Dead Scary: The Ghost who refused to leave Read online

  ***

  In my room, I sent Grandpa George a quick message telling him that Archangel Michael had saved the day. He didn't need to know that I didn't use his chant. And he didn't need to know about Emily being scared witless or about her Guardian Angel. He could just assume that the ghost no longer lived in our house. There was no point worrying him.

  The moment I opened up a new document on my computer, Eddie sat beside me.

  'I'd rather do a never-ending math problem than make up a silly story,' I said to him.

  He laughed at me as I rested my head on my hand.

  'Goodness, surely you have some imagination? What were the instructions?'

  'We have to write about something that matters to us.'

  'So what matters to you?'

  I stuck out my bottom lip. 'My friends and me were going to pretend to be soccer stars who get recruited to join Manchester United, then we get into the FA Cup final and score the winning goal.'

  'That sounds good, but perhaps you should choose a different team from your friends.'

  I sighed. 'The teacher found out what we were going to do and now we're not allowed to write about soccer.'

  He raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, what a catastrophe.'

  'Yeah, it's a big catastrophe.'

  'Well there must be something else that matters to you.'

  'Yeah, moving into our home from heaven mattered until I discovered I had to share it with a bossy ghost.'

  'Good,' he said. 'Why don't you write about the wonderful anticipation of moving into your dream home, followed by the discovery of a ghost who regarded the house as his own because he'd lived in it for almost one hundred years? Then describe the ensuing conflict and the subsequent compromise that led to a happy-ever-after ending.'

  I thought about it, then said, 'My teacher might ask me how getting rid of an imaginary ghost matters to me.'

  'Your dream house matters to you. The charming Earthbound Spirit merely provides the conflict you need for a story.'

  I grunted.

  'You know, stories about Earthbound Spirits have been popular throughout time. Occasionally, they are quite accurate.'

  I stopped chewing on the end of my pen. 'I guess. Everyone knows about us moving into this house. It'd be sorta funny if I made out it was haunted.'

  Eddie groaned. 'Haunted houses are such a cliché. The essence of the story is about two beings from different worlds learning to get on. Why don't you write about our disagreement about the Rules of the house?'

  'Like how you hate dogs?'

  He sighed. 'I don't hate dogs; I find their smell dreadful. There's a difference. And as I said, now Caesar's smell doesn't seem so bad.'

  I laughed. 'Right.'

  'You should be fair and include both sides of the story, such as how you bang every door you go through and how you spend half your time kicking a ball into the walls and the furniture.'

  'You have to do the drills if you wanna be good at soccer.'

  'Right,' he replied, mimicking me.

  'There's no way my story is gonna end with a peace deal. My story is about a good guy, me, a bad guy, you, and it's gonna end with me winning.'

  'So you'll successfully get rid of me?'

  'Yeah, I'm gonna be the hero who gets rid of the bossy ghost, but in real life you can stay if you don't complain about Caesar and I'll try to stop banging doors and I'll only kick my soccer ball outside. Deal?'

  He smiled and his aura turned turquoise. 'That sounds like a satisfactory deal.'

  I began to bang away at the keys on my keyboard. It really wasn't that difficult when I knew how I was going to end the story - with me creating the Light and tricking the ghost into walking into it. I couldn't risk including the Warrior Spirits, just in case Emily read the story and it made her remember.

  Watching me correct my bad spelling, Eddie said, 'You don't know how lucky you are, having a computer to correct your mistakes.'

  I laughed. 'Have you ever thought that if you went into the Light, you might be able to be born again, write for a newspaper and have all the latest technology?'

  'It has occurred to me.' He rubbed his chin. 'However, I love Woodlands and my life as an Earthbound Spirit.'

  Before I could reply, I felt a rush of air and a presence. Looking up, I saw a spirit wearing flowing blue robes and with a silvery aura radiating from her being. I could feel my mouth open, and myself staring but I couldn't move.

  'May I help you?' Eddie asked.

  Her voice was as official as. She declared, 'I have been instructed to investigate an incident. At 7.36 pm the activity of an Angel was recorded in this vicinity.'

  'Yes,' replied Eddie, as the color of fear rose up where his spine once was. 'The situation has returned to normal and there is nothing for the Council to be concerned about.'

  I couldn't believe that in one night I'd seen Warrior Spirits, Archangel Michael, Emily's Guardian Angel and now this.

