The Warrior Sheep Down Under Read Free

can’t we still hear her sobbing and sighing and tap, tap, tapping?”
    Wills was actually wondering the same thing. He was also thinking back to the wind in the rigging of the yachts in the harbor. He was beginning to fear he’d made a truly dreadful mistake. But as he opened his mouth to admit it, Sal spoke.
    â€œIt’s because of the sea air, dear,” she said, nodding wisely. “The salt gets in your ears and makes them go a bit funny. My aunt Sybil told me that, when I was a lamb—”
    â€œYeah, and my stomachs have gone a bit funny too,” said Oxo. “I’m starving.”
    There was a moment’s silence as the others realized they were too.
    â€œOhmygrass…” whimpered Jaycey, looking about at the bare wooden planks. “Ohmygrass…There isn’t any grass.”
    But Oxo’s nose was twitching. “Stick with me, kid,” he said to Jaycey. “You’ll be all right.”
    He ducked under the rope the deckhand had put up to keep them in, and trotted off. Quickly, the other warriors followed. Oxo’s nose led him to a cabin in the middle of the boat. The sheep crowded around the partly open door and peered in.
    Alice Barton was seated at her dressing table. Her short legs only just touched the ground and her rather fat bottom sagged on either side of the elegant little stool. She was surrounded by expensive skin creams and makeup and perfumes in little jars and bottles. She was mixing little dabs of this with little dabs of that. Eventually, she smeared a little cream on her slightly puffy face.
    â€œAh, that is so good…” she murmured, gazing at herself in the mirror. “Alice, you must never neglect the face beautiful.”
    She took a slice of mango from the large plate of chopped fruit beside her. Oxo’s nose was twitching violently now but Wills held him back.
    â€œNot yet,” he whispered.
    â€œExcuse me, Miss Barton.” An adjoining door opened and Deidre tiptoed into Alice’s cabin.
    â€œWhat is it, poppet?” sighed Alice, turning from the mirror.
    â€œA phone call from someone who won’t speak to me. Says it’s private and he must talk to you personally. About Maiden Tower?”
    Alice’s eyebrows hit her plummy bangs. Wills’s eyes opened wide too.
    â€œI’ll take it next door,” Alice said. She took the phone Deidre was holding and marched briskly into the adjoining room. “Do go and get me some iced tea, angel.”
    â€œYes, Miss Bart…” The door slammed in Deidre’s face.
    Wills and Oxo pressed themselves flat against the wall outside the cabin as Deidre came out on deck, but she turned the other way.
    Wills’s brain was racing again. The Alice woman was at this very moment talking to someone about a place called Maiden Tower. Could this be the tower where Tuftella, the maiden in distress, was locked? And if so, why would a human know anything about it?
    Oxo’s mind was still on his stomachs. As soon as Deidre had gone, he was back in the doorway. This time he just couldn’t wait. He barged in, snaffled up a mouthful of mango from the plate, and began to chew noisily. Jaycey followed him into the cabin, sprang on to the dressing table, and gazed at herself in the mirror.
    â€œWhat shall I try first?” she asked excitedly, sniffing the perfumed air.
    â€œGet down!” called Wills, as loudly as he dared.
    Just then the plate of fruit slid from under Oxo’s nose and crashed to the cabin floor.
    â€œOhmygrass…” bleated Jaycey. “Ohmygrass!” She turned quickly, trod in one of the little pots of greasy skin cream, skidded, and fell to the floor, followed by a shower of pots and bottles and jars. Their contents splashed and spilled in all directions.
    â€œDeidre?” yelled Alice from the adjoining cabin. “What’s going on in there?”
    Led by Oxo, the warriors turned tail and ran out,