“Biffy attacked you,” Tess said as she watched her brother closely. “You cried non-stop for a day. You wouldn’t go to sleep until Dad promised to lock Biffy up in the basement. And even then you said you could hear him scratching at the door and rattling the doorknob with his paw all night. The next day, you made Dad throw Biffy away. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”
For a long moment, Mika just stared at her. Tess thought she saw his face flicker with a memory. But the next second, Mika threw back his head and roared with laughter.
“You’ve got a crazy imagination,” he said.
Tess crossed her arms over her chest. “Dad laughed at me yesterday too, and yet he’s never let us have any Hoggle toys in the house since Biffy.”
Mika waved a hand. “Only because Hoggle toys were expensive, Tess. And then the factory closed down anyway.”
Tess didn’t believe it. Surely the adults must realise that there was something wrong with the toys? Tess could still remember the terror in Mika’s scream when he’d run away from Biffy. And she could still remember the suspicious look on her mother’s face when she’d looked at the bear. It was as if, deep down, her mother knew that there was something not quite right about it.
“Anyway, I’ve got chores to do,” Mika said, interrupting Tess’s thoughts. “I can’t stand here listening to your teddy stories all day. I’ll see you later.”
Tess watched Mika go. She knew that she would have to work at the Hoggle’s Happy Toys factory. She knew there was no other way to save the farm and the cows that lived on it. But she also knew that she would have to be very, very careful. And watchful. And, most of all, she must make absolutely sure that she did not forget the danger one day, as other children like Mika seemed to do as they grew older.
CHAPTER 3Meeting Marmaduke J. Hoggle
The next day, Tess and her younger siblings walked to the toy factory. They found the gates wide open, like the factory was waiting for them. It was a creepy sight. The children felt a thrill of dread as they hesitated outside.
Tess could feel Oliver holding on to her coat. The six year old had always been a bit timid, and Tess had to make an effort not to get annoyed with him sometimes. Tess also had eight-year-old twins Niles and Stacy with her. The twins both wore glasses and had dark hair and freckles like Tess. Oliver’s hair, on the other hand, was as orange as a carrot and tended to stick up on end.
There had been unease at home before they’d left that morning. Tess’s mother hadn’t been very happy about them going. But if she’d said something, she’d be admitting that there was something wrong with the factory, that there was something sinister about the toys … and that was something no adult would ever do. Tess thought that perhaps that was what Mr Marmaduke J. Hoggle was counting on.
There was a sign at the front gates welcoming all job seekers and asking them to report to Mr Hoggle in the factory. The sign had been there for two days, but so far Tess hadn’t heard of the factory taking on a single employee. Tess guessed that any adults would have been turned away like her father was. And the other children in the town weren’t so desperate for money. But the Pipps kids had a farm to save.
Tess led the others across the deserted concrete yard, kicking aside the odd bit of stray rubbish as she went. They stopped outside the wooden front doors painted with manically grinning toys. The doors were covered in grime and the paint was beginning to peel away in flakes. Tess knocked, but the echoes faded fast and no one answered. She knocked again, more firmly this time.
“Let’s go back, Tess,” Oliver whispered, tugging at her coat. “I don’t like it here. Let’s go home—”
“Shut up, Oliver,” Tess said, and shook him off. “Do you want Mum and Dad to sell the farm?”
Oliver didn’t reply.
“Well? Does he want them to sell it?” a voice said from behind them.
The children screamed. Tess whipped round to face a tall man who was looking at the group with vague interest. He was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a purple top hat that made him seem even taller than he really was; one blue velvet glove and one orange; a white shirt and yellow bow tie beneath a too-big green coat; black trousers and green pointed shoes. Tess saw that his eyes were a pale blue and his hair was a light brown, from what she could see under the hat.
“Who are you?” Tess demanded.
“I’m the toy maker,” the tall man replied. “Who are you?”
“We’ve come to see Mr Hoggle about employment,” Tess told him.
“Are you all under twelve?” he asked.
“Yes, but—”
“You’re hired.”
“Are you Mr Marmaduke J. Hoggle?” Tess checked.
“Yes, I already told you, I’m the toy maker. Marmaduke Jaron Hoggle at your service.” He gave them a bow, then said, “You’d better come in. Then you can get right to work.”
The children parted to let him past to the door. Everyone held their breath as Hoggle put his velvet-gloved hand on the door handle and pulled it down.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, Hoggle tried it again. He then threw his body hard against the door, making the children jump, but still it didn’t open.
“Blast,” Hoggle muttered to himself. “Those wretched teddies have locked me out again.”
Tess felt three small pairs of hands clutch at her with fright.
“What was that you said?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level. “About the teddies?”
“Hmm? What?” said Hoggle. “Oh, nothing. Don’t