  She gave Eddie a blank look and descended closer to him. 'Once Angel activity has been recorded and the decision made to send an official to investigate, then a report must be filed. It is insufficient to report that the situation has returned to normal. In addition, the whereabouts of six Warrior Spirits on duty at this location is unknown.'

  'Right,' said Eddie, looking petrified.

  'It was me,' I said. 'The Warrior Spirits were scaring me and my sister to death, so I called on an Angel. The Angel protected us from the Warrior Spirits.' I didn't mention Michael by name. Why admit I'd summoned the most powerful Angel, if I didn't have to?

  Eddie's mouth had dropped wide open in shock.

  'I see.' She hesitated before she said to Eddie, 'While the Angel may have been summoned by a boy with the gift of sight, you will still be required to present your explanation to the Council the day after tomorrow.' She withdrew a roll of white paper tied with a blue ribbon from the inside of her robes and handed it to Eddie. 'A summons.'

  Then she disappeared.

  I turned to Eddie and noticed the color had drained from his aura. 'Does she work for the Council?'

  'Yes. Thank you for speaking up. How on earth am I going to explain the loss of six Warrior Spirits to the Council?'

  A brilliant idea occurred to me. The thought of it made me tingle. 'I'll come to the Council to support you. You know the Third Rule won't allow them to hurt me.'

  He smiled. 'I've never heard of a member of the Living going inside the Council Chambers, let alone appearing before the Council. I'll be fine.'

  I could tell by the grey of his aura that he was terrified.

  I pointed my finger at him. 'I summoned Archangel Michael and he extinguished the Warrior Spirits. The Council should never again order Warrior Spirits to scare the Living. I'm going with you.'

  11

  On the morning of Eddie's appearance before the Council, I couldn't eat the pancakes Mom made for breakfast because my stomach kept doing somersaults. I had to convince her I wasn't sick before she'd let me go to school.

  When she dropped me at the school gates, I strolled in before sneaking back out and heading to the park a block away, where I'd meet Eddie. I sat on a bench, watched people running around the park and thought about how cool it'd be to teleport anywhere in the world, whenever you felt like it. Especially if teleporting didn't make you sick.

  'Did you do it?' I asked him when he materialized next to me wearing his school cap and looking as scared as I felt.

  'Yes, I've noted you down as having a dentist appointment and that you'll be at school by lunchtime.' His eyes narrowed. 'A clever way to get time off school.'

  I laughed.

  'Ready?' he asked.

  I held my stomach. I hadn't teleported since Isabel teleported me to the rocks next to the ocean, that night the psycho Earthbound Spirit tried to kill me. So much for deciding I'd never teleport again. 'I'll never be ready. Let's just go.'

  I closed my eyes and within a moment Eddie said, 'We're here. You can open your eyes.'

&
nbsp; Once my stomach settled, I opened my eyes and saw I was standing on stone paving in front of an enormous stone archway. Beyond the archway stood a grand building that might've been a copy of some English king's summer home. I knew the Council Chambers existed on a plane in space and time that could only be accessed by Earthbound Spirits and by people who were taken there by Earthbound Spirits. I wondered how many people had entered the Council Chambers in its history.

  I followed Eddie inside. The place was full of antique furniture, old paintings and very grand gold-framed mirrors. We waited until an emotionless Earthbound Spirit in a black cloak led us to the room where the hearing would take place.

  Suddenly my nerves went out of control. How was the Council going to take it when I explained what Archangel Michael did to their Warrior Spirits? What if they threw away their Rules and locked me away? If anything happened to me, no one could rescue me. I didn't even tell Isabel what I was doing. It was up to Eddie to make sure I was okay.

  Eddie and I didn't communicate as we entered. Two Earthbound Spirits stood outside the door as if we might try to escape. The room looked like a medieval courtroom - not that I'd ever been inside a medieval courtroom. But if I had, I reckon it'd look the same, with wooden furniture, a timber floor and purple and gold wherever there was an excuse to use it. There were heavy purple curtains with gold cords, purple flags with gold shields and purple cushions with gold trimmings. The room smelt like we were in the middle of a forest, which was a ghost-trying-to-make-the-place-nice thing.

  We sat on plain wooden chairs at a bare wooden desk facing an elevated polished wooden bench. Behind the bench were three high-backed chairs inlaid with purple velvet.

