Atticus Claw Breaks the Law Read Free Page B

‘Well,’ said Atticus, sitting down and poppingout his claws one by one. ‘Here I am.’ He smiled, making sure the birds could see just how sharp and white his teeth were. ‘Now, what do you want?’
    When they saw his fangs, the two magpies who had shouted down at Atticus when he was a safe distance below – a fat one with ragged tail feathers, and a thin one with a hooked foot – dropped their beaks to their chests and fluttered backwards, away from him. But the other one – who Atticus took to be the boss – stood his ground and looked him straight in the eye.
    ‘It’s very simple,’ Jimmy Magpie said quietly. ‘We want you to steal all the jewels in Littleton-on-Sea and bring them here to us.’
    Slasher nodded. Thug chattered to himself.
    Atticus raised a whiskery eyebrow. He’d heard people say that magpies were thieves, but he’d never suspected they could be
this
greedy.
What do they want with all that loot
? he wondered. Most thieves fenced jewels for cash. A few kept the most treasured items for their own use in necklaces (or collars if they were cats or dogs).
But this lot?
They couldn’t use cash and, as far as Atticus knew, birds didn’t do bling.
    ‘Suppose I agree,’ he said eventually, when thebird didn’t elaborate. ‘I prefer to go in through cat flaps and open windows. I can’t guarantee I’ll clean the whole town out.’
    ‘I see …’ Jimmy Magpie blinked at Atticus coldly. ‘Well I think you’ll find my boys can help you get into most places if you can’t manage it.’
    ‘I don’t want their help,’ Atticus snapped angrily. ‘I’m the best cat burglar in the world, remember?’
    There was a tense silence. ‘Very well,’ Jimmy Magpie said finally. ‘We’ll do it your way. We find the houses. You hit them.’
    ‘What’s in it for me?’ Atticus demanded. He didn’t like the way the magpie did business. Nobody spoke to Atticus Grammaticus Cattypuss Claw like that: least of all a bullying bird. He’d almost decided to leave on the next boat.
    ‘Sardines,’ Jimmy Magpie said, watching Atticus carefully. ‘Four per hit.’
    Atticus wavered.
Sardines!
His mouth watered at the thought. He couldn’t resist sardines. ‘Eight,’ he countered.
    ‘Six,’ the magpie snapped back.
    ‘Done.’ Sardines were sardines . Whatever doubts Atticusmight have had about taking the job he decided to put to one side, for the time being at least. ‘I’ll start tonight.’ He got up to go. ‘By the way,’ he asked as an afterthought, ‘how did you hear about me?’
    ‘We magpies keep our eyes and ears open.’ Jimmy Magpie shrugged. He looked sharply at Atticus. ‘We’re
everywhere
. And we know
everything
. So don’t try and double-cross us.’
    Suddenly Atticus remembered the messenger pigeon. Now he understood why it hadn’t talked. Jimmy and his gang must have terrified it.
    ‘You don’t frighten me …’ Atticus hissed. ‘And you’d better be careful what you say, or the deal’s off.’ He drew himself up and arched his back. ‘I’ll have you three for lunch before you can say “ feathers ”.’
    The two other magpies were trembling, but Jimmy showed no sign of fear. Instead he grinned and held out a claw. ‘No need for that, my friend!’ he cawed slyly. ‘We’re partners now! Come on, boys. Let’s get out the sardines and celebrate.’
    Thug and Slasher hopped back into the nest. Atticus heard heaving and panting as they flipped a fish over the edge.
    ‘I’ll eat alone, thanks,’ Atticus said, catching thesardine in his teeth and making his way back down to the beach.
    ‘Suit yourself,’ Jimmy Magpie called after him. ‘Make sure you’re back here tonight at midnight.’
    There was no reply. Atticus had gone.
    ‘Why didn’t you tell him about the antiques fair at Toffly Hall, Boss?’ Slasher asked, peering down.
    ‘Yeah, that lady in Blossom Crescent said there’d be loads of jewellery there,’ Thug reminded him.
    ‘And watches,’ Slasher