Read Online Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods-3 by Suzanne Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Collins
Tags: Fiction, General, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Medical, Action & Adventure, History, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Epic, Brothers and sisters, Large Type Books, Animals, Siblings, Plague, Health & Daily Living, Diseases; Illnesses & Injuries, Civilization; Subterranean
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She simply pressed her lips together in distaste as she stared down at the menagerie of giant Underland creatures. "Tell me again, who's on whose side?"
Gregor shook his head. "It's kind of complicated. The main thing is that most of the humans and rats hate each other. The bats are tight with the humans. The cockroaches just wish everybody would leave them alone. But they love Boots. So, if she shows up, they show up. The prophecy says they need everybody here to find the cure."
Nike and Euripedes dropped them on the field and joined a group of four bats, including Queen Athena, who perched on short, squat stone cylinders.
Ripred and two other rats sat about ten yards away. All three seemed preoccupied with trying to comb some kind of yellow powder out of their coats with their claws.
"What's that in their fur?" his mom asked Vikus, eyeing the rats with revulsion.
"A powder to kill fleas. Just as a precaution. Their blood was clear of plague, but they all had fleas, and we cannot risk the insects entering the city," said Vikus.
Waiting patiently, a little off to one side, were a half-dozen roaches. The leader had a bent antenna.
"Temp!" Boots cried out. "I see Temp!" She wriggled out of Gregor's arms and ran for the roaches.
"Boots!" His mother started after her but Gregor caught her arm and urgently spoke in her ear in a hushed voice.
"No, Mom, don't! That's Temp! She wouldn't be alive without him! The roaches adore her. Don't mess it up!" said Gregor.
"Excuse me?" said his mother, raising her eyebrows.
"I mean, just be polite," said Gregor sheepishly. He never bossed his mom around that way at home. "Please."
His mother looked back at the roaches and hesitated. She flinched as Temp sat back on his hind legs, and Boots ran straight into his six-leg hug.
"Hi, you! Hi, Temp! You waked up!" she said.
"Temp waked up, Temp did," said the roach.
Boots stepped back and surveyed him curiously. Then she began to count his legs. "One
— two — three — four — five — six! All there!"
"Tike you, my new legs, like you?" said Temp.
"Ye-es! You give Boots a ride? We go for a ride now?" said Boots.
Temp dropped to his belly, and Boots climbed right up on his back and they took off running around the field.
"Come on and meet the roaches. They're nice," said Gregor.
His mother gave him a look like he was insane but allowed him to lead her over to the insects. Temp ran up with Boots.
"See? This is Mama!" said Boots, sliding off Temp and running over to swing on her mom's hand.
The roaches seemed rattled by the news. Gregor could hear them whispering to one another. "Be she the swatter, be she? Be she the swatter?" They all bowed low to the ground.
"Welcome, Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter," said Temp.
"What is it calling me?" Gregor's mom said to him.
"Um, I think he said 'Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter,'" said Gregor.
"What's that mean?" said his mom.
"That you're Boots's mom and...let's face it, Mom, you swat a lot of roaches," said Gregor.
"Well, I'm not planning to swat these giant things!" said his mom, scowling at him.
"Hey, I didn't make up the name!" said Gregor.
"All right, listen up, you roaches," said his mom.
The roaches all sank flatter on the ground, as if being swatted by his mom was inevitable.
"Yes, Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter," Temp could barely hiss out.
"From now on, you just call me Grace. Okay?" she said. Then she turned to the rest of the creatures in the arena. "Everybody here, just call me Grace!"
She took Boots's hand and stomped back across toward the bats, muttering, "Most Fearsome Swatter. Please."
While Vikus introduced his mother to the bats, Gregor crossed to Ripred. "Oh, look who's here! I guess your mommy let you come visit after all," said the rat.
"You better not have lied to me about how long we have to stay, Ripred," said Gregor under his breath. "You better not be
She simply pressed her lips together in distaste as she stared down at the menagerie of giant Underland creatures. "Tell me again, who's on whose side?"
Gregor shook his head. "It's kind of complicated. The main thing is that most of the humans and rats hate each other. The bats are tight with the humans. The cockroaches just wish everybody would leave them alone. But they love Boots. So, if she shows up, they show up. The prophecy says they need everybody here to find the cure."
Nike and Euripedes dropped them on the field and joined a group of four bats, including Queen Athena, who perched on short, squat stone cylinders.
Ripred and two other rats sat about ten yards away. All three seemed preoccupied with trying to comb some kind of yellow powder out of their coats with their claws.
"What's that in their fur?" his mom asked Vikus, eyeing the rats with revulsion.
"A powder to kill fleas. Just as a precaution. Their blood was clear of plague, but they all had fleas, and we cannot risk the insects entering the city," said Vikus.
Waiting patiently, a little off to one side, were a half-dozen roaches. The leader had a bent antenna.
"Temp!" Boots cried out. "I see Temp!" She wriggled out of Gregor's arms and ran for the roaches.
"Boots!" His mother started after her but Gregor caught her arm and urgently spoke in her ear in a hushed voice.
"No, Mom, don't! That's Temp! She wouldn't be alive without him! The roaches adore her. Don't mess it up!" said Gregor.
"Excuse me?" said his mother, raising her eyebrows.
"I mean, just be polite," said Gregor sheepishly. He never bossed his mom around that way at home. "Please."
His mother looked back at the roaches and hesitated. She flinched as Temp sat back on his hind legs, and Boots ran straight into his six-leg hug.
"Hi, you! Hi, Temp! You waked up!" she said.
"Temp waked up, Temp did," said the roach.
Boots stepped back and surveyed him curiously. Then she began to count his legs. "One
— two — three — four — five — six! All there!"
"Tike you, my new legs, like you?" said Temp.
"Ye-es! You give Boots a ride? We go for a ride now?" said Boots.
Temp dropped to his belly, and Boots climbed right up on his back and they took off running around the field.
"Come on and meet the roaches. They're nice," said Gregor.
His mother gave him a look like he was insane but allowed him to lead her over to the insects. Temp ran up with Boots.
"See? This is Mama!" said Boots, sliding off Temp and running over to swing on her mom's hand.
The roaches seemed rattled by the news. Gregor could hear them whispering to one another. "Be she the swatter, be she? Be she the swatter?" They all bowed low to the ground.
"Welcome, Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter," said Temp.
"What is it calling me?" Gregor's mom said to him.
"Um, I think he said 'Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter,'" said Gregor.
"What's that mean?" said his mom.
"That you're Boots's mom and...let's face it, Mom, you swat a lot of roaches," said Gregor.
"Well, I'm not planning to swat these giant things!" said his mom, scowling at him.
"Hey, I didn't make up the name!" said Gregor.
"All right, listen up, you roaches," said his mom.
The roaches all sank flatter on the ground, as if being swatted by his mom was inevitable.
"Yes, Maker of the Princess and Most Fearsome Swatter," Temp could barely hiss out.
"From now on, you just call me Grace. Okay?" she said. Then she turned to the rest of the creatures in the arena. "Everybody here, just call me Grace!"
She took Boots's hand and stomped back across toward the bats, muttering, "Most Fearsome Swatter. Please."
While Vikus introduced his mother to the bats, Gregor crossed to Ripred. "Oh, look who's here! I guess your mommy let you come visit after all," said the rat.
"You better not have lied to me about how long we have to stay, Ripred," said Gregor under his breath. "You better not be
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