100% Wolf (15 page)

Harriet and Chariot had slowly and cautiously snuck
down from the tower room. Unknown to all, their
round pink faces looked down into the courtyard from
the safety of the first floor. They gave a gasp of fright
as a flash of lightning illuminated the wolf hunter's
pale face. Cripp walked towards the pond. He pointed
a silver gun directly at Sir Hotspur.

'Shouldn't we go and help?' Chariot wondered, his
eyes wide with fear. Harriet looked at him as if he
were mad.

'Do you want to be shot too, dunderbrain?' she
hissed.

'No,' Chariot shrugged.

'Then keep quiet and watch.'

The hunter pushed his greasy wet hair back off his
face. His thick glasses were spattered with rain.

'Get out of my castle if you want to live, sir,' Sir
Hotspur bellowed, stamping his foot in the pond.

Dr Cripp ignored him. 'I came here for two
reasons,' he sniggered revoltingly. 'First, the Wolfen
Names, which I have already found.' He waved a small,
very old red book inlaid with gold above his head in
triumph. Freddy gave a gasp. He must retrieve that
book somehow.

'Second, I came to kill the Grand Growler. So shall
I begin to rid Britain of Fangen forever.' He cackled as
madly as any wolf hunter ever did.

Sir Hotspur's face turned a ghastly shade of white.
Flasheart began to step stealthily towards the doctor,
while Freddy and Batty snuck backwards into the
gloom.

'But
he
is the Grand Growler, not I!' cried Hotspur,
flinging his finger towards Flasheart. A fierce
thunderclap crashed above them. 'And that foolster is
his son. Shoot them, not me, sir.'

Dr Cripp turned his gun towards Flasheart.

'Traitor!' Freddy called. 'It's not true.'

'Oh yes, it is,' Flasheart smiled charmingly.

'It
is?'
Dr Cripp was puzzled.

'I am the true Grand Growler, but my
brother
there
is a werewolf too.'

'Don't be a fool, Flasheart,' Hotspur called out
desperately.

Dr Cripp swung the gun back to him.

'So you are both wolves?' He raised his eyebrows
in alarm.

'Oh yes!' Flasheart continued with a happy smile.
'How awful for you, Cripp.'

'How so?' the doctor cried above the roar of the
thunder, desperately swinging the gun to and fro. He
was taking little notice of the boy and his dog.

'Well, if you shoot one of us, the other will have
you in a second. You remember me, don't you? You
see my scar, where you shot me? You escaped once,
but only just – you won't again. I was so close I smelt
your blood.' Flasheart displayed his sharp teeth in a
snarling smile.

'You
are the wolf I shot?' Cripp croaked, shaking
visibly with fear as he remembered that terrifying chase.

'Shoot him again, he's the Grand Growler,' Sir
Hotspur called from the pond.

'Stay back,' Dr Cripp yelled desperately, unsure
where to aim his silver gun.

Freddy saw his chance and flung himself onto the
doctor's back, while Batty caught his trouser leg in her
teeth and pulled hard.

'Release me, you monsters,' Cripp cried in shock.
His gun fired uselessly into the air as he tried to
dislodge Freddy. Flasheart raced towards them, but
Sir Hotspur grabbed his brother's leg as he passed. The
two fell onto the ground and rolled over in a snarling
fury. All around rain fell and lightning arced almost
into the courtyard.

Freddy stuck his fingers up Dr Cripp's nostrils.

'Take that, you snotty toad,' he said.

'Arrggh,' the hideous man wailed.

Batty was still pulling at Cripp's trousers and
managed to bring them down to his knees. Freddy
rolled off as Cripp fell heavily onto his backside. The
wolf hunter tried to pull up his trousers but Batty
wouldn't let go. Freddy tore off the doctor's glasses
and threw them into the pond.

'You vile ruffian,' Cripp cried and pointed the gun
over his shoulder towards Freddy. The boy grabbed his
wrist and gave it a Chinese burn – he was incredibly
good at them.

'Please, somebody help me,' Cripp sobbed miserably.
When nobody came, he had no option but to drop
the gun. Freddy leapt down and grabbed it with relief.

'Ha-ha-hardy-ha,' he cried.

Lightning flashed once again on to the flagpole.

The snivelling doctor crawled away as fast as he
could but unfortunately he had to leave his trousers
behind, for Batty still held onto them tightly. Freddy
laughed as he saw Dr Cripp's spotty underpants
disappearing into the gloom.