  Fear gripped me as I realized I could be in serious trouble just for entering the Council Chambers. What if the Council was like a secret society and didn't want members of the Living to know about it?

  Three knocks sounded on a side door and three Councilors in deep purple gowns floated through. Eddie stood and so did I. He nodded respectfully and so did I. When the Councilors sat down, I noticed the one in the middle was Sir John.

  Sir John introduced us to the two female Earthbound Spirits either side of him, Councilors Patterson and York. Then Sir John said to me, 'Adam, as far as I'm aware you are the very first member of the Living to enter the Council Chambers. Welcome.'

  'Thank you, Sir.' And I couldn't even brag about it at school.

  Sir John said to Eddie, 'Now Mr Lawrence, because we're related, Councilors York and Patterson will be asking the questions.'

  Eddie nodded.

  Councilor York reminded me of the librarian at school with her grey hair in a bun and her glasses sitting halfway down her nose. She peered down at us and said, 'Mr Lawrence, there appear to be two matters that need to be resolved today. First, the presence of Angel activity in your home, and secondly, the disappearance of six Warrior Spirits who were carrying out an assignment at your home. Both matters are gravely serious as far as the Council is concerned. Can you tell us what happened?'

  'I summoned Archangel Michael,' I said before Eddie could reply.

  Councilor York seemed a little shocked that I'd interrupted. 'Mr Castle, having a member of the Living summoning an Angel is very serious. Who taught you to do that?'

  'My grandfather. He told me Archangel Michael—'

  She choked. 'Archangel Michael!'

  'Yes, members of the Living call on him for protection. He protected me and my little sister from the Warrior Spirits, because they threatened us - even though that isn't consistent with the Council's motto: Exist and Let Exist. They were breaking the Third Rule.'

  She frowned so hard her eyebrows almost came together. 'The Third Rule?'

  I nodded. 'Yes, the one that says Earthbound Spirits mustn't?'

  'Yes, Mr Castle. I am aware of the Third Rule. I was unaware, until now, that any member of the Living was familiar with our Rules.' She looked embarrassed. 'So, can we take it that the Warrior Spirits have been—'

  I interrupted, 'Extinguished. Yes.'

  The three Councilors looked at each other as if to say, What do we do now? My heart beat a million times a second. I was responsible for the loss of six Warrior Spirits. Would they want to punish me? Or did they really believe in their Rules, which were written to protect the Living?

  Councilor York said to me, 'Can you tell me why Warrior Spirits were scaring you? It isn't their job to scare members of the Living.'

  Eddie spoke up. 'The blame resides with me. I did not wish to share my home with Adam, because he possesses the gift of sight.'

  'So you enlisted the aid of Warrior Spirits, for your own purposes?' Councilor York said, looking horrified.

  Eddie shrank in his chair. 'Yes.'

  Sir John did the Earthbound Spirit equivalent of clearing his throat and then said, 'In my capacity as President of the Council, I gave Mr Lawrence an exemption from the Third Rule on the basis that he is a valuable member of the Earthbound Spirit community and it was in the interests of the community that Mr Lawrence lives in peace and continues his excellent work with troubled Earthbound Spirits. So, in fact, the responsibility for the loss of the six dedicated Warrior Spirits lies with me.'

  Councilor Patterson, who looked like a nice, caring grandma, asked Sir John, 'And would you make the same decision again?'

  'No,' he replied.

  'Well,' said Councilor York, 'that is most unfortunate.'

  I let out a big breath.

  Councilor Patterson asked, 'Mr Lawrence, where were you while this incident was unfolding?'

  Eddie stuttered, but then managed to say, 'While I also bear the responsibility for enlisting the support of the Warrior Spirits, I was appalled at the methods they used to try to force Adam and his younger sister from their home. I tried to stop them; however, they didn't listen to me.'

  'What did you expect would happen when you requested Warrior Spirits to evict members of the Living?' asked Councilor York.

  Eddie raised his eyebrows. 'Actually, I had assumed that Adam and his family would've left the house before the Warrior Spirits arrived. I hadn't thought through the consequences of them not moving out.'

  Councilor York appeared speechless, but Councilor Patterson asked another question. 'So, Mr Lawrence, you were there when Archangel Michael was summoned. I am surprised he didn't extinguish you as well.'

  Eddie gave me a quick smile. 'In fact he intended to; however, Adam stopped him.'

