"Peter! Peter, where are you?" shouted Janet, racing up the stairs.
"Here ... in my room," called Peter, appearing at his door and looking very cross. "I'm tidying it up. Dad looked in this morning, and wanted to know if I liked living in a pigsty! He said the pigs were tidier than I am!"
"Well ... he was about right," said Janet, looking round the room. "Do you ever pick anything up when you drop it? Goodness, what's this mess on the carpet ... something stuck to it?"
"Oh ... so that's where my nougat went!" said Peter, scraping a sticky mess off the carpet. "Good thing Dad didn't tread on that ... it would have stuck to his shoe for ages!"
Janet gave a delighted chuckle. "You really are dreadfully untidy, Peter," she said. "I suppose I'd better tidy up your room for you before Daddy comes back again."
"What did you want me for?" asked Peter, still scraping. "Ooh ... it's horrid, this. What a waste of a nice bar of nougat."
"Listen, Peter ... a note came through the letter-box just now. It's addressed to 'Peter, Head of the Secret Seven'. So it's for you. Who is it from, do you suppose?"
"Oh, one of the others wants something, I expect. Maybe a meeting of the Seven for some reason," said Peter, tearing open the envelope. "Yes ... it's from Jack. Listen. He says:
" 'Dear Peter, Will you call a meeting? I have had a strange request for help from Bob Smith. He's in our form at school, you know. He didn't say much except that he needs our help badly. He's pretty upset. Perhaps the Secret Seven can help him ... he's a decent little fellow. Anyway ... isn't it about time we met again, before we all for get we're the Secret Seven? Jack.' "
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"Oh dear!" said Janet. "He sounds rather high and mighty, doesn't he? I suppose you ought to call the meetings more often, Peter. They're great fun."
"Well, after all, so many of us go away during the summer holidays, it's hardly worth holding meetings then," said Peter, rather red in the face. "I wonder what's up with Bob Smith ... and why he wants our help."
"We've only got a week or so before the autumn term begins," said Janet. "You'll have to be quick about the meeting if we want to get all the members there."
"Right," said Peter. "I'll scribble three notices of our next meeting, and you scribble two, Janet."
So up they went to the playroom, and when Mother looked in to see why in the world they were both so quiet, she found them busily writing out the notes. She looked over Peter's shoulder, and read what he had written.
' Please come to a meeting in the shed at half past two this afternoon. No one admitted without the password. We have to discuss something important. Bob Smith will be at the meeting. I shall ask him five minutes later than anyone else, in case he overhears the password. Wear your badge else you won't be allowed in. Peter'
