The Amphiblets by Helen Oghenegweke Page A

on the brown horse’s nose. ‘But I won’t be here for long.’
    Peter said nothing apart from promising Will that they would go horse riding first thing tomorrow morning, but only if he wanted to.
    ‘Of course, I do!’ Will exclaimed, delighted. ‘I don’t know what to say, except – thank you! This has been one of the best days I’ve ever had.’
    The child couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come. His first day with Peter had been brilliant. When it was bedtime, Will was exhausted. Peter arrived to say goodnight.
    ‘Peter, why can’t I remember how I got here?’ said Will.
    ‘You must have been tired.’
    ‘No. I usually wake a hundred times at night but last night I didn’t wake once and this morning I had a headache and I never have headaches.’
    Peter shrugged. ‘I had no idea you were such a light sleeper. I’m surprised too that you never woke when I carried you to your room. I’m so pleased that you are here and sharing this lonely old house with me.’
    ‘I had a great day today. I only wish my brothers had been here too. I can’t wait to see them so I can tell them everything we’ve done. How long can I stay here for?’
    ‘For as long as you want,’ said Peter and then repeated quietly, ‘for as long as you like.’
    ‘Can I stay forever?’ whispered Will, smiling mischievously.
    ‘There is nothing that I would like better than for you to stay here with me,’ smiled Peter.
    Will went to sleep excited by the prospect of learning to ride and spending the day with Peter. It had been a brilliant day. If only his brothers were here with him…
     

14
The Outing
     
    By the time Peter had knocked three times on Will’s bedroom door, the following morning, the boy was already dressed.
    ‘Come in!’ shouted Will, who was perched on the edge of his bed, putting on his socks.
    Peter opened the door and strolled into the room. ‘Good morning, William. Did you sleep well?’
    ‘Yes, thanks. Did you?’
    Peter raised an eyebrow in surprise. ‘As a matter of fact, I did.’ He opened the curtains, allowing light into the room. ‘It’s another nice day.’
    ‘Cool!’ said Will, putting both feet down and glancing curiously at Peter. ‘Do you always wear sunglasses and gloves?’
    ‘No. I don’t wear them in the bath and I won’t when we go swimming later,’ said Peter, waiting for Will’s reaction. He wasn’t disappointed.
    ‘Swimming! I love swimming!’ said Will, excitedly; his entire face lit up.
    ‘I’m sure you do.’ Peter paused, and tapped his fingers, as if he were trying to find the right words. ‘Um… later, we must talk. I need to explain some things to you. I’ve been putting it off but it’s not fair to you. We’ll have a chance when we stop off at the lake.’
    ‘Are we going straightaway?’ asked Will eagerly, his eyes pleading. He was sure that whatever Peter had to say it could wait.
    ‘I need some breakfast, don’t you?’ asked Peter, amused.
    ‘No!’
    ‘You might be able to go without food, but I certainly can’t, and besides, we’ll be gone for ages so I’d like you to eat something too. Robert has kindly packed us a picnic for today so we won’t have to rush back.’
    ‘Cool!’ said Will. ‘I’m going to phone my brothers afterwards and tell them everything that I’ve done today. They’re going to be so jealous!’
    Peter’s expression was unreadable. He nodded slowly. ‘Going riding is a perfect way to get to know each other better. And in this heat it’ll be nice if we stop at Soapwater Lake, so you and I can both have a swim.’
    ‘Bet you can’t swim as fast as me!’ challenged Will, standing from his bed and leaving the room.
    ‘I bet I can,’ whispered Peter to himself.
    Downstairs, they found Robert in the kitchen, on his knees stroking Shanks, who was thoroughly enjoying all the attention. He was lying on his back and having his tummy tickled, grunting and snorting. His tongue flopped like a flat pink slug from the side of