Inside the Worm Read Free

Thursday afternoon they gave up double games to stage a rough rehearsal on the school field. There were no written parts, so everybody had to make up their lines as they went along. Ad libbing, Sarah-Jane called it, but it wasn’t a success. It’s not easy thinking up the right words instantly, and when the VikingGrant Cooper yelled, ‘No way, man!’ in the middle of a fight, Sarah-Jane stopped the rehearsal.
    â€˜Grant,’ she sighed, ‘Vikings did not go around saying, “No way, man.” ’
    â€˜What did they say, then?’ demanded Grant.
    Sarah-Jane shrugged. ‘I don’t know, do I? I wasn’t around, but it wasn’t “No way, man”, I can tell you that.’
    â€˜Sarah-Jane, I’ve just had an idea,’ said Fliss.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Well, we don’t know how people spoke in those days, do we? Nobody does. So why don’t we do it without words?’
    Sarah-Jane looked at her. You mean mime it, or do it through dance or something?’
    Fliss shook her head. ‘No. I thought we could have a narrator. You know – somebody who stands at the side and tells the story as the play unfolds. That way, nobody has to learn lines and we can concentrate on the action.’
    â€˜The narrator’d have a lot to memorize.’
    â€˜Not necessarily. He or she could read from a script done up to look like an ancient chronicle or something. Nobody’d be watching the narrator anyway, if we made the action exciting enough.’
    â€˜Hmmm.’ Sarah-Jane frowned. ‘It’s an idea, Fliss. It’d get rid of “No way, man,” and stuff like that, but who’s going to do it?’
    â€˜I will,’ volunteered Andrew Roberts, ‘if someone’ll help me write it.’
    â€˜We’ll all help to write it,’ smiled Sarah-Jane. ‘Thanks, Andrew.’
    For the moment they carried on with no words except those of Sarah-Jane, who was directing. They hit another snag after Ceridwen banished the worm. ‘What do we do now?’ asked Barry Tune. ‘I mean, years go by before the Danes come and kill her.’
    â€˜Hmmm.’ Sarah-Jane frowned again.
    â€˜We could have a ceremony,’ suggested Waseem. ‘You know – the villagers are so grateful to Ceridwen they make her their chief or something.’
    â€˜Yes,’ put in Haley. ‘And remember, the Vikings were raiding long before they settled here. We could show a series of unsuccessful raids with the Danes being repulsed by the villagers.’
    Sarah-Jane nodded. ‘Good idea, Haley. Yours too, Waseem. Let’s try it.’
    They tried it, and it worked. Friday lunchtime they went through it again, this time in the hall. The first bit of narration was ready and Andrew read it as they performed. It looked good. ‘All we need now is the costumes,’ grinned Marie. ‘And we’re the Royal Shakespeare Company.’

CHAPTER SIX
    SATURDAY MORNING FLISS had to go with her mother to buy shoes. Then there was lunch, and by the time she got to Trot’s garage the others had practically finished the head. She gasped when she saw it. It was enormous, and looked fantastic with its red eyes and gaping jaws. ‘Wow!’ she cried. ‘Those eyes are really ace, Trot. What’re they made of?’
    Trot grinned. ‘Reflectors, Fliss, from Gary’s dad’s old car. D’you like ’em?’
    â€˜Like ’em? They’re amazing. It’s like they’re staring right at you, hating you. What a terrific idea.’
    â€˜Yeah, well – we need a terrific idea from you, Fliss, now that you’ve finally shown up.’
    â€˜Why – what’s up?’
    â€˜It’s the neck,’ said Lisa. ‘It’s designed to go over Gary’s head and shoulders and down to his waist, so that the head is firmly supported and won’t sway about when the worm’s