Cows in Action 2: The Moo-my’s Curse

Genius cow Professor McMoo and his trusty sidekicks, Pat and Bo, are star agents of the C.I.A. – short for COWS IN ACTION! They travel through time, fighting evil bulls from the future and keeping history on the right track . . .

In ANCIENT EGYPT, a monstrous moo-my has come to life and kicked the PHARAOH off his throne. Sent to investigate, the C.I.A agents face PERIL in the pyramids and nightmares on the Nile. Can they foil a TERRIFYING time-crime before the whole WORLD falls to the moo-my’s curse?

About the Author

Born in 1971, Steve Cole spent a happy childhood in rural Bedfordshire being loud and aspiring to amuse. He liked books, and so went to the University of East Anglia to read more of them. Later on he started writing them too, with titles ranging from pre-school poetry to Young Adult thrillers (with more TV and film tie-ins than he cares to admit to along the way). In other careers he has been the editor of Noddy magazine, and an editor of fiction and nonfiction book titles for various publishers. He is the author of the hugely successful Astrosaurs, Cows in Action, Astrosaurs Academy and Slime Squad series.

Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company

Text copyright © Steve Cole, 2007
Cover illustration © Andy Parker, 2007
Interior illustrations copyright © Woody Fox, 2007

The right of Steve Cole to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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THE C.I.A. FILES

In the year 2550, after thousands of years of being eaten and milked, cows finally live as equals with humans in their own country of Luckyburger. But a group of evil war-loving bulls – the Fed-up Bull Institute – is not satisfied.

Using time machines and deadly ter-moo-nator agents, the F.B.I. is trying to change Earth’s history. These bulls plan to enslave all humans and put savage cows in charge of the planet. Their actions threaten to plunge all cowkind into cruel and cowardly chaos . . .

However, the best agents come not from 2550 – but from the past. From a time in the early 21st century, when the first clever cows began to appear. A time when a brainy bull named Angus McMoo invented the first time machine, little realizing he would soon become the F.B.I.’s number one enemy . . .

COWS OF COURAGE – TOP SECRET FILES

PROFESSOR ANGUS MCMOO

Security rating: Bravo Moo Zero

Stand-out features: Large white squares on coat, outstanding horns

Character: Scatterbrained, inventive, plucky and keen

Likes: Hot tea, history books, gadgets

Hates: Injustice, suffering, poor-quality tea bags

Ambition: To invent the electric sundial

LITTLE BO VINE

Security rating: For your cow pies only

Stand-out features: Luminous udder (colour varies)

Character: Tough, cheeky, ready-for-anything rebel

Likes: Fashion, chewing gum, self-defence classes

Hates: Bessie Barmer, the farmer’s wife

Ambition: To run her own martial arts club for farmyard animals

PAT VINE

Security rating: Licence to fill (stomach with grass)

Stand-out features: Zigzags on coat

Character: Brave, loyal and practical

Likes: Solving problems, anything Professor McMoo does

Hates: Flies not easily swished by his tail

Ambition: To find a five-leaf clover – and to survive his dangerous missions!

Chapter One

A MOO MISSION

Pat Vine was talking to a rubbish skip. “Hurry up, Professor!” the young bullock hissed, checking the field was still deserted. “We could be spotted at any moment!”

“Yeah, get moo-ving, Prof!” added his older sister, a cow called Little Bo Vine.

A pair of hooves emerged from the skip. “Hang on!” came a muffled voice. “I’m sure that cable I need is in here somewhere . . .”

Both the voice and the hooves belonged to Professor Angus McMoo – a brilliantly brainy bull. Like Pat and Bo, he belonged to a rare breed of clever cattle called the Emmsy Squares. The skip, on the other hand, belonged to a brilliant scientist who lived in the house next door. He chucked away all sorts of hi-tech stuff that came in very handy for the amazing project Professor McMoo was working on . . .

Pat looked about nervously. “If Bessie Barmer finds we’ve got out of our field again, she’ll blow her top at us!”

“If she does, I’ll blow my bottom at her!” Little Bo declared. She was a feisty cow, who liked fights and dyeing her udder outrageous colours. Today she had dyed it bright blue, and she was thinking about adding pink polka dots.

Like McMoo, Pat and Bo lived on a quiet organic farm. Old Farmer Barmer was nice enough, but his wife, Bessie, was horrid. She hated all the animals and couldn’t wait to send them off to the butcher’s. Which was why Professor McMoo had started raiding the scientist’s rubbish for bits of techno-junk in the first place. Using only his incredible mind, a billion bits and pieces and a lifelong love of history, he had designed and built a super-special, super-secret invention that could take them away from the farm for ever . . .

He had turned his cow shed into a time machine!

“Got it!” cried McMoo. His big brown head popped up from the skip, eyes agleam and with a thick red wire tangled around his horns. “This special cable should allow us to travel faster than ever.”

Pat gulped. “Better start travelling right now – here comes Bessie Barmer!”

“Oi! You cows!” The farmer’s wife came charging towards them. Bessie was as big as a barn door, with a face like a bulldog licking cold porridge off a thistle. “I’ve warned you before about going through the bins!”

Little Bo raised her hooves. “Shall I sort her out with a kung-moo chop, Professor?”

“If you try that, she’ll turn you into a chop!” said Pat, rolling his eyes. “Fighting isn’t the answer to everything, you know.”

“It is,” said Bo.

Pat scowled. “Oh yeah? What’s two plus two, then?”

“Fighting,” said Bo, and cuffed him round the horn. “Wanna ask me what’s three plus three?”

not

Also by Steve Cole:

[ASTROSAURS]

[ASTROSAURS ACADEMY]

[COWS IN ACTION]

[SLIME SQUAD]

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