help bears when they first get to Bearhaven. Those are the flags. They’re always up there.” Spencer looked up at the flags he’d only barely made out last night, waving over Bearhaven in the darkness. One of the flags was tattered, a dirty green and gold, and looked old. The other flag was black, with the image of a crown resting on an upraised bear claw in shining silver. Kate motioned to another stone building on the square. “That building’s called the meetinghouse, but I don’t know why. It’s not like there are that many meetings. The important ones happen in the Lab anyway. And those are secret.”
Finally! Something that sounded promising! “What do you mean secret ?” Spencer tried to sound casual.
“What I mean is that the Bear Council meets in the Lab, and only members are allowed. And nobody is supposed to know when they meet, but I do.”
“What’s the Bear Council?” If anyone was working on getting his parents back, it must be them.
“They’re the decision makers in Bearhaven. They oversee everything here, and the rescue missions, too. My mom and dad are on it. Nobody else has two parents on the Bear Council. Just me and Jo-Jo and Winston and Aldo and Lisle. Well . . . and you. But you’re not a bear, so that’s not the same.”
“My parents are on the council?” Spencer asked.
“Of course your parents are on the council! And your uncle is, too! You’re really lucky.”
“Do you think they’re meeting now?” Spencer asked eagerly. That had to be where Uncle Mark and the Weavers were. “Do you think they’re making a plan to rescue my parents?”
“Probably,” Kate said.
“Where’s the Lab?” If they were talking about his parents, Spencer needed to be there. He could help.
Kate huffed. “Well, I’ve been trying to show you that.”
“Oh, okay. Let’s go, then.” Over Kate’s shoulder, Spencer could see a group of cubs playing in the square. A cinnamon-colored one broke off and ran toward them.
“Kate!” it called, right before tripping over its own paws and stumbling into Spencer, taking them both down into a heap. “Sorry!”
Spencer tumbled around, trying to extract himself from the tangle of furry limbs. The bear didn’t seem to be trying quite as hard to right itself. Instead, Spencer had a feeling that the cub was sniffing him, brushing a clumsy paw acrossSpencer’s head on purpose. Then the cub’s tongue darted out and slurped up Spencer’s forearm.
“Hey!” Spencer shouted, half laughing and half grossed out.
“Reggie, you’re such a chipmunk!” Kate cried, and leaped into the fray, tackling Reggie and dragging him away from Spencer. “You have to be gentle. Spencer Plain is a human. ”
“Sorry,” Reggie said sheepishly. He sat up and fixed his brown eyes on Spencer. “What’re you guys doing?”
Spencer brushed himself off. “Taking a tour.” He didn’t mind being bowled over by the cub; it’s not like it hurt. He didn’t even mind being tasted by the cub, but he definitely didn’t want the cub to delay their getting to the Lab.
“Can I come?” Reggie asked.
“If you can keep up!” Kate hollered, and took off at a gallop.
Spencer recognized the path as they raced along it. He’d seen it last night. It was the one that connected the center of Bearhaven to the dock at the river’s edge.
They passed three intersecting pathways, three rings of bear homes, before the path took them out into the open valley. Trees and bushes extended in either direction, growing thicker as they approached the river. Kate slowed to a walk as they neared the riverside.
The river widened by the dock, creating calmer pools near the shore. Brown and orange fish darted beneath the surface of the crystal-clear water, and toward the middle, twigs and leaves swept by on the steady current.
On the dock, facing away from them, stood a huge, very muscular bear. Kate motioned for them to be quiet as they stepped closer.
“Reach for the
Finally! Something that sounded promising! “What do you mean secret ?” Spencer tried to sound casual.
“What I mean is that the Bear Council meets in the Lab, and only members are allowed. And nobody is supposed to know when they meet, but I do.”
“What’s the Bear Council?” If anyone was working on getting his parents back, it must be them.
“They’re the decision makers in Bearhaven. They oversee everything here, and the rescue missions, too. My mom and dad are on it. Nobody else has two parents on the Bear Council. Just me and Jo-Jo and Winston and Aldo and Lisle. Well . . . and you. But you’re not a bear, so that’s not the same.”
“My parents are on the council?” Spencer asked.
“Of course your parents are on the council! And your uncle is, too! You’re really lucky.”
“Do you think they’re meeting now?” Spencer asked eagerly. That had to be where Uncle Mark and the Weavers were. “Do you think they’re making a plan to rescue my parents?”
“Probably,” Kate said.
“Where’s the Lab?” If they were talking about his parents, Spencer needed to be there. He could help.
Kate huffed. “Well, I’ve been trying to show you that.”
“Oh, okay. Let’s go, then.” Over Kate’s shoulder, Spencer could see a group of cubs playing in the square. A cinnamon-colored one broke off and ran toward them.
“Kate!” it called, right before tripping over its own paws and stumbling into Spencer, taking them both down into a heap. “Sorry!”
Spencer tumbled around, trying to extract himself from the tangle of furry limbs. The bear didn’t seem to be trying quite as hard to right itself. Instead, Spencer had a feeling that the cub was sniffing him, brushing a clumsy paw acrossSpencer’s head on purpose. Then the cub’s tongue darted out and slurped up Spencer’s forearm.
“Hey!” Spencer shouted, half laughing and half grossed out.
“Reggie, you’re such a chipmunk!” Kate cried, and leaped into the fray, tackling Reggie and dragging him away from Spencer. “You have to be gentle. Spencer Plain is a human. ”
“Sorry,” Reggie said sheepishly. He sat up and fixed his brown eyes on Spencer. “What’re you guys doing?”
Spencer brushed himself off. “Taking a tour.” He didn’t mind being bowled over by the cub; it’s not like it hurt. He didn’t even mind being tasted by the cub, but he definitely didn’t want the cub to delay their getting to the Lab.
“Can I come?” Reggie asked.
“If you can keep up!” Kate hollered, and took off at a gallop.
Spencer recognized the path as they raced along it. He’d seen it last night. It was the one that connected the center of Bearhaven to the dock at the river’s edge.
They passed three intersecting pathways, three rings of bear homes, before the path took them out into the open valley. Trees and bushes extended in either direction, growing thicker as they approached the river. Kate slowed to a walk as they neared the riverside.
The river widened by the dock, creating calmer pools near the shore. Brown and orange fish darted beneath the surface of the crystal-clear water, and toward the middle, twigs and leaves swept by on the steady current.
On the dock, facing away from them, stood a huge, very muscular bear. Kate motioned for them to be quiet as they stepped closer.
“Reach for the
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