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The nextin the Wednesday bed room The Wednesday bedroom is the smallest bedroom of all It is lined ood and has two portholes--it looks like a ship’s cabin and it is very cozy There are two bunk beds, which are built into an alcove in the wall I have the top bunk and Wanda has the bottom We sat on Wanda’s bed and decided to tell Mathilda that we knew all about her Plan to leave Ned and Jed behind

"Because, " I told Wanda, "if she knows that we know, then she won’t dare do it " "Won’t she?" asked Wanda "No, " I said, "she won’t "

But we had to wait a long tiot up really late It was lunchti for lunch Mathilda looked really cool as usual She earing her awesome hat--which I love--and her black coat with spiderwebs and lace all over it When she walked down the stairs, her bootsin wait at the foot of the stairs I jumped out

"Ooh!" Mathilda gasped "Don’t do that, Araht "Mathilda, " I said, "we knohat you are planning " Mathilda looked disappointed "You do?" she said "Yes We know you are going to leave Ned and Jed here when you go " I could tell that that had surprised her "Oh?" she said "And we don’t want you to, " Wanda chio too " Mathilda fiddled with a dead o just yet, can they?" she said "Because I a!" I exploded "Wanda and I are not babies "

"No, we are not, " said Wanda Mathilda shrugged "Whatever, " she said "But you need so " "No we don’t, " I said "Anyway, they aren’t sohostsitters, then, " said Mathilda "We already have ghosts who can sit with us, thank you, and they arewith you, " said Wanda, who likes going shopping with Brenda "Couldn’t we, Araminta?" Mathilda looked at me "No you couldn’t, " she said very definitely "Well, not Araoodness!" Crash! Bang! Smash! It was Ned and Jed--of course They were at the top of the stairs playing catch, but it wasn’t with a ball, it ith a great big sword--Sir Horace’s sword If they hadn’t been ghosts it would have been a really dangerous game to play because Sir Horace keeps his sword quite sharp

Jed threw the sword to Ned Clang! Ned dropped it Ned heaved it up and chucked it back Jed jumped out of the way and, crash! it landed on the stairs--and started rolling doard us "Argh!" yelled Wanda "Get out of the way, Ara really nice and orried aboutchopped into little pieces, but what she meant was that I was in her way She elbowed me to one side and ran and hid behind the clock Mathilda followed her fast The sas heading straight for ht over it as it passed It came to rest on the other side of the hall It was then I saw that there was so attached to it--a hand

Of course, it wasn’t a real hand It was Sir Horace’s hand fro told me that Sir Horace would not be pleased I went over and picked it up And there I was, holding Sir Horace’s sword, when I heard Sir Horace booue with those scoundrels!" I looked up to see Sir Horace at the top of the stairs If you askedannoyed, I would draw exactly what I saw right then And then it began to clank downstairs toward me Naturally Ned and Jed had disappeared, and Wanda and Mathilda were about to do the sa as she and Mathilda headed out of the front door "I a "

"But, Wanda--" "Be good for the ghostsitters!" said Mathilda The door slaone But Sir Horace was not He teetered down to the foot of the stairs and sat on the botto noise "I will have my hand back, Miss Spookie, " he said He shook his head slowly "Two against one is not sporting Not sporting at all You can tell that to your friends " "What friends?" I said Right then I didn’t feel like I had any friends at all Friends do not go out shopping together and leave their other friend all on her oith an angry ghost "Those two young scoundrels "

"Ned and Jed are not my friends, Sir Horace No way!"

"Indeed? Edht have known "Well, they are not " "Ah Well, then, Miss Spookie, perhaps I could trouble you to help et my hand back on, " said Sir Horace, who thinks I actually like putting rusty bits of ain Sir Horace’s hand was really badly dented I unwound the fingers from his sword and carefully put the sword on the floor I could see that his hand needed a lot of work to ot the s loose rivets back into the boiler and started straightening the crues of Sir Horace’s hand--which is, of course, just an eauntlet, really

The little finger was badly bent, but very carefully I tapped it all the way around to try and fix it As I gave it one last tap for luck I felt sorubby old ring tumbled out and rolled across the floor I picked it up "Here you are, Sir Horace, " I said "Here’s your ring " Sir Horace was not a bit pleased He sat down on the stairs and boomed "No! No, it is not possible Noooooh" I had never heard Sir Horace sound quite so upset--not even when he had ain his foot and Pusskins chased hi, " I said And it was, even though it was really bashed around and dirty I thought it was reen stone in the middle I really liked it "You may have that if you want it, Miss Spookie I aracious way I have ever been given an early birthday present, but since birthday presents were going to be a bit thin this year, I decided to accept it "Thank you, Sir Horace, " I said, and I put it in my pocket I decided I would wear it on et--apart from Uncle Drac’s I fixed Sir Horace’s hand back onto his suit of ar what had happened to it But Sir Horace was still not happy "Miss Spookie, " he said

"I aretfully, made a decision " This sounded serious Very carefully, Sir Horace stood up and rattled like he always does before he says so important "I have decided that if there is any ues I will have no alternative but to go and haunt elsewhere " I was shocked "Where?" I gasped "I have an invitation to a certain Catheter Cottage " "Catheter Cottage! But that is where Nurse Watkins lives You can’t go there!" "Indeed, Miss Spookie, I can Nurse Beryl Watkinsme hoell I would fit into a particular alcove in Catheter Cottage overlooking her garden

It sounded quite delightful " "But she doesn’t know you’re a ghost, Sir Horace She thinks you are just a suit of armor--like I did once She would have a ter rible shock if you turned up on her doorstep " "I am sure she would be very pleased, Miss Spookie, " said Sir Horace grumpily "And it would be peaceful there A well-ordered house with no nasty surprises " "And no nice surprises either, " I told him But Sir Horace bowed and said, "My mind is made up, Miss Spookie Any more trouble and I shall be off to a quiet alcove in Catheter Cottage " I watched hiht, he was an old ghost But he was a wonderful old ghost and I so didn’t want him to leave Spookie House

Sir Horace shuffled back to Uncle Drac’s cupboard, where he likes to hide when he is fed up He settled down to look at the pic tures of his old castle in the paper--again-- and I stood guard to make sure that Ned and Jed did not co to lose our nicest ghost