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talk or we’ll make you into a vegie-dog.’
    â€˜A hot one too, hey, Willy,’ Billy squealed. ‘Yeah, he’s going to be a
hot
dog. Get it, Willy?’ ‘That was funny, Billy.’
    â€˜They’re going to kill me!’ Selby thought. ‘That machine’s going to crunch me into sausage meat! No, no!’
    Willy and Billy held Selby over the speeding conveyor belt.
    â€˜You talk now!’ Willy screamed. ‘I’m going to count to ten and then we’re going to drop you. One, two, three … what comes after three, Billy?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Sixteen?’
    â€˜No, it’s not sixteen, dummy. It’s eight,’ Willy said. ‘One two eight seven. What comes after seven?’
    â€˜One.’
    â€˜No, it doesn’t, you stupid-head! I already said one!’
    â€˜Don’t you call me a stupid-head, you stinky!’
    Willy let go of Selby with one hand and punched Billy. Billy let go with one of his hands and punched him back. Everything would have been okay except that Selby suddenly slipped down towards the conveyor belt.
    â€˜Stop fighting, you idiots!’ he groaned. ‘Grab me!’
    â€˜He talked! He talked!’ Billy cried.
    â€˜I told you so,’ Willy said. ‘Now let’s make him into a
hot
dog. Drop him, Billy!’
    â€˜No, don’t!’ Selby cried. ‘I did what you wanted and now you have to get me off.’
    â€˜Oh, no we don’t,’ Willy said. ‘Hold him there, Billy!’
    â€˜No, stop, I’ll count to ten for you,’ Selby said. ‘Here we go now: one two three four five,’ Selby said, making his voice go softer and softer. ‘Six …’
    â€˜I can’t hear you,’ Billy said.
    â€˜I said, six,’ Selby whispered, ‘seven eight nine and …’
    By now the boy’s ears were very close to Selby’s mouth.
    â€˜What? What’s next?’ Willy said. ‘Come on, doggie!’
    Suddenly Selby screamed at the top of his lungs, ‘TEN!’
    Willy and Billy let go of Selby and grabbed their ears.
    â€˜That hurt!’ Willy bawled.
    Selby bounced on the conveyor belt and quickly hopped down to the ground, taking off across the yard.
    â€˜Get him, Billy!’ Willy screamed.
    The boys took off and chased Selby round and round and round the VDM but Selby always managed to stay on the opposite side. And when they changed direction, he changed too.
    â€˜I know,’ Billy whispered to Willy. ‘You go that way and I’ll go this way.’ ‘Right!’
    â€˜Uh-oh,’ Selby thought. ‘What am I going to do? Where can I hide?’
    Willy and Billy raced around the machine from opposite directions and crashed into each other at the back.
    â€˜Where is he? Where’d he go?’ Willy squealed.
    Suddenly there was the sound of spraying water followed by a terrible
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
from inside the machine.
    â€˜He went in the machine, Willy!’ Billy said.
    â€˜I know,’ Willy said. ‘We got him! We got him!’
    Willy and Billy raced around to the other end of the VDM.
    â€˜I think he’s going to be one of those sausage dogs, Billy,’ Willy said.
    â€˜Hey, that’s not funny, Willy. We’re in big trouble. We grinded him up. And it’s all your fault!’
    â€˜It’s not my fault, Billy, it’s your fault!’
    Just then some very strange smelling sausages came out of the machine. Willy and Billy each picked one up in their fingers.
    â€˜I think I’m sorry,’ Willy said looking at the sausage.
    â€˜Are you sorry we deaded the doggie, Willy?’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜I’m sorry too, Willy. I want to talk to him again.’
    â€˜You can’t talk to him now, Billy.’
    â€˜Why not?’
    â€˜Cause he’s a lot of sausages, that’s why.’
    The boys looked at the pile of sausages on the ground and