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and a large flower arrangement in a vase was sitting atop a table nearby. Sun
streamed through the open window, and sitting opposite her with his chair
against a bookshelf was the baby bear. It was the first time Jack had seen
him, and he was baby in name only. Medium-size and wearing baggy trousers and
a hoodie emblazoned with a flaming skull, he looked like any other teenager
you might find in Reading only with a lot more hair.
 She s very weak, said the bear with the stethoscope.  Try not to tire her
too much.
 Mrs. Bruin? inquired Vinnie softly.
Her eyes flickered open, and she stared weakly in their direction.
 This is Inspector Spratt, continued Vinnie.  He s friendly to bears, and he
needs to ask you a few questions.
She blinked twice and gave an almost imperceptible nod.
 I know about the fourth bear, began Jack.  I know that he was there in the
cottage the morning Goldilocks came around, and whatever you think about him,
you must know that he killed Goldilocks and attempted to have you and your
husband murdered to keep you quiet. You don t owe him a thing, and I need to
know who he is and where I can find him.
Ursula closed her eyes for a moment, and two tears welled up in her small
brown eyes. She looked at Jack, then raised a wobbly claw and pointed it&
atVinnie.
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 Oh, I get it now, said Jack, jumping to his feet.  All the time you pretend
to be on our side, but actually, while using the League of Ursidae as cover,
you 
But then he stopped, because Vinnie was pointing at Ursula. Her wavering claw
was no longer directed at Vinnie; she was pointing it across the room to& baby
bear.
 Oh, I get it now, said Jack, turning to face the youngest Bruin.  Adopted
when a cub, you grew resentful of your father s authority and 
 Jack, said Vinnie in a kindly tone,  calm down. I think you re suffering a
temporary excess of resolutions.
Jack took a deep breath to compose himself. Vinnie was right. And Ursula was
pointing not at baby bear but at the bookcase behind him.
 She means abook,  muttered Vinnie, running across to the bookshelf and
gathering up an armful of volumes, which he then proceeded to show to Ursula
one by one. By the time they d got to the third shelf, they d found what she
meant. It was the authorized biography of the Quangle-Wangle, and most
households in Reading had a copy.
Jack opened it to the first page and sat on the bed to show Ursula the list
of chapters. She indicated the appendix, Jack rapidly flicked to the back of
the book, and Ursula pointed to a popular ballad that described in broadly
lyrical terms the formation of the characters who came together to form the
Quang s business empire.
" The Quangle-Wangle s Hat ? asked Jack, and Ursula nodded. She then closed
her eyes and relaxed, her energy spent. Jack cleared his throat and read:
 On top of the Crumpetty tree, the Quangle-Wangle sat,
But his face you could not see, on account of his beaver hat.
For his hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
With ribbons and bibbons on every side,
And bells and buttons and loops and lace,
So no one could ever see the face
Of the Quangle-Wangle Quee.
 That doesn t make any sense at all, murmured Jack.
 Maybe it picks up further on, suggested Vinnie.
 But there came to the Crumpetty tree,
Mr. and Mrs. Canary,
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And they said,  Did ever you see
Any spot so charmingly airy?
May we build a nest on your lovely hat?
Mr. Quangle-Wangle, grant us that!
Oh, please let us come and build a nest
Of whatever material suits you best,
Mr. Quangle-Wangle Quee! "
 I suppose that must refer to Mr. and Mrs. Canary who now run the Quang s
hotel chain in the Far East, murmured Vinnie.  They were the first to join
the Quangle-Wangle. Who arrived after them?
 And the Golden Grouse came there,
And the Pobble who hast no toes,
And the Small Olympian Bear,
And the Dong with the Luminous Nose,
And the Blue Baboon who played the flute,
And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute,
And the Attery-Squash and the Bisky-Batt,
All came and built on the lovely hat of the Quangle 
Jack put the book down and looked up at Vinnie. " The Small Olympian Bear, "
he said in a quiet voice.  The SOB we can t trust that Ed warned us about. Who
is he?
Vinnie shook his head.  I d never thought he d do something like that, he [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]