Mort Read Online Free Page A

Borjigin, that that devil woman and her cry-baby servant would never leave Unk Island.

‘She did what?’
    Mort looked away from the computer screen where he’d been rechecking the timing of the eclipse and stared at his sister. What Agnetha had just told him was so shocking he had clean forgotten about his annoyance at her coming into his bedroom without knocking.
    â€˜She kicked your little pet right into the swamp,’ said Agnetha, smiling sweetly. ‘After setting his disgusting beard on fire. I saw it all, I was right there hiding in thebushes the whole time.’
    Mort blinked. This was impossible.
    â€˜Tell me again what happened, Aggers. In detail. This is important.’
    Agnetha sat down on the edge of Mort’s bed and went through the story again, without letting slip she knew about the secret laboratory. You never knew when that information might come in useful.
    As his sister spoke, Mort’s face remained stern, but deep inside he felt a wonderful little electric thrill.
    The woman had defeated Khan!
    An opponent who could do that was a worthy enemy indeed.
    Still, thought Mort with a glance at Agnetha’s smug face, he could do without his sister’s obvious glee at Khan’s defeat.
    â€˜You do know why they’re here, Aggers?’ Mort asked. He plucked the letter from his pocket and handed it to Agnetha.
    She unfolded the sheet.
    Dear Sir/Madam,
    It has come to the attention of the Unk Shire Education Department that there are two children of school age residing at Festering Hall, Unk Island. As our department has no record of either child attending school, and since repeated letters have remained unanswered, we have no course of action but to come to you in person to assess the educational needs of your children with a view to their immediate and compulsory school attendance. My assistant and I will be with you on Friday 21 March at eleven am.
    Yours sincerely, Ms Patricia Molyneux,
    Unk Shire Assistant Chief Education Inspector.
    Agnetha looked up from the letter. ‘They want us to go to school?’
    â€˜Bingo,’ said Mort.
    Agnetha sucked her lower lip. ‘I’ve already been to school. Lots of times. I don’t want to go to school again.’
    â€˜Exactly,’ said Mort. ‘The cheek!’
    Mort looked at Agnetha. ‘We have obviously underestimated this Ms Molyneux. She’s got to be stopped at all costs!’
    â€˜What’s this “we” stuff, Mort? Khan is yours. I didn’t have anything to do with your stupid plan. And what’s this “at all costs” stuff? It’s only school! I’m sure we can wriggle our way out of anything she throws at us.’
    Mort paused.
    The annoying thing about Agnetha was that she had spotted the flaw in his argument. They probably could find a way to get out of the school thing – although after hearing how easily this Trish woman had dealt with Khan, Mort wasn’t quite as sure as Agnetha about that. But Mort couldn’t mention the real reason he didn’t want Trish Molyneux anywhere near Festering Hall today of all days.
    â€˜Or is there something you’re not telling me?’ asked Agnetha. There was a funnyexpression on her face that Mort didn’t like the look of.
    â€˜No,’ he replied, a little too quickly. ‘No reason. I just hate school. Remember Sparta?’
    Agnetha shivered. Of course she remembered. Sometime around 510 BC, their parents had had a stupid idea about toughening them up a little and had sent them to a school on the banks of the Evrotas. It had nearly killed them both.
    â€˜Okay,’ said Agnetha, ‘but Unk Shire isn’t Sparta!’
    â€˜We can’t take that chance,’ replied Mort, avoiding Agnetha’s eye. ‘I’ll sort it out. Scare her off.’
    â€˜Like Khan?’
    Mort ignored Agnetha and leaned back in his leather chair, folded his arms and frowned.
    Sending Khan