcome, velcome!” groaned Gore. “You are looking most elegant zis eefnink!”

“SILENCE
, fool!” groaned Miss Fitt. “Hurry! Can't go on … much longer … Almost … run … out.”

“Do not worry, Miss Fitt, do not worry! Everysink is almost ready! Come over here, and I'll just …”

FLASH!

BOOM!

A great thunderclap made all the bats jump and drowned out the rest of Mr. Gore's words.

“What does he mean?” cried Lee as the wind picked up again. “What has Miss Fitt almost run out of? And what is almost ready?”

“Why don't we take a look?” said Boris.

“No way!” said Billy. “Old Gore's bound to see us!” There was another flash of lightning, and this time the thunder was so loud that the tiles rattled.

“Let's get inside,” said Lee. “It's better than being out in this storm!”

He peeped over the edge of the hole. “All clear,” he said. “Come on!”

One by one they slipped through the hole—and down into old Gore's attic.

Chapter 6

The Monster Megacharger

The four bats dangled in the rafters just under the hole. Gore had his back to them. He appeared to be strapping Miss Fitt to a long black bench surrounded by electrical wires and tubes. These all led to a gigantic machine covered with knobs and switches and dials and lights. A flash of lightning revealed the words on the machine:

MONSTER

MEGACHARGER

PROPERTY OF

F. AND K. STYNE & CO.

“Wow,” said Boris. “What on earth is that?”

“Well, it isn't a floor polisher, that's for certain,” said Lee.

“I don't like the look of it,” said Bella.

“I think it's a charging machine,” said Billy. “I read about them in
Junior Science Freakly
. They're for recharging monsters when their power runs out. A bit like a battery charger.”

“That's it!” said Bella. “When Miss Fitt said she was ‘nearly running out,' she meant she was nearly running out of power. Old Gore's going to recharge her!”

“Come on,” said Lee. “Let's go closer while his back is turned.”

The bats zipped across the attic to the cobwebby shadows just above the machine. And not a moment too soon.

FLASH!

flickered the lightning.
BOOM!

crashed the thunder.

Mr. Gore swung around and stared through the hole in the roof.

“Almost time! Almost time!” he whined. “The weather is perfect!”

“SIIILEEENCE,”
croaked Miss Fitt, her voice trailing away. “Hurry up, fool!” she rasped.

“Not long now, oh monstrous one!” droned Gore. “When ze lightning is directly overhead, I will give you a super-duper double dose of electricity! After zat it will be no more Miss Nice Monster! Hrurgh! Hrurgh! Hrurgh!”

Mr. Gore clipped a thick wire to each bolt in Miss Fitt's neck.

“Yikes,” said Lee. “We have to do something!”

“But what?” said Bella. “I don't have a clue how that machine works!”

“Could you work it, Billy?”

“Er … maybe,” said Billy. “If we can get close enough without old Gore seeing us.”

FLASH!
BOOM!

“Almost time! Almost time!” wailed Mr. Gore, his eyes wild with joy. “Now for the lightning conductor!”

Mr. Gore scuttled across the attic to a shiny metal pole. There was a brass ball at the tip and a heavy stand at the bottom so it wouldn't fall over. Grunting with effort, Gore pushed the pole toward the hole in the roof.