Read Online Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane - 2 by Suzanne Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Collins
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Animals, Siblings, Friendship, Missing Persons, Imaginary wars and battles, Quests (Expeditions), Prophecies
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"The boy's sister is located on the third level of a large circular structure in a room with eight other pups and two grown ones. She's just eaten cake and milk. She's cutting a new tooth. Her catch cloth is wet, and her shirt is pink,"
Twitchtip spat out. Then she crammed her nose back in the moss.
Solovet's eyebrows shot up. "She is a scent seer?"
"Yes, her sense of smell is so unnaturally heightened she can even detect color. She is one in a million. An anomaly. A fluke. A pariah because her own species finds her gift so disquieting. But very, very useful, I think, to you, my dear Solovet," said Ripred.
"She is not a bad fighter, either. If she has survived alone in the Dead Land." For the first time, Solovet smiled. "Can you stay to dine, Ripred?"
"I can be persuaded," said Ripred. "Have them make the thing with the shrimp, won't you? And no skimping on the cream."
"No skimping on the cream," agreed Solovet.
"And give Twitchtip plenty of food, but make it bland. Handle it as little as possible.
Your scent is repulsive to her," said Ripred. Solovet gave orders for Twitchtip to be taken to a remote cave outside Regalia, where the city's smells wouldn't be so torturous to her.
Before they left, Solovet turned to Gregor. "I have not had time to welcome you properly, Gregor. I hear you made quite a stir at training today."
"I guess," said Gregor.
"He hit the total," Solovet said to Ripred.
"Did he?" Ripred said, surveying him with interest. Suddenly Ripred's tail came up out of nowhere and sliced at Gregor. To Gregor's surprise, he found the rat's tail clenched in his hand.
He had reflexively blocked it inches from his face.
"Well, you can't teach that," Ripred said, slipping his tail out of Gregor's grasp.
Ripred went off to the palace with Solovet through some secret passage to avoid causing a panic in the city.
Ares flew Gregor back to the palace. Guards greeted him at the High Hall and, after a moment of discomfort, they greeted Ares as well. Maybe Aurora was right. Maybe things would be better for the bat now that he was bonded to someone who could hit a lot of blood balls.
In the bath, he scrubbed and scrubbed at the fake blood, but it still left a stain on his skin.
He finally gave up, hoping it would wear off before he went back to school — after the white rat was dead or whatever.
He went to get Boots from the nursery and was happy to see Dulcet, the really nice nanny who had cared for the toddler the first trip down. "How's she been doing?"
"Oh, Boots has had a very good day. I think it has been somewhat trying for Temp, though," said Dulcet, nodding toward a corner.
For the first time, Gregor spotted the giant cockroach. He was being decked out in dress-up clothes by a group of little kids. Each of his insect legs wore a different kind of shoe.
His head poked out of a long purple gown that bunched up around his neck. Pink ribbons festooned his drooping antennas. Boots plunked a fuzzy hat on his head, and the kids all jumped up and down, squealing in delight.
"Temp have hat! Temp have hat!" she beamed at Gregor as he came to get her.
"Ohhh," Temp said mournfully. "Ohhh."
"He sure does," said Gregor. "He looks real good, too. But now it's time for dinner, Boots." He knelt down and whispered to Temp, "Don't worry, buddy. I'll get you out of here."
Trying not to laugh, he began to untangle the poor insect from the clothes. He'd been the object of Boots's dress-up games often enough to feel sympathetic. This had probably been going on for hours.
Unhappily, dinner turned out to be a reunion of sorts for those who had gone on "The Prophecy of Gray" quest — those who had survived it, anyway. Of the eight who had lived to tell the tale, only Gregor's dad was absent. Gregor, Boots, Luxa, Aurora, Ares, Temp, and Ripred were all there, with Solovet and Vikus presiding over the table. Maybe Vikus had thought this would give them some kind of comfort, but if the memories it
Twitchtip spat out. Then she crammed her nose back in the moss.
Solovet's eyebrows shot up. "She is a scent seer?"
"Yes, her sense of smell is so unnaturally heightened she can even detect color. She is one in a million. An anomaly. A fluke. A pariah because her own species finds her gift so disquieting. But very, very useful, I think, to you, my dear Solovet," said Ripred.
"She is not a bad fighter, either. If she has survived alone in the Dead Land." For the first time, Solovet smiled. "Can you stay to dine, Ripred?"
"I can be persuaded," said Ripred. "Have them make the thing with the shrimp, won't you? And no skimping on the cream."
"No skimping on the cream," agreed Solovet.
"And give Twitchtip plenty of food, but make it bland. Handle it as little as possible.
Your scent is repulsive to her," said Ripred. Solovet gave orders for Twitchtip to be taken to a remote cave outside Regalia, where the city's smells wouldn't be so torturous to her.
Before they left, Solovet turned to Gregor. "I have not had time to welcome you properly, Gregor. I hear you made quite a stir at training today."
"I guess," said Gregor.
"He hit the total," Solovet said to Ripred.
"Did he?" Ripred said, surveying him with interest. Suddenly Ripred's tail came up out of nowhere and sliced at Gregor. To Gregor's surprise, he found the rat's tail clenched in his hand.
He had reflexively blocked it inches from his face.
"Well, you can't teach that," Ripred said, slipping his tail out of Gregor's grasp.
Ripred went off to the palace with Solovet through some secret passage to avoid causing a panic in the city.
Ares flew Gregor back to the palace. Guards greeted him at the High Hall and, after a moment of discomfort, they greeted Ares as well. Maybe Aurora was right. Maybe things would be better for the bat now that he was bonded to someone who could hit a lot of blood balls.
In the bath, he scrubbed and scrubbed at the fake blood, but it still left a stain on his skin.
He finally gave up, hoping it would wear off before he went back to school — after the white rat was dead or whatever.
He went to get Boots from the nursery and was happy to see Dulcet, the really nice nanny who had cared for the toddler the first trip down. "How's she been doing?"
"Oh, Boots has had a very good day. I think it has been somewhat trying for Temp, though," said Dulcet, nodding toward a corner.
For the first time, Gregor spotted the giant cockroach. He was being decked out in dress-up clothes by a group of little kids. Each of his insect legs wore a different kind of shoe.
His head poked out of a long purple gown that bunched up around his neck. Pink ribbons festooned his drooping antennas. Boots plunked a fuzzy hat on his head, and the kids all jumped up and down, squealing in delight.
"Temp have hat! Temp have hat!" she beamed at Gregor as he came to get her.
"Ohhh," Temp said mournfully. "Ohhh."
"He sure does," said Gregor. "He looks real good, too. But now it's time for dinner, Boots." He knelt down and whispered to Temp, "Don't worry, buddy. I'll get you out of here."
Trying not to laugh, he began to untangle the poor insect from the clothes. He'd been the object of Boots's dress-up games often enough to feel sympathetic. This had probably been going on for hours.
Unhappily, dinner turned out to be a reunion of sorts for those who had gone on "The Prophecy of Gray" quest — those who had survived it, anyway. Of the eight who had lived to tell the tale, only Gregor's dad was absent. Gregor, Boots, Luxa, Aurora, Ares, Temp, and Ripred were all there, with Solovet and Vikus presiding over the table. Maybe Vikus had thought this would give them some kind of comfort, but if the memories it
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