Alfie wagged a finger at her. ‘Ah, see, that’s where you’re wrong. It wasn’t a bird at all. It was a reptile.’
‘No.’
‘A flying reptile. Don’t you remember? That’s what Tish said when she looked it up on the PERSPIRE?’ Alfie folded his arms, sitting back rather smugly.
Janey shook her head. ‘But that doesn’t make sense. What could PTerror have devolved from then? There aren’t any flying reptiles today, are there? So it didn’t evolve into anything.’
‘Exactly.’ Alfie screwed up the picture and shoved it back in his bag.
‘Well, if it only ever existed at one time, it can’t be a current animal or bird so it . . . it had to have come . . . from the past?’
‘Right. Well, if you can think of any sensible answers by tomorrow morning when this homework’s due, SPIV me,’ said Alfie, ringing the bell to make the bus stop near Winton School. ‘See you tomorrow.’
‘Or later,’ said Janey suddenly. ‘If we have a meeting.’
‘What for now?’ Alfie rolled his eyes and slumped away down the bus, his sleeves skimming his knees.
And Janey couldn’t answer right away. She didn’t know for sure, but somewhere in the pit of her stomach her spy instincts were beginning to churn. Where had PTerror come from? The same place her father had gone to when the core of dusky light in the centre of the R-Evolver swallowed him up?
School and homework were going to have to wait – a mission beckoned. Janey waved excitedly to Alfie, but he didn’t wave back.
Never mind, she thought. I’ll tell him later.
Jane Blonde could hardly wait.
Also by Jill Marshall
jane blonde, sensational spylet*
jane blonde spies trouble
jane blonde, twice the spylet
jane blonde, the perfect spylet
(for world book day)
jane blonde, spylet on ice
jane blonde, goldenspy
jane blonde, spylets are forever
*also available in audio
this book was written ‘on the cusp’, as it were, so thanks and thanks again for seamless transitions to: rachel and emma for sorting out my authorly vagueness with such insight and general loveliness; angie and jane for girls’ nights out and so much more, dom for being the very best of both parts of the world, and talya for global corrections and remembering way more than i do. what olympian tag teams – you are a pleasure to work with! to glenys, for superb international communications and being there, wherever ‘there’ happens to be, thank you as always. to karren and the michael king writers centre, thanks for putting up with my coming-and-goings; i couldn’t have written this book without the peace and respite the centre offers (and coffee and chats in the kitchen). to mum and dad and katie, for the same and so much besides, with lots of love. and to agent morning and all those other ace spylets out there, your spy messages are an inspiration. keep ’em coming!
First published 2008 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2011 by Macmillan Children’s Books
a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-0-330-47942-4 EPUB
Copyright © Jill Marshall 2008
The right of Jill Marshall to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Jane Blonde: Spy in the Sky Page 14
