Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 They hit the icy River Thames hard, the freezing-cold water numbing Toto instantly. Luckily, since her last aquatic adventure at Catstonbury, she been taking lessons from her friend Lutra the otter, and was now a competent swimmer. She actually quite liked the water, in fact. The same couldn't be said for her brothers, who she could sense were floundering in the fast-flowing river. Listening over the torrent of water, she could just about make out their voices.

'HELP! I can only swim half a length with armbands!' she heard Silver yell. 'Don't worry, I'm coming!' she called. Swimming powerfully, she cut across the current to where he and Socks were both kicking and spluttering. 'HOLD ON TO ME. AND DON'T PANIC; she told her brothers. Toto knew she'd have to take that advice herself. Yes, she wasn't a bad swimmer, but there was no way she had the strength to keep her head above the water and support her two brothers for long. The ninja knew she had to think of something fast. Breathing slowly, she concentrated on the ripples in the water around her, searching for anything they could grab hold of. 'Over there, sis, a fallen tree!' For once, Silver was way ahead of her. But the tree was in a part of the river that was flowing faster- she'd have one shot to make it or they'd be goners!

She kicked towards the floating trunk, but with her brothers' weight and her freezing body beginning to tire, she started to feel it was hopeless... They'd never make it. She tried to clear her mind and focus- surely she could do something to give them a chance? 'LINK PAWS AND DON'T LET GO,' she yelled.

With her last ounce of strength, Toto hurled the two cats through the air. So they formed a kind of CAT DAISY CHAIN! It was Silver who landed on the trunk of the old oak and, scrambling up, he managed to drag Socks and then Toto on to the tree and to safety. Exhausted, they all lay still for a moment, bewildered and stunned, and tried to work out what had just happened. TOTO WAS CONFUSED, uncertain and even a little angry with her boss. SURELY HE COULDN'T BE GUILTY OF STEALING OLD TOM'S COLLAR, but who else apart from him and Cyril had a key? And it was more than that. He had looked so defeated... why wouldn't he fight back if he was innocent? Toto tried to shake that thought- this was LARRY. He was a ninja and her friend. There had to be another reason for the way he'd acted. Toto's thoughts were interrupted by Socks. 'What

was that thing Larry said before we escaped? "Hope lies under the milk trolley"? I haven't a scooby what that could mean. Do you, sis?' Toto just shook her head. Without her mentor, she didn't even know where to start! As they were all pondering this, the large trunk gently came to rest at the side of the riverbank. The cats all looked up; they were now far from the heart of the city, where the river was quieter, and the banks were lined with bright green grass. If it wasn't for the predicament they found themselves in, the beach they had been washed up on would be a perfect place for a picnic. Which was apt, because as they looked around, they saw a human child's toy boat moored up and a familiar face enjoying just that. 'WELL I SAY, THIS IS A WONDERFUL SURPRISE! DID YOU PLAN IT? CARE FOR AN EGG SANDWICH? Lying on the beach by the river bank, book in hand,

a picnic basket full of sandwiches, roast chicken and pork pies by his side (Silver couldn't help but lick his lips) and a fishing rod dug into the sand, their cat-rat pal was enjoying a VERY different day from the one the cats were having.