Should I try to fight the goons? Or should I just curl into a ball and hide?
I hugged my arms and fought for control. The clowns seemed huge and hideous, bulging with jolly menace. I bit my lip and forced myself to look at them without bawling like a baby.
The iguanas were stretching the boa like a
fourteen-foot rubber band. Nose Ring dug in his heels and pulled the tail for all he was worth, while his partner kept tugging at the bulge.
Soon they'd have the egg.
For my sister, for my school, I had to stop them. Painfully, with all my limbs shaking, I stood up straight.
"Hgh! Khaugh!" choked Bal Boa, eyes popping.
Squinchy Eye worked the egg closer and closer to the snake's mouth. And then, just behind the jaws, it stuck fast.
"Pull!" cried Nose Ring.
Knees knocking louder than a pushy door-to-door salesman, I took a step toward them.
"I'm pulling," said Squinchy Eye.
"Phugh hghagha!" choked the snake.
"Oy fink 'e said,
Pull 'arder
;" said Nose Ring.
Sweat popped on my forehead. I managed another step, and another.
Squinchy Eye took a fresh grip and braced himself. "All right, mate, big jerk on three. One ... two ... three!"
The iguanas leaned in opposite directions, andâ
thoom!
âthe Flubberjee Egg flew from the boa's jaws, bounced off Squinchy Eye's forehead, and sailed straight toward me.
Though my brain still felt frozen, instinct took
over. My tongue zipped out, wrapped around the egg, and reeled it in.
Unfortunately, I hadn't realized how heavy it was.
Whump!
The Flubherjee Egg hit the floor, bruising my poor tongue in the process.
Pain is a good waker-upper. I reeled in my stinger, jumped forward, and snatched up the treasure in my arms.
"Get it!" cried the boa.
The iguanas closed in. I dodged and ducked under their grabs.
"Block the door!" grunted Squinchy Eye to his fellow clown. Nose Ring trotted back to the entrance.
I tried to squeeze out under the tent wall, but it was nailed down. Squinchy Eye snatched at me again. I spun away.
The boa was scaling the tent frame, cutting off another getaway route. (Not that I could climb the walls with the bulky egg in my arms.)
How could I escape?
"It's no use, Gecko," said Squinchy Eye. "Cry uncle!"
I raced through the tent, darting between the displays. Squinchy Eye popped up behind the pyramids and sent me doubling back, and thenâ
Floomp!
The sky fell on me.
I hit the floor, with the treasure beneath me.
The great weight pinning me down turned out to be the back half of Balthazar Boa, which was quickly encircling my legs.
"Hey!" I cried, kicking.
No use. The coils wound higher.
I lurched upright, arms clutching the Flubberjee Egg.
The boa's face dropped in front of me. "Give it," he said. "It'sss mine."
"Never!" I blustered.
Things were starting to look as bleak as a week without water in the Kalahari Desert. Just then, the tent door opened, letting in a blast of afternoon sunlight.
The iguanas froze.
Was it the cops?
"
There
you are!" cried Shirley Chameleon.
"Shirley, help!" I said. "We can't let him get theâ"
"I was so worried," she said. Emotions chased across her face like the monkey after the weasel. "And here I thought you were sick."
"I was, but then Iâ"
Shirley's eyes blazed. She brushed Nose Ring aside and stalked toward me. "Of all the rude, inconsiderate, two-facedâ"
"Huh?"
"You agree to be my date, and then you
disappear?
I don't think so!" Shirley stood before me, hands on hips.
"But I was trying to,
ugh,
" I said as the snake squeezed my belly.
"
I don't care!
" yelled Shirley. "I'm so mad at you. See if I ever speak to you again!" She turned away.
"Wait!" I cried, struggling to catch a breath. "Call,
ugh,
Mr. Zero. Tell him the,
ugh,
thief isâ"
"Typical!" said Shirley. "Always wrapped up in your stupid detective games, and no time for relationships."
"Butâ" I gasped.
She flounced toward the exit. "You can do your own errands, Mr. PI Gecko. I wash my hands of you!"
