The Demon Headmaster and The Prime Minister’s Brain Read Online Free

shaking her head from side to side to clear it, Dinah flicked the front of the card back. ‘Oh! It’s from the Computer Director. The one who organized that competition.’
    ‘Eugh!’ Harvey pulled a face and made sick noises into his plate.
    Dinah could see Mrs Hunter getting ready to send him out of the room. Quickly, to save him, she started to read her card out loud.

    ‘Dear Miss Hunter,
    Congratulations on solving Octopus Dare. This makes you one of the contestants to qualify for the final round of the Junior Computer Brain of the Year Competition.
    The final round will take place in London from August 28th to September 2nd at the Sentinel Tower, North Island—’

    ‘What a weird address,’ muttered Lloyd. ‘An island? In the middle of London?’
    But Dinah had been skimming on, ahead of what she was reading, and all at once she saw something terrible. Her voice died away, and she lowered the card, her hands shaking.
    ‘What’s the matter?’ Mrs Hunter said anxiously.
    Dinah breathed hard and stared down at the shiny, twining front of the card. ‘I can’t go to the final. Not unless I’ve got an S-7 computer. And I’ve never even heard of an S-7.’
    She stopped sharply and clenched her fists. Because she was beginning to panic inside her head. She was going to miss the final. And there would be beautiful octopus patterns there to solve. She was sure of it. She had to go. She had to. If she couldn’t go she would scream and scream and scream—
    She made herself breathe very slowly, to get back her self-control. She never screamed. What was she thinking of? Why had she suddenly started to feel so desperate? It frightened her, but she could not stop herself. The very sight of the octopus patterns on the front of the card made her feel that she had to go to the final. She had to go, she had to go …
    ‘ I’ve heard of S-7s,’ Lloyd said airily. ‘They’re brand new. Just come on the market. Ginger Frost says his uncle in Edinburgh has got one. Cost about a thousand pounds.’
    ‘Oh, Dinah!’ Mrs Hunter looked upset. ‘I am sorry.’
    Dinah screwed up her fists. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t. And she didn’t. But instead she heard her voice say, very high and loud, ‘Well, you’ll just have to buy me one, that’s all.’
    ‘What?’ Mr Hunter stared at her. ‘I’m sorry, Di, but we haven’t got a thousand pounds. Not to spare.’
    ‘Well, sell the car.’ Dinah was panting. Gasping for breath. ‘Mortgage the house. Get a bank loan. I don’t care what you do, but you’ve got to find the money. I must go to that final! ’
    They were all staring at her. All four of them. And she knew why. She was the person who never asked for things. Never made a fuss. Good, quiet little Dinah, who never wanted anything for herself. Only she did want this. It was senseless. It was selfish. But the more she gazed and gazed at the octopus patterns on the card, the more she knew she could not bear to turn down the invitation. Whatever it cost.
    ‘Please, please !’ she shouted. ‘You said you’d buy me a bike. Well, I don’t want a bike. That’s some of the money, anyway. And you must be able to find the rest somehow.’
    ‘It’s not that simple,’ Mr Hunter said gently.
    Dinah was past listening to him. All she could think of was the octopus, the octopus, the octopus. And all she could feel was panic. Terrible panic that she might be going to miss bigger and better and more complicated octopus patterns, lacing and weaving and curving …
    ‘An S-7!’ she yelled. ‘You’ve got to buy me an S-7! I must have one!’
    ‘Dinah!’ Mrs Hunter stood up, looking very solemn. ‘Please go up to your room until you’ve calmed down.’
    ‘ I must have an S-7! ’
    ‘Your room!’ Mr Hunter gripped her shoulders and turned her round towards the door. ‘You’ll hate yourself if you go on shouting at us like that.’
    ‘I’ll come and see you in a bit,’ Mrs Hunter said.
    Still sobbing and