Extraordinary Ernie & Marvellous Maud (4 page)

Vera pulled it from the hanger. ‘It should look good with a green cape, I think,’ she said. She flicked through several hangers before finding what she wanted. She handed both suit and cape to Ernie.

‘What about me? What about me?’ Maud was hopping from side to side in excitement.

Vera frowned at the racks of costumes. ‘I’m not sure we have anything in your size …’ she began.

But Desmond, seeing the disappointment on the sheep’s face, plucked something pink from a hanger. ‘Except this cape here,’ he said.

Maud brightened, and as Desmond fastened the cape around her woolly neck she positively glowed.

The first thing Ernie saw when he awoke the next morning was his green suit and cape. It was strange how just looking at it made him feel a bit extraordinary already.

He quickly dressed and bolted down his breakfast. This was one day he was definitely not going to be late!

Ernie arrived at the superheroes’ office on High Street just as Maud clip-clopped up the footpath from the opposite direction.

‘Morning, partner,’ she greeted him. She
looked nervous and excited. Ernie supposed that he looked the same. ‘You look super in your suit and cape.’

‘Hi, Maud,’ he said. ‘Thanks. Your cape looks very … dashing.’

The sheep beamed. ‘Well, here we go—our first day.’

Ernie opened the door.

The four superheroes were waiting for them. Valiant Vera looked at their costumes and—aside from a slight bagging at Ernie’s knees—declared them a good fit.

Super Whiz waved Ernie and Maud over to the table where Amazing Desmond was already seated. Housecat Woman was asleep in the same armchair she’d occupied the day before.

Super Whiz then gave them a long lecture on the topic of Mischief, Havoc and Chaos while Ernie did his best to look interested and Maud tutted intelligently. Amazing Desmond shifted restlessly in his seat. When Super Whiz started on the subject of Wrongdoing and Shenanigans, Desmond broke in.

‘What do you say we begin a spot of on the job training, Whiz?’ he suggested. ‘There’s nothing like a bit of hands-on experience.’

Super Whiz looked annoyed—whether at the interruption or at being called Whiz, Ernie couldn’t tell—but when he saw Valiant Vera bobbing her head in agreement he sighed and stood up.

‘Well, all right. I suppose they could do the Saturday patrol of the High Street shops. Saturday’s very busy,’ he explained to Ernie and Maud as they stepped out onto High Street, ‘with everyone bustling and rushing. Tempers can become frayed. Accidents can happen. You need to be alert and aware. If any dangerous situations arise, report back immediately.’

Ernie and Maud nodded obediently and set off.

The High Street shopping strip was a small
one, stretching just one block, which ran between the Baxter town hall at one end and the park at the other.

‘It’s strange,’ said Maud, as they walked purposefully down High Street, which was crowded with Saturday morning shoppers. ‘When I woke up this morning, the first thing I saw was my cape—and just seeing it made me feel quite marvellous.’

‘That’s exactly how I felt!’ exclaimed Ernie, surprised to find that the sheep’s thoughts were so like his own.

‘So what made you decide to become a superhero?’ asked Maud.

Ernie didn’t know quite how to put it into words. ‘I guess I just wanted to feel like I was special,’ he said at last.

‘I know just what you mean,’ said Maud. ‘I want to be more than just another sheep. Why even when I was a little lamb, I … Ernie? What’s wrong?’

Ernie had stopped dead in the middle of the footpath and was staring straight ahead. ‘There,’ he said.

‘What is it?’ asked Maud. ‘Wrongdoing? Shenanigans?’

‘No, not that,’ whispered Ernie urgently. ‘It’s Emma Plucker!’

‘Where?’ said Maud, craning her neck.

‘Coming towards us.’

‘Oh,’ said Maud loudly. ‘The red-haired girl?’

‘Shhh,’ hissed Ernie, for Emma Plucker was
only a few metres away and seemed to be about to speak. ‘Just follow my lead, okay?’

‘Ernie? Ernie Eggers? Is that you?’

‘Yeah, it’s me,’ said Ernie, blushing. ‘Hi, Emma.’

Emma Plucker had never spoken to him before, even though they’d been in the same class since kindergarten. Sometimes Ernie suspected he might be invisible. Perhaps that was his natural superpower?

‘Why are you dressed like that?’ Emma asked curiously. Clearly Ernie was quite visible in his fluorescent green suit.

‘Oh, I’m a trainee superhero.’

Maud was butting his knee. ‘Introduce me,’ she bleated.

‘Oh, right. And this is my sidekick, er… Fang,’ Ernie said. ‘Fang.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Your sheep is called Fang.’ It didn’t seem to be a question.

‘She’s not a sheep, she’s a sidekick. I mean, she
is
a sheep, but—she’s trained in karate.’

Maud scowled ferociously, and kicked out with her back leg.

‘Well,’ said Emma, ‘if I’m ever in trouble I’ll know who to call. See you, Ernie; nice to meet you, Fang.’ She waved a hand and strolled off down the street.

‘Right, er, bye, Emma,’ said Ernie.

‘Well,’ said Maud, as they watched Emma disappear into the distance, ‘she seems nice. Is she a friend of yours?’

‘Ohne,’ said Ernie, shocked. ‘She’s very popular.’

They continued their patrol of High Street, walking up one side of the street—chemist, bank, pet shop, laundromat, Superheroes Society, florist, takeaway—then crossing the road and walking back down the other side—hardware store, toyshop, fruit shop, milk bar, newsagency, bookshop, supermarket.

As the morning passed the sun grew hotter and hotter, and Ernie started to feel a bit prickly inside his tight suit.

‘I’m just going to stop at the milk bar for a bottle of water,’ he said. ‘Do you want anything, Maud?’

‘No thanks, Ernie. Oh, wait, yes—I’d love some grape flavoured bubblegum.’

‘Okay.’ Ernie entered the shop and immediately found his bottle of water, but he couldn’t find any grape bubblegum. ‘I’ll just be a minute,’ he said to the shopkeeper, putting the water on the counter.

He went to the door of the shop and called, ‘Maud! They’ve got strawberry and tutti-frutti, but no grape, so do you … Maud?’

She was gone.

Then Ernie heard a frantic bleating and saw Maud trotting around the corner of the supermarket as fast as her little legs could carry her—with a big black dog close behind!

‘Maud!’ cried Ernie, racing after them. ‘Hang on, Maud, I’m coming!’

He tore around the side of the supermarket
and saw that the dog had cornered Maud by the dumpsters lining the back wall of the building. The dog was growling fiercely, teeth bared.

Maud’s bleats had become whimpers and her eyes were wide with terror. Her cape hung limply to one side.

Slowing to a jog, Ernie looked desperately about him for some kind of weapon. His eyes fell on an abandoned shopping trolley. Perfect! Wheeling it in front of him he began to run, and when he had gathered enough speed he jumped onto the bar above the wheels.

‘Here I come, Maud!’ he bellowed.

The dog, startled, looked behind to see Ernie heading straight for him like a missile, his cape flying.

The dog fled, yelping in alarm, its tail between its legs.