Read Online Hunter Moran Saves the Universe by Patricia Reilly Giff - Free Book Online Page B

phone and click on the pictures. In the first, like the ape in Raw Nature , Friday morning, seven o’clock, I’m flying from the itchy ball tree toward St. Ursula’s roof.
    â€œWouldn’t William like to get his hands on that,” I say as Steadman slides in beside us.
    â€œWe could sell it to Sarah Yulefski,” Zack says. “She could hang it in her living room.”
    I shudder, thinking of Sarah, but we’re on to the next shot: Zack’s rear end as he climbs into the steeple.
    The third shot is hazy. It was taken from the open door of the firehouse, but it’s definitely Lester’s huge balloon—the one he blew into town with—all ready for Tinwitty Night.
    Zack gasps. This next picture may have captured the worst scene we’ve ever witnessed. Inside a window, Diglioleans over a body. Man or woman, who knows? There’s a look of terror on its face.
    It’s like a scene from Terror in a UFO , Friday night, nine-thirty.
    We have to do something fast.

Chapter 14
    Zack deletes the photos one by one; then we start down the street. Behind us, almost like a bomb going off, is an explosion of sound.
    Splat!
    I swivel around, ready to take cover.
    A water balloon has hit the sidewalk in front of us. William is hanging out his window.
    â€œYa, ya!” I yell. “Couldn’t hit the side of a barn.”
    Zack goes further. He holds up William’s cell phone. “You nearly drowned your cell phone,” he screeches.
    William’s face turns purple. He disappears from the window.
    â€œHe’s coming!” Steadman yells.
    Don’t we know it!
    Zack and I fly down the street, swinging Steadman between us, his feet barely touching the ground. We cross Murdock Avenue at a dead run, weaving around parked cars, looking over our shoulders.
    William runs like a cheetah. He’s half a block behind usas we cross the library lawn, hop over the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign, and open the double doors that lead inside.
    We slide to a stop when we see Mrs. Wu. No one fools around with her.
    â€œGood morning, boys,” she says.
    We bob our heads. “Looking for … ,” Zack says, and lets his voice trail off.
    Mrs. Wu nods and we tiptoe around the corner. It’s a great library with hidden zigzags from A to Z; we know them all.
    There’s just enough room for the three of us to squeeze into the S-T-U biographies. We sink down, leaning against the shelves, and look up at the picture of Lester Tinwitty.
    Lester has more hair on his face than a herd of buffalo.
    Outside the window is an excellent view of Vinny’s garbage and Dr. Diglio’s office.
    â€œStop breathing so loud,” Zack tells me.
    â€œIt’s not me.”
    â€œNot me, either.” Steadman pulls out a book, causing a massive collapse. The pile gathers speed as the books clunk off the shelf and onto our laps. One of them looks as if it’s falling apart: it’s the life story of Lester himself.
    But there’s really breathing; it comes from behind us, kind of a low snort. I can’t pay attention to that right now, though. We hear the library door open. William!
    â€œHey, Mrs. Wu,” he says. “Have you seen my brothers?”
    â€œI do not keep track of everyone in this neighborhood, William,” she says. “And your voice is twenty decibels too loud for the reading room.”
    Zack gives me a silent high five.
    Behind us there’s that sound. A sneeze? I just have time to think that someone in the stack behind us must have a cold before something explodes through the empty space and grabs my wrist.
    â€œYeow!”
    It’s Fred.
    Old Lady Campbell looks up from her book. “That dog will be the death of me,” she mutters.
    He may be the death of me first, I think.
    I pull myself free, and he goes after Steadman. Before I can do one thing to save Steadman, Fred dives on top of him and they both land on the floor.
    I can hardly