  'Mr Castle, why do you care what happens to Mr Lawrence?' asked Councilor Patterson.

  I leant forward. 'As far as Earthbound Spirits go, Edward is pretty decent. He doesn't take our energy. He's polite in an old-fashioned way. Most important, he regretted getting the Warrior Spirits to scare the life out of us. He tried his best to stop them.'

  'So you didn't want to see Mr Lawrence extinguished.' Councilor Patterson looked from me to Eddie and back to me. 'So now you are both happy to exist alongside one another?'

  'Yes,' we replied at the same time.

  Eddie added, 'Adam and I have both compromised and we're optimistic we can live harmoniously in the same home.'

  I nodded and the three Councilors beamed back at us as though all together we'd managed to achieve world peace.

  Councilor York sat up straighter. 'Mr Lawrence, while this hearing is primarily concerned with Angel activity, we must issue you with an official warning. We trust you will always uphold The Rules Governing Earthbound Spirits, and that includes refraining from calling on Warrior Spirits for your own purposes.' She gave him a piercing stare.

  He bowed his head and murmured, 'I understand.'

  I whispered to him, 'Don't worry, if you forget you've been warned, I'll remind you.'

  He managed to roll his eyes.

  She continued, 'I will record that the Council established Adam Castle, a boy with the gift of sight, summoned an Angel for the purposes of protection. A warning was issued to the effect that: If any further Angel activity is detected, then there
will be a subsequent investigation. Also, the six Warrior Spirits were extinguished in the line of duty.' She glanced at Sir John and Councilor Patterson and they nodded their approval.

  'Thank you, Mr Castle and Mr Lawrence, for your cooperation,' Councilor Patterson said. 'Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if all members of the Living and Earthbound Spirits could get along so well?'

  I laughed. Imagine that.

  The three Councilors nodded to us and rose out of their chairs. 'Once we have left the room, you are free to go,' said Councilor York.

  Sir John gave Eddie a slight nod and then they all glided out, not even bothering to open the door.

  Eddie turned to me as we stood to leave. 'Adam, I am forever in your debt.'

  'Brilliant. You can repay me by helping me with my next creative writing assignment,' I said as I headed to the door.

  12

  A week later, I got home from school, bolted down the hall and called out to Eddie. Caesar ran after me.

  Eddie floated down and sat at the kitchen bench while I raided the fridge. Caesar and I shared the leftovers of last night's roast chicken.

  Eddie gave me an exaggerated nod and said with sarcasm, 'At your service, Adam.'

  'You wouldn't believe it.' I said through a mouthful.

  'Try me.'

  'I got the best mark I've ever got for a story. She said it showed terrific imagination.' I laughed my head off and Eddie laughed too.

  'There's hope for you.'

  I pulled out a new packet of crackers from the pantry. 'It'll make Mom happy. But I reckon that story was a once in a lifetime thing.'

  'It doesn't have to be.'

  A girl's voice interrupted, 'What doesn't have to be?' She turned to Eddie and said hello.

  After I finished a mouthful, I said, 'Isabel, what happened to sending me a text before you turn up?'

  With a hand on her hip, she shot back, 'You agreed to me giving Toto to Emily when the production finished.'

  Only then did I notice she was carrying Toto under her other arm, as well as a massive bag full of Toto's stuff. 'Yeah, I know ... except we didn't talk about the best way of telling my Mom she's got another dog to look after.'

  Isabel frowned. 'Emily will look after Toto, you'll see.' She put Toto down, then took out an envelope from the bag and handed it to me.

  The envelope was addressed to Emily. Inside there was a card with a picture of Toto on it with the cast of The Wizard of Oz. The message said:

  Dear Emily,

  Toto has been delightful to work with during this production of The Wizard of Oz.

  Now he needs a loving home and we've heard you'll be the best dog-owner ever.

  Have lots of good times with Toto.

  Best wishes,

  The cast & crew of The Wizard of Oz

  'Clever,' I admitted. 'Emily will love that explanation. Although Mom won't believe it.'

  Before Isabel could say anything, Eddie butted in. 'Isabel, I cannot believe you'd do this to me. The smell of one dog is more than enough.'

  From the huge bag she'd brought, she pulled out a plastic bottle. 'Scent,' she said and sprayed it into the air. 'Spray it on the dogs and you'll be fine.'

  I sniffed. 'Smells like a forest.'