'So much for wolf hunters!' he called after him.

Mrs Mutton was woken by the sound of gunshots.

'Burglars?' she wondered, and reached for the
telephone next to her bed.

'Yes, I need the police,' she said urgently.

Freddy turned to see the two brothers still struggling.
Uncle Hotspur held his father by the throat.

'I warned you to stay away, sir,' he gasped into his
brother's ear.

'This is my home, my family!' Flasheart grimaced.

Freddy fired a shot into the air. Uncle Hotspur
looked up in surprise.

'You,
sir,
are a disgrace to werefolk,' Freddy hissed
and aimed the gun at his uncle. Flasheart flung off his
brother and stood up with a snarl.

'Freddy,' Hotspur simpered, 'what a
clever
boy. You
see how my plan to distract Cripp has worked? I never
meant him to harm you.'

'If you have Sir Rathbone's blood in your veins,
I'll eat my trousers. Eat 'em, sir!' Freddy cried. 'With
ketchup on!'

'Well done, Pinky,' his father ruffled his hair. 'I say,
you've even found me some clothes.' With a laugh
Flasheart pulled on Dr Cripp's torn trousers. They were
somewhat short for him and he looked rather like a
pirate.

'Dear boy, you're not going to shoot your favourite
uncle?' Uncle Hotspur smarmed.

'No, I'm going to shoot you,' Freddy laughed.

'Flasheart, dearest brother ...'

'Put on your collar, Hotspur,' Flasheart said
coldly.

Sir Hotspur's eyes went wide with horror. As they
all knew, the power of the Moonstone would stop the
Transwolfation process completely.

'Not the Moonstone?' Sir Hotspur gasped. 'Am I
never to be a wolf again, sir?'

'You're not fit to be a wolf,' his nephew snorted.

'If it was okay for Freddy, it's okay for you,' his
brother growled. 'You made your own punishment,
Hotspur, now suffer it.'

With a look of hatred, Sir Hotspur picked up
the Moonstone's chain. He looked miserable
indeed. His red moustache was drooping where the
rain poured down his face. As Sir Hotspur put the
chain around his neck, Flasheart threw the padlock
over. Freddy waved the gun again. With a snarl
Hotspur closed the lock and the chain was secure
around his neck. Freddy had the key safely in his
pocket.

'I shall have my revenge as wolf or man,' Sir
Hotspur vowed.

'Try telling someone who's interested, Hotspur,'
Flasheart said. 'Now down to the dungeon until the
Fang Council decides what to do with you.'

Hotspur reluctantly began walking towards the door.

With a flash, a jagged fork of lightning zipped
down. It struck the earth between Hotspur and the
others, throwing them all violently to the ground.
Freddy gasped as the air flew out of him and the gun
was flung from his hand. Batty barked urgently and
licked his face.

'I'm all right, Batty. Dad, are you okay?' he croaked
sitting up. Flasheart was getting to his feet slowly.

'Just about, Pinky. Up you get.' He hauled Freddy
to his feet.

'Where's the gun?' Freddy looked around in concern.

They turned in time to see Sir Hotspur pick it up.

'Run, Freddy! He's too angry and too dangerous,'
Flasheart cried.

Man, boy and dog sprinted for the door that led to
the tower passage.

When they were on the far side, Flasheart slammed
it shut and locked it.

'That was close,' he said with relief, wiping the rain
from his eyes.

'Ha-ha-hardy-ha,' Freddy shouted through the
keyhole.

'Hand over that key, sir, or I'll shoot,' Hotspur
yelled through the door.

'Never!' Freddy shouted back. 'You locked up my
dad and now you'll pay for it.'

Batty barked defiantly as the door rattled.

'No need to panic.' Flasheart nodded. 'The door
will hold.'

They heard Uncle Hotspur running heavily across
the courtyard.

'But the
other
door is wide open!' Freddy cried.
'Can we panic now?'

'I insist on it,' Flasheart cried. 'Run!'

Dr Cripp, meanwhile, had already started running
when he left the courtyard.

'Wolves, everywhere. Monsters,' he yelped as he
made for the front door in his spotty underpants.
The sooner he was safely outside the castle the better.
He flung open the front door and ran out onto the
wooden bridge, where he froze with fright.

Illuminated by a flash of light, he saw a hundred
growling hounds guarding against his escape. Hamish's
slower pack had arrived with reinforcements.