Read Online Island of Silence (Unwanteds) by Lisa McMann - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa McMann
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sent them running with fire ant spells.” She grinned.
“That’s excellent,” Alex said. “Nice work, Meg.”
“It wasn’t me,” she said modestly. “It was Cole.”
Samheed rolled his eyes and muttered, “He’s lucky he didn’t miss and hit Mr. A.”
Meghan went on as if she hadn’t heard Samheed. “The Wanteds were really furious. Mr. Appleblossom told us that he thinks we’ll see more fights.” She sighed and tossed what was left of her roll back onto her plate. “I thought this was all over. I don’t want to do this war thing anymore.”
Alex bit his lip. He didn’t want to tell her what Mr. Today had said about the probability of that’he knew Meghan was still struggling to make sense of her family situation and she didn’t need more stuff to worry about. His thoughts turned back to his meeting with Mr. Today and he wondered whom Mr. Today would choose to be the future leader.
It looked as if he might need help sooner than anyone expected.
Born to Spy
O kay, Mr. Broody Pants. Spill it,” Lani said to Alex as the four sat around a booth in the lounge one afternoon. Sean, who sometimes joined them for afternoon snacks, was nowhere to be found.
Samheed smirked. Meghan, swirling a mug of hot chocolate, tilted her head, puzzled.
“Spill what?” Alex looked crossly at her. “You always think you know things.”
Lani grinned. “Aha!” she said. “I do know things. I’d make a great spy. So what’s going on with you?” She slid toward him. “Tell us.”
“Yeah,” Meghan said. “I’ve been meaning to ask. What have you been talking to Mr. Today about? Is that what’s up?”
“Nothing’s up,” Alex said. “Stop bugging me.”
Samheed, watching all of this, crossed his arms over his chest and settled back in his seat as the girls stared Alex down. Alex flashed Samheed a helpless look, but Samheed just shrugged. “You’re on your own.”
Alex leaned back and let his head flop against the booth cushion. “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “Mr. Today wants to take a holiday and he needs somebody to . . . I don’t know. Sort of help Ms. Morning run the place, I guess.”
“Ooh, a holiday,” Meghan said dreamily. “Nobody ever does that! Where is there to go? I thought holidays were only in books.”
Lani’s lips parted in surprise. “So . . . he wants you?” she said softly.
“Well, he mentioned something like that, but I said no thanks.” Alex turned to Meghan. “He wants to go back to the island where he grew up.”
Samheed narrowed his eyes. “He wasn’t born here?”
“I guess not,” Alex said. He didn’t know how much Mr. Today would want him to say, so he remained vague.
“Why did you say no?” Lani’s eyes blazed.
Alex looked at her, surprised. “Because I’d be a terrible leader.”
“What?” Meghan exclaimed. “No you wouldn’t. Don’t be so thick.” She sat back on the seat. “Besides, this place practically runs itself by now, doesn’t it? And it’s just for a holiday. What’s that, a few weeks maybe?”
Alex scowled at the table and said nothing.
Lani stared at Alex. Meghan looked at Samheed and then back at Alex.
“Oh. So, not a few weeks,” Lani said. “Longer, then?”
Samheed leaned forward, elbows on the table. “All right, Stowe. What’s this really all about?”
Alex, feeling a headache coming on, pressed his fingers to his temples. “For some stupid reason, Mr. Today thought I would make a good future leader. A permanent one for after he . . . you know . . . gets too old. Like in ten years. So he wanted to start training me a bit at a time now so I can help Ms. Morning while he’s on his little holiday, and then slowly take over some other things because Ms. Morning doesn’t want the job permanently. But I said no, because I’d stink at it, so that’s that. Okay? Can we drop it?”
Samheed stared, mouth open.
Lani sat quiet, the corners of her lips twitching downward, eyes trained to a
“That’s excellent,” Alex said. “Nice work, Meg.”
“It wasn’t me,” she said modestly. “It was Cole.”
Samheed rolled his eyes and muttered, “He’s lucky he didn’t miss and hit Mr. A.”
Meghan went on as if she hadn’t heard Samheed. “The Wanteds were really furious. Mr. Appleblossom told us that he thinks we’ll see more fights.” She sighed and tossed what was left of her roll back onto her plate. “I thought this was all over. I don’t want to do this war thing anymore.”
Alex bit his lip. He didn’t want to tell her what Mr. Today had said about the probability of that’he knew Meghan was still struggling to make sense of her family situation and she didn’t need more stuff to worry about. His thoughts turned back to his meeting with Mr. Today and he wondered whom Mr. Today would choose to be the future leader.
It looked as if he might need help sooner than anyone expected.
Born to Spy
O kay, Mr. Broody Pants. Spill it,” Lani said to Alex as the four sat around a booth in the lounge one afternoon. Sean, who sometimes joined them for afternoon snacks, was nowhere to be found.
Samheed smirked. Meghan, swirling a mug of hot chocolate, tilted her head, puzzled.
“Spill what?” Alex looked crossly at her. “You always think you know things.”
Lani grinned. “Aha!” she said. “I do know things. I’d make a great spy. So what’s going on with you?” She slid toward him. “Tell us.”
“Yeah,” Meghan said. “I’ve been meaning to ask. What have you been talking to Mr. Today about? Is that what’s up?”
“Nothing’s up,” Alex said. “Stop bugging me.”
Samheed, watching all of this, crossed his arms over his chest and settled back in his seat as the girls stared Alex down. Alex flashed Samheed a helpless look, but Samheed just shrugged. “You’re on your own.”
Alex leaned back and let his head flop against the booth cushion. “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “Mr. Today wants to take a holiday and he needs somebody to . . . I don’t know. Sort of help Ms. Morning run the place, I guess.”
“Ooh, a holiday,” Meghan said dreamily. “Nobody ever does that! Where is there to go? I thought holidays were only in books.”
Lani’s lips parted in surprise. “So . . . he wants you?” she said softly.
“Well, he mentioned something like that, but I said no thanks.” Alex turned to Meghan. “He wants to go back to the island where he grew up.”
Samheed narrowed his eyes. “He wasn’t born here?”
“I guess not,” Alex said. He didn’t know how much Mr. Today would want him to say, so he remained vague.
“Why did you say no?” Lani’s eyes blazed.
Alex looked at her, surprised. “Because I’d be a terrible leader.”
“What?” Meghan exclaimed. “No you wouldn’t. Don’t be so thick.” She sat back on the seat. “Besides, this place practically runs itself by now, doesn’t it? And it’s just for a holiday. What’s that, a few weeks maybe?”
Alex scowled at the table and said nothing.
Lani stared at Alex. Meghan looked at Samheed and then back at Alex.
“Oh. So, not a few weeks,” Lani said. “Longer, then?”
Samheed leaned forward, elbows on the table. “All right, Stowe. What’s this really all about?”
Alex, feeling a headache coming on, pressed his fingers to his temples. “For some stupid reason, Mr. Today thought I would make a good future leader. A permanent one for after he . . . you know . . . gets too old. Like in ten years. So he wanted to start training me a bit at a time now so I can help Ms. Morning while he’s on his little holiday, and then slowly take over some other things because Ms. Morning doesn’t want the job permanently. But I said no, because I’d stink at it, so that’s that. Okay? Can we drop it?”
Samheed stared, mouth open.
Lani sat quiet, the corners of her lips twitching downward, eyes trained to a
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