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whispering, and a blank piece of paper appeared in Jasper’s mind.
    JAAA … SPEEEER!
    The word formed on the page in front of Jasper. The letters were spooky and ancient-looking, but he recognised the word straight away.
    â€˜My name! It’s my name!’
    â€˜Good, next word!’
    NAAAOOO.
    The letters appeared again.
    Naaaooo. Naao. Nao. Each of the words Jasper tried was crossed out on the page. He looked at them again. Now .
    â€˜Now? I think it says now!’
    â€˜Keep going, Jasper!’ said Hermes.
    KOOOOMMM FREEE.
    Koom. Kom. Com. The words were crossed out. Come?
    â€˜I think it’s come. Come free.’

    The finished words lined up neatly in Jasper’s mind: ‘JASPER. NOW. COME FREE,’ he read.
    â€˜It wants to be free,’ said Hermes. ‘Now control it. Tell it no!’
    â€˜No!’ shouted Jasper. And the inky words faded away on the page, until there was nothing left.
    Jasper couldn’t believe it. The whispering had listened to him!

    When Jasper opened his eyes, he saw Señor Hermes sipping at a mug of hot chocolate. ‘It took you a while, but with practice it will get easier.
    Soon you will have the ability to understand the words within seconds.’ He popped a marshmallow into his hot chocolate. ‘Hot chocolate?’ he asked, pushing a mug towards Jasper.
    Jasper drank it in one go. Neither of them said anything for a while.
    â€˜Was that some sort of mind reading?’ Jasper asked finally. ‘I mean, because I was reading stuff in my mind.’
    â€˜In a way,’ said Señor Hermes. ‘But you were only reading the words you already hear, in your own mind. You are learning to understand your monster side.’
    My monster side. Oh yeah. Jasper sighed.
    â€˜Having a monster side does not make you a monster. The monsterness does not have a body, or a form. It is simply the essence of a monster. Little more than a voice at this point.’ Señor Hermes looked at Jasper and smiled. ‘You are far from alone, you know. Many people have quite advanced monsterness, and still control it successfully. Why else do you think the teachers here are so scary?’ he winked.
    Jasper nearly choked on his marshmallows. ‘You mean – the teachers have all been bitten?’
    â€˜Yes, we have. I am sure you’ve noticed that Mr Golag, like most monsters, can’t stand bright lights, Von Strasser is slightly Scrambled, and Stenka loves nothing more than to frighten people,’ he said. ‘But we all have complete control of our monster side.’
    Jasper looked closely at Hermes. He didn’t seem very monster-like.
    There was a sharp rap on the door and Stenka marched into the room. ‘Sorry to interrupt your cosy chat,’ she sneered. ‘What is your opinion, Hermes? Do you think it is too late?’
    Jasper thought he could detect a note of hope in her voice.
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ said Hermes. ‘There are no monster characteristics other than whispering at this stage.’
    â€˜Very well,’ said Stenka. ‘He will do.’ She yanked Jasper out of the room and marched him through the maze of corridors.
    â€˜I have told the others your strange behaviour was a side-effect of being tagged,’ said Stenka when they reached the doors to her office. ‘They believe you have been to see the nurse. We are going to keep it that way. Understood?’
    Jasper nodded. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Saffy and Felix about the whole ‘being a monster’ thing, anyway. They were his friends, but maybe this would change things. They were supposed to be monster- hunters , not monsters .
    Jasper still had a thousand questions on his mind.
    â€˜Questions will have to wait,’ said Stenka. ‘Because now it is time to Hunt.’

8
    Stenka swiftly led Jasper, Felix and Saffy out of her office and down the hallway.
    â€˜Are you OK?’ Felix