  Eddie said, 'Yes, the scent of pine trees. It's very popular with Earthbound Spirits, but it will merely mask the dog smell for a while. It can't fix the fact that Toto smells.'

  'Stop whining,' I said to him. 'You trained Caesar; Toto will be even easier to train because he's used to obeying commands.'

  Eddie, who was now hanging up toward the ceiling, groaned.

  'You'll be fine,' said Isabel. 'They'll keep you company when you're alone.'

  'I like being alone.'

  Isabel and I showed Toto round the whole house and set up his bed in Emily's room. Caesar seemed happy to have a playmate, at least for the moment. Out in the backyard, we threw a ball and Toto and Caesar took turns fetching it.

  'I can't believe how well they get on,' said Isabel.

  Emily's voice called out from behind us. 'Who's that you're playing with?'

  I turned round to see Mom right behind her. Isabel floated off to the side and Emily ran toward Toto. 'Where did you get him?' she asked me as she scooped him up in her arms.

  'I didn't. Toto was delivered as a present to you,' I said as Toto began licking Emily on the cheek.

  'What!' Mom cried out. Then her face softened as she took in the sight of Emily with a small white dog in her arms.

  Even Eddie, who was hovering at a distance, looked fondly at Emily holding Toto. He said, 'I suppose a sweet girl like Emily deserves her own dog.'

  'Like Toto in The Wizard of Oz?' Emily asked me.

  'Yep.'

  I showed Mom the card and she frowned and muttered, 'Em must carry on about getting a dog at school. I suppose the person who had to find a home for Toto found out. Goodness, you'd think he would've asked me first!'

  Quickly, I agreed.

  Mom watched Emily smother Toto with kisses and sighed. It was pretty obvious the most determined person in the world wouldn't have been able to get Toto out of her arms.

  Isabel clapped her hands. 'What a happy ending!'

  'Yes, two dogs to guard Woodlands and to protect us.' I turned to Eddie and grinned. 'What a happy ending!'

  Other books by Sally Gould:

  Book 1 of The Max Books

  Max's Revenge: A wedding, a party and a plate of dog food stew

  Max's Revenge

  1. THE WEDDING

  Dad cut the engine, jerked on the handbrake and turned round. "These are the rules," he said, looking from me to Charlie and back to me. "You're both to be quiet, still and polite." His voice deepened. "At all times."

  "Yes, Dad," we answered like a pair of robots.

  "This is Sophie and Dan's special day—"

  "Daniel," I interrupted, "Sophie wants everyone to call him Daniel."

  Dad glared at me. "He's my brother and I'll call him what I want."

  Another point to me. Charlie and me were having a competition to see how many times we could annoy Dad without getting into serious trouble. So far I was winning three to one.

  "I don't want either of you ruining their special day because you have the attention span of two year olds." He stared at us as though that would make his message sink in. "Okay, Charlie?"

  "Yes, Dad."

  "And Max, absolutely no trouble today!"

  "Yes, Dad." I tugged my collar. The tie was choking me and I felt stupid. I could see myself in the rear-vision mirror; I looked like a shrunken version of Dad going to work. "It would be easier to be quiet and still if I didn't have to wear this tie."

  "The tie stays on," Mom said, without looking up from the murder mystery she was reading.

  After she'd read to the end of the page, we were allowed to get out of the car and hang out at the front of the stone church with everyone else. There were heaps of people. People I'd never seen before. All the guys wore suits, which made me feel less stupid. And there were heaps of gorgeous girls with long shiny hair and suntans. Dan and Sophie had lived in London for years and years, so how did they know all these people?

  The four of us stood in a circle looking at each other because we didn't seem to know anyone else. Mom smiled. "The sunshine is lovely," she said.

  "Beautiful," replied Dad, returning her smile.

  My parents were weird. Actually, weddings were weird. For months everyone had carried on like Dan was a prince and Sophie was a princess just because they were getting married. But they'd been living together in a little flat in London for ages, so it was like they were married anyway. How did dressing up and going to church change anything?

  And Mom and Nanna couldn't wait until Sophie had a baby. Once Mom told me babies are hard work. She said, when I was a baby I never slept and I cried all the time. So why did Mom and Nanna want Sophie to have a baby so much? Maybe they didn't really like her.

  I shrugged. Who knew? I
just hoped this day and night would go real fast. Now that I wasn't the pageboy I might die of boredom.

