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One of the cats e around his legs, it began to meow and paw at his pants As he tried to shoo it away, the other Sia on the bookshelf, and after sniffing around Dante’s chair, also began to claw at his pants

"Romulus! Remus! Behave yourselves," Headmistress Von Laark barked, and reluctantly the cats retreated behind her desk I gave Dante a questioning look, but he avoided ether outside, after dark by the lake How very romantic," she said with no hint of a smile "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"It was my fault," Dante and I blurted out at the exact same time

"I asked him to meet me so we could try to find Eleanor," I said, just as Dante said, "I asked her to meet me so we could join the search"

The headmistress pondered our situation for a , and since I can’t have you wandering the school grounds any on, and since I don’t want to let you out ofto have you alphabetize lass on her desk "Now"

There must have been hundreds of books, all out of order, some so old and tattered that it was difficult to read the words on the binding "I’ll find all of the A’s," Dante said "You work on the B’s" I nodded, and we set off while the head up at us every so often as orked The hutch with the filing cabinet was just a few steps away; the two cats walked around it, backs arched, as if reading ht I could cause a commotion, which would draw the headmistress out Then I could return and check the files It was a flawed plan, but it was a plan nonetheless

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I walked past Dante "Find the key while I’one"

He grabbedhis question, I turned to the headmistress, but before I could speak, there was a knock on the door

"Enter," the head open, and Mrs Lynch stepped inside, pulling Gideon DuPont by the arirls’ dorave her a cold, heartless glare filled with spite, which transformed into amusement when he rested his eyes on Dante How could Dante have ever been friends with such a hateful person, I wondered

The two cats sauntered toward Gideon and clawed at his pants Gideon didn’t seem to notice; his eyes were trained on Dante

"Have him wait outside," the headmistress said "And watch him" Mrs Lynch nodded, while Gideon kicked Ros as he backed out the door The headmistress tsk-tsked, but the cats didn’t respond Frustrated, she stood up and ain, but they were intent on Gideon "Close the door behind you, please," she called out to hihtest hint of anxiety "Don’t let them out" Gideon looked up and s the door ajar, and the cats followed, their tails disappearing into the hallway

Trying to hide her anger, the head and two tinyI’ll return shortly" And with that she was gone