The
I hugged my arms and fought for control. The clowns seemed huge and hideous, bulging with jolly menace. I bit my lip and forced myself to look at them without bawling like a baby.
The iguanas were stretching the boa like a
fourteen-foot rubber band. Nose Ring dug in his heels and pulled the tail for all he was worth, while his partner kept tugging at the bulge.
Soon they'd have the egg.
For my sister, for my school, I had to stop them. Painfully, with all my limbs shaking, I stood up straight.
"Hgh! Khaugh!" choked Bal Boa, eyes popping.
Squinchy Eye worked the egg closer and closer to the snake's mouth. And then, just behind the jaws, it stuck fast.
"Pull!" cried Nose Ring.
Knees knocking louder than a pushy door-to-door salesman, I took a step toward them.
"I'm pulling," said Squinchy Eye.
"Phugh hghagha!" choked the snake.
"Oy fink 'e said,
Pull 'arder
;" said Nose Ring.
Sweat popped on my forehead. I managed another step, and another.
Squinchy Eye took a fresh grip and braced himself. "All right, mate, big jerk on three. One ... two ... three!"
The iguanas leaned in opposite directions, andâ
thoom!
âthe Flubberjee Egg flew from the boa's jaws, bounced off Squinchy Eye's forehead, and sailed straight toward me.
Though my brain still felt frozen, instinct took
over. My tongue zipped out, wrapped around the egg, and reeled it in.
Unfortunately, I hadn't realized how heavy it was.
Whump!
The Flubherjee Egg hit the floor, bruising my poor tongue in the process.
Pain is a good waker-upper. I reeled in my stinger, jumped forward, and snatched up the treasure in my arms.
"Get it!" cried the boa.
The iguanas closed in. I dodged and ducked under their grabs.
"Block the door!" grunted Squinchy Eye to his fellow clown. Nose Ring trotted back to the entrance.
I tried to squeeze out under the tent wall, but it was nailed down. Squinchy Eye snatched at me again. I spun away.
The boa was scaling the tent frame, cutting off another getaway route. (Not that I could climb the walls with the bulky egg in my arms.)
How could I escape?
"It's no use, Gecko," said Squinchy Eye. "Cry uncle!"
I raced through the tent, darting between the displays. Squinchy Eye popped up behind the pyramids and sent me doubling back, and thenâ
Floomp!
The sky fell on me.
I hit the floor, with the treasure beneath me.
The great weight pinning me down turned out to be the back half of Balthazar Boa, which was quickly encircling my legs.
"Hey!" I cried, kicking.
No use. The coils wound higher.
I lurched upright, arms clutching the Flubberjee Egg.
The boa's face dropped in front of me. "Give it," he said. "It'sss mine."
"Never!" I blustered.
Things were starting to look as bleak as a week without water in the Kalahari Desert. Just then, the tent door opened, letting in a blast of afternoon sunlight.
The iguanas froze.
Was it the cops?
"
There
you are!" cried Shirley Chameleon.
"Shirley, help!" I said. "We can't let him get theâ"
"I was so worried," she said. Emotions chased across her face like the monkey after the weasel. "And here I thought you were sick."
"I was, but then Iâ"
Shirley's eyes blazed. She brushed Nose Ring aside and stalked toward me. "Of all the rude, inconsiderate, two-facedâ"
"Huh?"
"You agree to be my date, and then you
disappear?
I don't think so!" Shirley stood before me, hands on hips.
"But I was trying to,
ugh,
" I said as the snake squeezed my belly.
"
I don't care!
" yelled Shirley. "I'm so mad at you. See if I ever speak to you again!" She turned away.
"Wait!" I cried, struggling to catch a breath. "Call,
ugh,
Mr. Zero. Tell him the,
ugh,
thief isâ"
"Typical!" said Shirley. "Always wrapped up in your stupid detective games, and no time for relationships."
"Butâ" I gasped.
She flounced toward the exit. "You can do your own errands, Mr. PI Gecko. I wash my hands of you!"
The
Similar Books