  A woman wearing a large hat with feathers on it came up to us. She said to Mom and Dad, "I'm Sophie's mother." Mom introduced Charlie and me. Sophie's mother patted me on the head and whispered, "You would've made a very handsome pageboy."

  I smiled, but inside I was mad because I'd wanted to be the pageboy. I wanted to be standing near Dan when the minister said, Now you may kiss the bride. I wanted my face in a wedding photo on their mantelpiece. I wanted the guests to tell me how handsome I was.

  And I wanted to do something that Charlie hadn't done. He'd never been a pageboy. And now he was too old, so he never would be. Charlie had always been the chosen one. He was captain of his soccer team again. When he was in grade six he was captain of Yarra house. And last week the girls in his class voted him as the boy they'd most like to kiss. It sucked.

  Dan had called me from London to ask, Would you do me the honor of being my pageboy? I pretended to think about it for a minute, before I said, Yep. I even went to get my suit fitted. But three weeks before the wedding, Dan came over to our place and said, Sorry sport, Sophie has changed her mind. You'll find women do that.

  I decided I didn't like Sophie and I didn't want Dan to marry her. Even though I'd seen her photo and she had beautiful green eyes and smooth skin. Then a week later I met her when we had a barbeque at Nanna's place. As soon as Sophie saw me, her hand went over her glossy pink lips and she said, Oh, you're so cute and just the right age. You would've looked perfect with Lucy. She seemed really upset that she'd made a mistake, so, being the kind, generous person I am, I forgave her.

  I knew then that something fishy was going on. All I found out was that I'd lost my place in the team to a five year old named Hamish (tell me, what sort of pageboy is named Hamish?), who was Sophie's twenty-third cousin or something. But why? Someone must've told her I wasn't cute enough. Who would've said that?

  As Sophie's Mom told Mom all about Sophie's Italian handmade beaded silk shoes, Nanna arrived. She wanted to know the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. Mom thought they were lilac and Sophie's Mom thought they were lavender.

  Aunt Evil (as Charlie and me call her) turned up. She parked in the loading zone out the front of the church, probably so everyone could check out her red Mercedes sports car. She came over and Charlie and me stood back while everyone kissed everyone else like they hadn't seen each other since Christmas (and not two weeks ago at Nanna's place).

  Charlie kicked a stone in my direction. Dad spun round to see if we were doing anything we shouldn't be. I stood on the stone and gave him a blank look. So far I'd made a good impression. I'd been quiet and still, just like Dad had told me to be. I wouldn't kick the stone back to Charlie. I'd let Charlie suffer.

  Everyone turned to look at me.

  "I didn't do anything," I said.

  Then Sophie's Mom stepped back and wrapped her arm round me, squeezing me like I was a plastic duck that spurted water out its mouth. Geez, I'd only just met her! "Avril," she said, "I think he's lovely and he seems perfectly behaved."

  Aunt Evil laughed nervously. "Trust me," she replied, "he's programmed to make trouble."

  "Oh, he's a good boy," said good old Nanna.

  I glared at my evil aunt. She looked guilty and turned away. So it was Aunt Evil who told Sophie that I was too naughty! My heart thumped like I'd just run a hundred-metre race. I wanted revenge, but I wouldn't do anything yet. I'd wait. I'd wait until the right moment. Then I'd get revenge on my evil aunt.

  Book 2 of The Max Books

  Outback Hero: Max conquers outback Australia

  Nothing to Fear

  1. HOLIDAYS

  "Crocodiles!" I jumped off the couch and dropped the remote. "I hate crocodiles. They eat people and they're ugly."

  Mom held her forehead and sighed. She thought I was being a pain in the butt. She always did that when she thought I was being a pain in the butt. She did it a lot.

  Charlie, who was doing his math homework at the dining table, laughed out loud. I knew he was thinking, Max, go ahead, be a pain in the butt because that always makes me look good.

  Mom pulled dead flowers out of the vase as though she was angry with them. "Maaax, we've been planning this holiday for ages. We're going and you'll have a wonderful time."

  "I'd rather go to Nanna's," I said. 'She likes me helping her."

  "Nanna is going to the Gold Coast—"

  "Great ... I'll go to the Gold Coast."

  Charlie looked up. I bet he'd rather go to the Gold Coast too.

