Chapter 4

4 Jet's Worst Plan The next day, I knew I had to be positive. Dave was up against the meanest parrot I'd ever met and there was no way to back out. And it looked like Jet and Gary thought the same thing. We were woken up by the Vet Man, who arrived early in the morning to top up our food bowls. All apart from Dave, who was dozing in his sawdust bed, hugging his new wing close. The Human left soon after and Jet hurried over to Dave, waking him up with

her wet nose. 'Morning, Dave,' she barked. 'I have a plan.' 'And I have breakfast,' Gary said, pushing a plate towards us. It was piled high with bread and biscuits, including my favourite jammy ones. 'Where did you get all these goodies?' I said, pecking at a gooey centre.

'We ransacked the Human's kitchen,' Gary said. 'Delicious,' Dave said, as jam dripped from his feathers on to his good wing. 'What's the plan, Jet?' 'We are going to spy on Opprobrious Vastanavius the Parrot and his crew at Dazzle and see what they are up to. That way we'll know what we are up against.' 'That's a brilliant idea,' Gary said, gnawing at a carrot. 'If I know that dastardly parrot, he will definitely be training for the race already.' This was a bad idea. If the pirate crew caught us spying on them, we would all be feather-deep in trouble. But Jet was about to spring an even

worse idea on us. My guts were churning like a ball of ice cream in a glass of fizzy pop but I managed to eat half a biscuit before Jet suggested it was time we started off to Dazzle. 'What about the Vet Man?' I asked Jet, remembering Humans liked to turn up to work so they could play computer games and drink tea. 'Won't he notice we're gone?' 'Don't be a worrying whippet, Skipper,' she replied. 'I checked his calendar and it's his weekend off. He won't be back until Monday.' She led us to a large cupboard by the side of the main waiting area. 'We'll need

camouflage so we don't stand out amongst the Humans,' she said. 'We can find the perfect disguise in the lost property room.' The room was stashed full of coats and scarves and unpaired gloves and abandoned dog leads. Dave headed for a discarded handbag and poked around the pockets for old biscuits and bread crusts.

After all, everyone knows that's what handbags are for. 'Follow me.' Jet grinned. She grabbed hold of an old blanket that lay over a mystery object the size and shape of a bike, only wider. 'Help me,' she said, as she pulled at the cloth with her mouth. Me and Dave hopped over and tugged and grabbed at the blanket. Something was pinning it down. I flew up over the top and pulled it with my feet as I flapped up hard. The blanket gave way and flowed down to the floor, covering Dave. 'What is that?' Dave asked, as he came up through the folds of the blanket. 'That, my feathered friends, is my plan.' Jet beamed a toothy smile.