Chapter 7

7 Back to the Top-Secret- Pigeon-Business-I'm-Afraid Room Every inch of the room was filled with cages of pigeons. Row upon row of stacked coops covered the floor, shelves and cupboards. Inside each padlocked prison were pigeons, crammed tight, squished against the metal cage bars. There were hundreds upon hundreds of pigeons. And every frightened eye was on me and Fienne. 'What is this place?' I squawked. Fienne looked at me.

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'OK, OK,' I said. 'It's top-secret pigeon business. I get it.' 'Actually, this bit isn't top-secret,' a small voice chimed in. 'The Human with the tiny umbrellas on his shoulders has trapped us, and he intends to turn us all into pigeon nuggets.' Every single pigeon started screeching. Wings beat hard as panicked pigeons crashed against the bars of their cage prisons, crying and pleading for their lives. 'Silence!' Fienne screeched. 'You're going to alert Reginald Grimster!' The pigeons sank back in their cages. I turned to see a pigeon standing next to us. 'This is Agent Swan,' Fienne said. 'Just call me Swan,' she said.

'Swan?' 'Don't ask,' Fienne whispered. 'She's a Stielbacht pigeon but her parents were confused about what type of bird she was when she was born, apparently. I could see why. Swan's white feathers meant it was an easy mistake to make. 'Tell me everything,' I said. 'Top-secret—' Fienne started. 'I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on.'

Fienne looked off into the distance for a while, then turned back to me. 'I've decided it's time you knew the truth. There is something I need to tell you.' He pulled me close. 'I'm a pigeon secret agent.' 'So that's what that cuff is,' I said, pointing at his black ankle bracelet. 'I thought you were a homing pigeon. 'Pah. Just a homing pigeon?' Fienne fanned out his wings. 'This is clearly an elite-issue black leg band, designated only for the bravest of spies.' He stuck out his foot at me, making sure I took a close look. 'And you're an agent too?' I asked Swan.