  "You can't," replied Mom. "She's going with her friends. You'd spoil her fun."

  I flopped down on the couch. I hated that. I hated being a kid. Always being told what to do and never getting to decide where we'd go for holidays. When I have kids, I'll let them choose where we go for holidays every year. If my kids wanted go to Disneyland ten years in a row, I'd take them.

  Mom put the dead flowers in the bin, then came over and sat next to me. She squeezed my hand and whispered, "We'll only see the crocodiles from the safety of a boat. People only die from crocodile attacks because they swim where they shouldn't. They ignore the No Swimming signs."

  Could all moms read their kids' minds? My mom just knows when I'm scared of something. I wondered what else she knew. Did she know that I listened to music at night when I was meant to be asleep?

  "So it's safe?" I whispered to her.

  Charlie called out, "Max, you've got more chance of being killed by lightning than being killed by a crocodile. In Australia last year, ten people died because they were struck by lightning and only one died of a crocodile attack. And if you lived in Africa, you're much more likely to be killed by a lion."

  Typical. He was always trying to impress Mom with facts and figures. I told him, "I'd rather be killed by lightning."

  "Yeah, being zapped would be electrifying." He stood up and shook like a bolt of electricity had shot through his body.

  "Get lost," I said.

  "I hope you don't come," he said as he went back to tapping numbers on a calculator and writing down figures. "I'll have the whole back seat of the car to myself. I won't have to share a room. I can watch whatever I want on TV."

  I hated the way he could talk and do math as though it was as easy as walking and breathing at the same time.

  "That won't happen," said Mom. "Max is coming."

  I folded my arms. "You can't force me."

  She shook her head as if I were a hopeless case. "You know there's nothing to fear but fear itself."

  That was one of her favorite sayings. She said it to me a thousand times a year. She used to say it when I was afraid of the dark, afraid of the invisible monster hiding in my wardrobe and afraid of strange noises at night.

  Without looking up, Charlie said, "We should see Kakadu before global warming wrecks it."

  Typical. Charlie and Dad reckon we have to see everything before global warming wrecks it. I bet we'll never again have a normal holiday at the beach. Now we have to see stuff. We would've had to gawk at icebergs in Antarctica last summer, but luckily that was too expensive. I said, "I wouldn't want to see Kak-my-du even if it didn't have crocs."

  "It's called Kakadu National Park," said Mom. "Thousands of people visit it every year. And I bet most of those people are terrified of crocodiles. But they still want to see them in the wild. And there are lots of walks, swimming holes and waterfalls. The landscape is stunning and there are Aboriginal rock paintings too." She gave me one of her pleading looks. "Max, when you were little, you were so brave."

  "WERE BRAVE," Charlie repeated, without looking up.

  I yelled, "I'm still brave!"

  Mom smiled at me and messed up my hair as if I were five years old.

  "Okay, I'll go," I said. I'd show her how brave I was. I decided right then that I wouldn't be afraid of crocs. I'd be brave like Charlie. I was only two and a half years younger than him, so I should be
brave like him. And from now on I would be. And even if I wasn't, I'd pretend I was.

  Book 3 of The Max Books

  The Venetian Job:

  Bad guys and action - Max's Italian holiday

  Mafia Encounter

  1. SICILY

  My friends would be doing math at this time of the day, but I wasn't because I was in Italy. Sicily, to be exact. We were driving along a four-lane highway where almost every car was speeding. Dad was biting his bottom lip, because he was concentrating hard.

  Charlie had stuck his head outside the car window to record crazy drivers, so he could show his friends when he got home. Cars whizzed past us so fast it felt like we weren't moving. And the crazy drivers seemed to think no matter what they did, everyone else would get out of their way.

  Mom stopped reading her murder mystery and stared out the front window at Mount Etna. Even though it was March, the top of it was covered in snow. Mom loved mountains. That was why we were in Sicily, because she'd always wanted to see Mount Etna.

  Charlie sat back, put his phone down and leaned across the back seat of the car. Nudging me, he whispered, "I bet you we're related to Mr Mafia."

  "Who?" I hated when Charlie did that. When he says something as though I should know what he's talking about, but I don't know, so I've got to ask him what he means and then I sound dumb and he sounds smart.

  "A mafia boss; an old guy who wears a black suit and black sunglasses and who has bodyguards. He'd live in an enormous house and be driven around in a big black car, and if anyone does the wrong thing to his family, they'd better watch out." Charlie gave me that smug look he gives when he's showing off how much he knows.

