Eve White: Literary Agent

from MR GUM IN THE HOUND OF LAMONIC BIBBER

It was Martin Launderette who discovered Jonathan Ripples lying in the road the next morning, covered in fur, dribble and cheeseburger crumbs. ‘Martin?’ groaned Jonathan Ripples, holding his aching head. ‘What happened? And why are there three of you? And where’s Burger Boy?’ ‘I’ll tell you what happened!’ snorted Martin Launderette, as a crowd gathered to see what was going on. ‘The Hound came back, that’s what happened! And there he is now! He yelled, pointing to where Jake the dog was frolicking happily with a sparrow not twenty yards away. ‘HE’s the one that’s been terrorising Lamonic Bibber! – Jake, I mean, not the sparrow,’ he added. The townsfolk looked from the fur on Jonathan Ripples’ jumper to the fur on Jake’s back. They looked from the dribble on Jonathan Ripples’ leg to the drool slurping out of Jake’s mouth. Could it be true? Could Jake be behind the whole thing? ‘Look at his eyes,’ whispered Old Granny, taking a sip of sherry to calm her nerves. ‘They’re the eyes of an animal!’ ‘Sometimes good dogs turn naughty,’ whispered the little girl called Peter. ‘It’s true, I saw a documentary about it called Mummy, Why did Rover Eat Grandpa?’ ‘Is Jake really the dog in the fog and the smog?’ whispered Beany McLeany. ‘Of course he is!’ spat Martin Launderette. ‘It’s obvious!’ ‘No, it isn’t!’ cried Polly. ‘It isn’t obvious even slightly at all! Has you all got “OUT OF ORDER” signs on your brains?’ But no one paid Polly any heed. ‘Jake the dog is a criminal!’”