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monster characteristics.’
    â€˜OK,’ said Jasper, trying not to look surprised to hear that monsters hatched . Right now, there were more important things to find out. ‘But what has this got to do with the whispering?’
    â€˜Ah, well, the thing about monsterness is that it can be transferred ,’ said Hermes.
    Jasper didn’t like the sound of that.
    â€˜You see, when a monster bites someone,’ Hermes continued, ‘some of this monsterness is transferred to its victim. A bit like the way germs might be transferred from an animal bite. You are infected , in a way. It’s a very slow process, but the whispering you hear is essentially the start of ... How can I put this? … It’s the start of you becoming a monster.’

    â€˜I am be-be-becoming a monster?’ Jasper stuttered.
    â€˜Precisely!’ said Señor Hermes. ‘And you have started to hear the whispering because your monsterness is excited by the environment here at Monstrum House. Anywhere cold, dark and scary will cause it to grow inside you. Any negative experience – such as the painful tagging you just had – will make it stronger.’
    â€˜I am a monster ?’ asked Jasper again.
    â€˜Well, a part-monster at most, I should think,’ said Hermes. ‘But it’s not all bad – it can even be used to your advantage. Whispering is the first monster characteristic to develop. It is like an antenna into the monster world. For a monster-hunter, that can be an invaluable tool.’
    Jasper shook his head. He didn’t really get how it could be an ‘invaluable tool’. He felt like he was hyperventilating. He wished he had Felix’s asthma puffer with him. ‘Wolfman, I’m like Wolfman,’ he mumbled, ‘or a vampire, or a ... a ...’
    â€˜Keep calm,’ said Hermes. ‘Let me finish, and then you can decide whether you need to panic.’
    â€˜Need to panic?! Are you mad? You just said I’m becoming a MONSTER!’
    Jasper was feeling giddy. He didn’t want to become a monster. Surely the teachers would have some medicine, some antidote?
    â€˜I’m sorry, Jasper. This isn’t a mistake and there isn’t any antidote.’ Hermes looked Jasper in the eye. ‘The harder you try to block out the whispering, the louder it becomes, yes?’
    Jasper nodded.
    â€˜What you hear is the voice of the monster you could become. It’s not a real monster. It’s your own monster side trying to speak to you and guide you into the path of monsters. It’s a whisper now, but ignoring it will make it shout to be heard.’
    He paused. ‘You already feel excited when you are around monsters, don’t you?’
    â€˜I feel a kind of … buzz,’ said Jasper. ‘I get excited. Something clicks. One minute I’m scared and the next, I kind of just know what to do.’
    â€˜You see – that is your monster side becoming excited. But you can use that on a Hunt!’
    Jasper was shocked. If the reason he got a buzz hunting monsters was because his monster side was developing, was it really a good idea to be going on a Hunt?
    Señor Hermes continued. ‘Left untreated, you will gain more monster characteristics and, eventually, become more monster than human. But if you learn how to understand the whispering, you can use it. I will guide you through the principles of doing so.’
    â€˜Now, when the whispering comes,’ said Señor Hermes calmly, ‘I want you to see the words you hear in your mind. Then I want you to look at each word carefully, and try to make sense of it.’
    Jasper felt uncertain, but he closed his eyes and let Señor Hermes’ fingers brush over his eyelids again. The whispering rose up inside his body. It was strong, and kept getting louder.
    JAAA … SPEER! NAAOO. KOOMM FREEE ...
    â€˜What is it saying?’ Hermes’ voice broke through the