  I nodded as though I knew exactly what he meant. And I sort of did. There were mafia guys at home. They were bad; I knew that. A bit bad was okay, but I wouldn't want to be related to anyone real bad.

  Not that I believed Charlie. Mom wouldn't have brought us to Sicily if we were related to a mafia boss. I didn't think she would, anyway.

  "It makes sense," whispered Charlie. "That's why we've started this holiday in Sicily. To meet Mr Mafia and the rest of the family."

  I swallowed. Real casual, I asked, "Mom, are you related to a mafia boss?"

  She took her eyes off Mount Etna to turn round and glare at me. Then she glared at Charlie as if to say, Don't scare your younger brother!

  He fiddled with his phone. "It seemed a reasonable deduction since we've come to Italy to meet your relatives and Sicily is the first place we've come to."

  "We've come to Italy for a holiday, not just to meet my relatives. And most Sicilians aren't in the mafia."

  I nodded as though she'd convinced me. When she turned round to the front, Charlie and me looked at each other. We each knew what the other was thinking. She was lying. We could tell because she didn't look into our eyes. That meant one thing. Her relatives lived in Sicily. Did that mean her grandfather or uncle or someone was Mr Mafia? Maybe; maybe not.

  Suddenly Tom Tom, our satellite navigator, got real excited. In his robotic-newsreader voice, he said, "Bear right, then go through the roundabout, second exit, then go straight ahead for two hundred metres, stay in the right lane, then turn right."

  "WHAT?" yelled Dad. "That can't be right!"

  Charlie sniggered and Mom quickly opened her book and began to read. I stated the obvious: "Tom Tom is always right." We'd been using him for less than a week and it was already like he was part of the family. He loved disagreeing with Dad.

  Dad shook his head.

  "Wow," yelled Charlie, "check out the Ferrari!"

  I turned round to see a bright yellow Ferrari flash past us. A second later a car horn let out a long, loud, scary sound. Then brakes screeched. Dad, who had been following Tom Tom's instructions, yelled out something I'm not allowed to say before he did a massive swerve. Charlie and me got flung sideways. A moment later we realized we'd nearly been hit by a car coming toward us.

  For a minute nobody said anything. I reckon it was still sinking in that some crazy Italian driver had nearly killed us.

  Charlie patted his phone. "Got the whole thing on video. Absolute proof all Italians are crazy."

  Mom turned round and gave Charlie one of her looks. "That was one bad driver. Don't generalize."

  Charlie nodded to her and then nudged me. "Yeah, and all Italians are saints too. Lucky we're half-Italian."

  "Do you really think we're related to a mafia boss?"

  "It'd be cool." He lowered his voice and added, "Except I read on the internet there's two mafia families in Sicily who are killing each other. One family reckons the other family is invading its territory."

  "What?"

  "Shh," whispered Charlie, but it was too late because Mom had already turned round.

  "That's enough," she said, looking from me to Charlie and back to me. "I don't want to hear another word about the mafia or my relatives. Is that clear?"

  "Yes, Mom," we answered like a pair of robots.

  When she turned her back to us again, we glanced at each other. We must be related to Mr Mafia!

  Suddenly I felt sick. It all made sense. Why Mom never mentioned exactly where her relatives lived or what they did. She was ashamed of them. She probably hadn't wanted to bring us here. I bet they ordered her to because the big mafia boss wanted to meet Charlie and me.

  Maybe our whole lives were about to change. Maybe we'd be expected to leave school and learn the business. Far out, I didn't even know what they did. A cold shiver went up my spine. All of a sudden I didn't want to be in Italy; I wanted to be home.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sally Gould loved books from a young age, but never considered writing them. While she was busy getting up to the mischief that teenagers get up to, she forgot about books all together. Then total insanity took hold and she became a corporate lawyer. Fortunately, she had two sons and they inspired her to write stories for children. Of course, her oldest son is responsible, logical, studious, considerate, grateful and even makes his bed. The youngest one is only interested in having fun - lots of it. And, except for his teachers, he makes everyone laugh. Their antics have inspired many of Sally's stories. Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family and two dogs - Pebbles, who is sensible, and Jade, who just wants to have fun.

  Connect with Sally:

  Website: www.sallygould.com.au

  Email: [email protected]

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