The Owl Service Read Online Free Page A

birds.”
    â€œThem off the plates?” said Gwyn.
    â€œYes. Do you know how they got into the loft?”
    â€œMy Mam won’t say anything about them – nothing that sticks together: she’s that mad. And the switch Alison put across her! By! It’s making her talk like a Welsh Nationalist!”
    â€œAli says she didn’t switch the plate.”
    â€œPull the other,” said Gwyn. “It’s got bells on.”
    â€œThat’s what I said to her yesterday. But she didn’t switch.”
    â€œRing-a-ding-a-ding,” said Gwyn.
    â€œListen. I fetched two more down from the loft, and when I went into Ali’s bedroom last night they were on the mantelpiece. The pattern’s gone.”
    â€œHow did you know?” said Alison. She stood at the door of the billiard-room with the plates in her hand. “I was coming to show you.”
    â€œEr – I thought I heard you having a bad dream last night,” said Roger, “so I popped in. The plates were on the mantelpiece.”
    â€œYes: they’re the same, aren’t they?” said Gwyn. “Well now, there’s a thing.”
    â€œHow can it happen?” said Alison. “Is it tracing the owls that makes the plates go blank?”
    â€œWhat did you use?” said Roger. “Pumice?”
    â€œLet’s see the owls.” said Gwyn.
    â€œI haven’t any.”
    â€œWhat?” said Roger. “You’ve done nothing else but make owls.”
    â€œThey keep disappearing.”
    â€œThis is ridiculous,” said Gwyn.
    â€œHas your mother said anything?” said Alison.
    â€œNot that can be repeated: except she’s made it a condition of staying that the loft’s nailed up permanent.”
    â€œToday?”
    â€œNow there she’s hoist by her own petard, like. It’s stupid. She won’t let Huw Halfbacon in the house.”
    â€œWhat does she have against him?” said Alison.
    â€œSearch me,” said Gwyn. “Anyway, I measure the hatch, then Huw makes a cover, and I nail it up. We can spin that out till tomorrow between us. Plenty of time to bring the plates down, isn’t it?”
    â€œHow about leaving them where they are?” said Roger.
    â€œWe can’t,” said Alison. “I must make some owls.”
    Roger shrugged.
    â€œWe’ll have to be a bit crafty,” said Gwyn. “Mam’s propped the kitchen door open. She’d hear us easy if we tried to carry them down.”
    â€œThat woman!” cried Alison. “She’s impossible!”
    â€œI know what you mean, Miss Alison,” said Gwyn.
    There was a scream from the kitchen.
    â€œThat’s Mam!” said Gwyn, and they looked out of the billiard-room. Nancy appeared at the outside door of the larder with a broken plate in her hands.
    â€œOh!” she shouted. “Oh! Throwing plates now, are you? That’s it! That’s it! That’s it, Miss! That’s it!”
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” said Alison.
    â€œDon’t come that with me, Miss! I know better! So sweet and innocent you are! I know! Spite and malice it is!”
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” shouted Roger.
    â€œI know my place,” said Nancy. “And she should know hers. I was not engaged to be thrown at! To be made mock of – and dangerous too! Spite, Miss Alison! I’m not stopping here!”
    â€œIt was me,” said Gwyn. “I was fooling about. I didn’t see the door was open, and I didn’t see you there. The plate slipped. Sorry, Mam.”
    Nancy said nothing, but stepped back and slammed the door. Gwyn beckoned the other two away.
    â€œWow,” said Roger. “What was that?”
    â€œThanks, Gwyn,” said Alison. Gwyn looked at her. “I couldn’t help it,” she said.
    â€œCouldn’t you?”
    â€œWill somebody tell me what’s going on round here?” said