Caspar! Johnny! Caspar! Oh, come quickly!
CHAPTER TWO
CShes gone, said Caspar helplessly.
No I havent, said Gwinny, her voice quivering rather. Im up here. Both their heads turned upwards. Gwinny appeared to be hanging from the ceiling. Her shoulders were lodged in the corner where the roof stopped sloping and turned into flat ceiling, her bony legs were dangling straight down beneath her, and her hands were nervously clasped in front of her. She looked a bit like a puppet. And I cant come down, she added.
However did you get up? demanded Johnny.
I sort of floated, said Gwinny. I went all light after that stuff splashed on me, and while I was getting into bed I got so light that I just went straight up and stayed here.
Lordy! said Johnny. Suppose the window had been open! It was a nasty thought. Both boys had visions of a light, leaf-like Gwinny floating out into the night and then up and up, unable to stop, like a hydrogen balloon.
Lets get her down, said Caspar. Come on.
By standing on the bed, Caspar thought he could just reach Gwinnys feet, if he jumped as he reached. Johnny stood in front of the bed to help catch her. Caspar got on the bed and jumped. His fingers brushed Gwinnys feet, but he could not get a grip. To his annoyance, the slight push he had given her was enough to send Gwinny bobbing gently out into the middle of the room, quite out of reach.
Oh dear! said Gwinny. Could you lasso me or something?
Johnny took the cord off Gwinnys dressing gown to try. But he remembered he had never been able to make a lasso that worked. Ill throw it, he said. You catch it. Both hands and carefully, mind. He threw the cord upwards quite a good shot. It hit Gwinnys chest and slithered away down her legs. But Gwinny had always been hopeless at catching things. She missed the cord and went bobbing and twirling away towards the window with the movement.
Thats no good, said Caspar. Shell be all night before she gets hold of it. Gwinny, can you work yourself along the ceiling, back over the bed, and Ill have another go at catching you.
Ill try, Gwinny said doubtfully. She put up one hand and pushed at the ceiling. The next moment, to the surprise of all three, she was swooping through the air towards the bed. Caspar raced after her, but, by the time he reached the bed, Gwinny had rebounded from the sloping roof and swooped out into the middle of the ceiling again. Ooh! she said, with her spiky head bobbing excitedly against the flex of the light. That was ever such a nice feeling! I think Ill do it again. And, to Caspars exasperation, Gwinny began pushing with a hand here, then there, swooping this way and that and laughing. Johnny started to laugh too, because Gwinny looked like a gawky pink chicken with her nightdress and long bony legs.
We must make her stop being so silly, Caspar said. Gwinny, he said to the soles of Gwinnys swooping feet, weve got to get you down. Dont you understand? Suppose the Ogre finds you like that.
He wouldnt be able to catch me, Gwinny said gaily, shooting from the window to the space above the door.
Yes he would, said Caspar. Think how tall he is.
Yes, but Caspar. said Johnny, whatll we do if we do get her down? Wont she just shoot up again?
We could tie her down, Caspar suggested.
Oh no you wont! Gwinny called. She pushed off from the wall with her feet and floated on her back across the room, to the far corner. And there she lay, with
her stomach and toes gently brushing the ceiling and a complacent smile on her face. Try and catch me now, she said.
They saw it was no use expecting her to be sensible. Do you think we could get rid of the chemicals somehow, and get her down that way? Caspar said.
It might wash off, said Johnny.
Lets try, said Caspar.
They raced down two floors to the bathroom. There, Johnny seized the big mop that was used to wash the floor and Caspar seized the backbrush, and they hurried upstairs again. As they passed the door of Malcolms and Douglass room, they heard Douglas call out something about herd of blinking elephants! but they were too fussed to bother.
Gwinny was lying on her back near the middle of the ceiling now. Johnny raised the dripping mop and aimed it for the part of Gwinnys legs where he thought the chemicals had splashed. But it is not easy to aim a long, top-heavy mop. He hit Gwinny plumb on the backside. She shrieked, Stop it! Its cold! and went floundering and scrambling and bobbing out of reach, like an upside-down pink crab, with a muddy splodge on the back of her nightdress. Caspar got on to the bed and clawed at her legs with the backbrush as soon as they came near.
Stop it, you beast! said Gwinny, and scrambled back across the ceiling.
Caspar jumped on to a chair on the other side of the room and tried to reach her there. Johnny lofted the mop and prodded at her as she passed. Gwinny squealed with silly laughter and scrambled out of reach again. They pursued her. Caspar went leaping from chair to bed and back again. Johnny charged this way and that, prodding, and Gwinny scuttled and squealed all over the ceiling. Then Johnny, not looking where he was going, kicked the dolls house over with a crash, scattering little tables and chairs and dolls house people all over the room.