Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 IT WAS NIGHTFALL by the time the gang arrived in Hampstead. They were still on the run, so getting to the surface there had to be done on foot via the sewers. Luckily Catface knew the way, and they ran like the wind, so they were still hopeful of finding the collar before the thief. Just like it had done six hundred years before, THE MOON LIT UP THE POND and a gentle breeze rippled across it. The cats hid for a moment in a nearby bush,

but nothing was stirring. Luckily, it looked like they'd got there first, so they cracked a plan. 'Since my lessons with Lutra the otter, I can hold my breath for ages. I'LL BE THE ONE TO DIVE DOWN- that OK, boss?' Toto asked Larry. 'Good plan, Toto, but you'll need someone to go with you to help UNCOVER THAT BOX. I'll come too. 'WAIT A MINUTE.' SILVER GULPED. 'If the thief did crack that riddle and turns up, we need someone to fight them off. The three of us'- he gestured to Catface and Socks- 'might give it a go, but I'm not entirely sure we're cut out for the job. Larry, I think you have to stay here. I can't believe I'm saying this, but- gulp- I'LL GO.' Toto hugged her brother and touched noses. Yes, he was cheeky, yes, he pretended to be a ninja and that did annoy her a bit, plus he always he licked butter straight off the plate under the noses of Mamma and

Papa when they weren't looking, BUT he was a great big brother, the bravest there was. 'OK, bro, take a deep breath and hang on to me. If we get separated, head straight for the surface and don't panic. Toto could tell her brother was nervous, but there was no backing out now. TOTO AND SILVER EACH TOOK A LUNGFUL OF COOL EVENING AIR, AND DIVED IN. The little ninja kicked powerfully, and it was clear that the training she'd had from her otter friend had paid off. She ploughed down through the water and, before long, they reached the pond bed. Silver was hanging on for dear life, but he was surprised how quickly he adjusted to the cold and the weightlessness of being underwater. Silver started to look around to spot where the collar could be, but each time he moved his feet he

stirred up rotten leaves and mud that made the water murky and clouded his view. He was beginning to get desperate, and short of breath. Just as he was about to make Toto kick for the surface, a chink of light from the moon above reflected off the bottom of the pond. SOMETHING WAS THERE! Directing his sister, they swam over to the source of the reflection and there it was: faded and rusty, but it was unmistakeably the corner of a SILVER BOX, buried in the mud and untouched for hundreds of years. Silver grabbed it triumphantly and Toto started to swim them upwards. Suddenly, she felt something snag below her. Looking down, she couldn't make out much, but she could tell SOMEONE HAD A HOLD ON SILVER and was trying to wrestle the box away from him, pulling them all down towards the bottom. Toto tried to drag her brother towards the surface, but she was almost out of breath and her strength was depleted. She

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