Chapter Four
Sorry it has taken me so long. I have been really, really busy and haven't had a chance to write. But I will be able to update much more frequently now. So here's chapter four. : )
Deryn noticed the cage immediately. Stacked against the back wall of the room, its complete lack of noise was startling, especially next to the ruckus coming from the others. As she took a step closer, the reason why became apparent. It was empty.
As the boffin caught sight, she froze, her hand flying up to her mouth. For a moment neither said anything, the racket of Dr. Barlow's message parrots, Clementine and Winston, and the other animals', filling their silence.
The two birds fluttered agitatedly about their cage, like moths caught in a jar, continuing to screech nonsense. Their enclosure swung wildly from where it had been hung in a corner of the room, the dim lighting throwing shadows against the walls and floor. Deryn wondered what could have so upset them. Both were normally as quiet as a fish under water. Perhaps whoever had taken the hare had caused the disturbance.
Deryn walked over to the African Greys.
"Hush now beasties. It's all right." she said softly, her eyes quickly scanning the contents of the other cages while she comforted the birds. All were full but that one. And none contained the rabbit.
Obviously she'd been right.
As Deryn stood there, Bovril scampered down from her shoulder and over to the metal cages. It sniffed curiously at the other animals, its large eyes as round as glass marbles. The loris peered into the empty cage and then, looking at Deryn, announced, "Gone."
"The beastie's right, Ma'am," Deryn said, turning toward the boffin, "The rabbit's gone."
"I can see that quite well, Mr. Sharp," Dr. Barlow said coldly, "I'm not blind. But I simply cannot understand how anyone could have managed to break into my laboratory and extricate the hare. As I said before, it would be quite challenging."
"Neither can I, Ma'am," Deryn said, "Unless it was some sneaky beaks posing as an employee."
She reckoned that had to be it. After all, how hard could it be to pretend to work for the Society? Deryn herself had been posing as a boy for ages, with no one seeing through her disguise. Well, perhaps a few.
"Mr. Sharp," the boffin said, "Take me immediately to the hare you and Alek found. If it is ideed the missing animal- and at this point it certainly seems likely- we need to return it here as quickly as possible."
"Aye, Ma'am," Deryn said, "Follow me!"
As Deryn raced back the way they'd come, Dr. Barlow following quickly behind, she couldn't help feeling a bit smug that the boffin had been wrong after all. Dr. Barlow wouldn't admit it, of course, but Deryn hadn't really expected her to.
The feeling of gloating faded though as Deryn's thoughts turned to Alek and the barking hare. A smirk crossed her face as Deryn pictured his surely horrified reaction when he heard what it was.
Though, a toxic bunny did seem just a wee bit peculiar, even to her. What possible reason the boffins could have for fabricating such a strange creature was indeed a mystery. She'd have to ask Dr. Barlow about it later.
I can't believe the typo I made. I'm so sorry about that. Very embarrasing. I suppose almost everyone has a brother though, so just picture trying to type with him pestering you. You can see how that happened. Anyway, it's fixed now and will not be repeated.