Oh good, he said, when he saw the position Gwinny was in, and he threw the water over the pair of them.
He had not thought to bring warm water. Gwinny squealed. Caspar gasped and nearly let go. He was about to say some very unkind things to Johnny, when he realised that Gwinny was now much easier to hold down.
Its working, he said. Go and get some more.
Johnny turned, beaming with relief, and went galloping away downstairs, bucket clattering. Somewhat to Caspars annoyance, he did not stop at the bathroom, but went on galloping, right downstairs to the kitchen, because the water ran more quickly from the taps downstairs. Caspar shook his soaking hair out of his eyes and hung on grimly. Gwinnys teeth chattered.
Im freezing, she complained. My nighties soaking.
I know, said Caspar. Its dripping all over me, and Im sitting in a puddle, if thats any comfort.
After what seemed half an hour, they heard Johnny pounding upstairs again. Caspar was too relieved to worry about the noise he was making. He just listened to Johnny pounding closer and closer and prayed for him to hurry. As Johnnys feet crossed the landing below, a confused noise broke out on the same level. Johnny had started on the last flight of stairs, when Douglas erupted into another shattering roar.
What the blazes are you doing? Theres water pouring through our ceiling!
Johnny did not answer. They heard his feet climbing faster. Then came the feet of Douglas, pounding behind. Behind that again were other feet. Caspar and Gwinny could only wait helplessly, until the door at last crashed open and Johnny staggered in, red-faced and almost too breathless to move, with water slopping over his shoes out of the bucket.
Throw it, Caspar said urgently.
Johnny croaked for breath, heaved up the bucket and poured the water over Gwinny, drenching Caspar again in the process. It did the trick. Gwinny dropped like a stone and landed on Caspar. There was a short time when Caspar could not see much and was almost as breathless as Johnny. When he recovered sufficiently to sit up, Douglas was standing behind Johnny, looking as if he had frozen in the middle of shouting something, and behind him were the Ogre and their mother.
Johnny! said Sally. Whatever possessed you?
Take him downstairs, Douglas, said the Ogre,
and make him clear it up. These two can clear up here.
Come on, Douglas said coldly. Johnny departed without a word. There really was nothing to say.
An hour later, when Gwinny had been put to bed in a clean nightdress and everywhere wet mopped dry, Caspar and Johnny went rather timidly into their room expecting to see the carpet, where the rest of the chemicals had gone, floating against the ceiling or at least ballooning up in the middle. But the only sign of the spill was a large purple stain and a considerable remnant of bad smell. Much relieved, Caspar opened the window.
It must only work on people, Johnny said thoughtfully.
Wed better clear it up, said Caspar.
Johnny sighed, but he obediently trudged off to the bathroom for soap and water. He returned, still thoughtful, and remained so all the time he was rubbing the carpet with the Ogres face flannel. The stain came off fairly easily and dyed the flannel deep mauve.
Couldnt you have used yours or mine? said Caspar.
I did. Douglas made me use them on their room, said Johnny. Listen. Gwinny got an awful lot of that stuff on her, didnt she? Suppose you use less, so you werent quite so light, wouldnt you be like flying?
Hey! said Caspar, sitting up in bed. Since he had had to change all his clothes, it had seemed the simplest place to be. Thats an idea! What did you put in it?
I cant remember, said Johnny. But Im darned well going to find out.
CHAPTER THREE
IWho is it keeps taking my pipes? demanded the Ogre, and received no answer. And in spite of running this constant risk, Johnnys efforts were not rewarded. Nevertheless, he persevered. It was his nature to be dogged, and Caspar and Gwinny were thankful for it; for, as Gwinny said, the idea of being really able to fly made it easier to bear the awfulness of everything else.
Each day seemed to bring fresh trials. First there was the trouble over the purple face flannel, and then the affair of the muddy sweater on the roof, mysteriously found wrapped round the chimney. The Ogre, as a matter of course, blamed Caspar, and when Caspar protested his innocence, he blamed Johnny. And twice Caspar forgot that the Ogre was at home and played Indigo Rubber the third time, the noise came from Douglas, but Douglas said nothing and let Caspar take the blame.
Then the weather turned cold. The house had very old central heating, which seemed too weak to heat all four floors properly. The bathroom, and the bedroom shared by Sally and the Ogre, were warm enough, but upwards from there it grew steadily colder. Gwinnys room got so cold that she took to sneaking down to her mothers room and curling up on the big soft bed to read. Unfortunately, she left a toffee bar on the Ogres pillow one evening, and the boys were blamed again. It took all Gwinnys courage to own up, and the Ogre was in no way impressed by her heroism. However, he did find her an old electric heater, which he installed in her room with instructions not to waste electricity.