The Mind Reading Chook (3 page)

Chapter 8

I buy the smallest bottle of Remember. The price is a shock. How come that perfume girl sprayed so much for free?

I hurry into the centre where the show is to be held. Shoppers are sitting waiting.

Behind the stage, Merlin still looks unhappy. I x- ray his mind. It's a murky mess.

‘Excuse me Merlin,' I say politely. ‘Would you look this way?'

I explain. He nods. I spray Remember.

Merlin sneezes and then smiles. ‘This smells like fun.'

It is a spray job. Once I've ‘neutralised' Merlin, I've solved that mystery.

The show goes well. The audience loves his act. They even like Flopsy. I just watch from the side. I don't perform. Today I'm a sleuth, not an actor.

Merlin laughs and jokes all afternoon.

‘Great show,' agrees everybody.

Merlin bows, laughs and smiles as widely as Luna Park.

I call at the henhouse on my way home, but I'm too late. They already know.

‘Heard you found Merlin's sense of humour,' says Clara the Clairvoyant. ‘I knew you would.'

‘Just a hard-boiled detective,' laughs Rooster. His mirror mind has pictures of himself with glossy feathers. ‘Any eggy ideas today?'

I just wish my mobile would ring so he'd think I'm busy. But it doesn't.

Inspector Clues, the French chick smiles. ‘Remember is a French perfume. You should have asked me to help.'

‘It's an after-shave,' I say quickly.

‘Same thing,' shrugs Clues.

‘They're taking Forget and Stop! off the market,' I say. ‘They need more testing.'

‘Should try farmyard perfumes, like Grain or Mush,' says Rooster.

For once, the hens agree.

That night, Ben my agent pays me with three e-games. So I play Just-Eggs until bedtime.

Next day, Ben rings again.

‘Carrot the Parrot's lost his voice,' says Ben.

But that's another story.