Read Online The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland - Free Book Online

them, and flickers of bright colors darted between the leaves.
    Logan had to crane his head back to see the dome far overhead. Giant fans whirred high in the ceiling, and a few winged shapes were spiraling happily in the gusts they produced. It was much warmer in the dome than outside.
    Zoe and Matthew were already disappearing into a tunnel of hanging vines, and Logan had to hurry to catch up. His sneakers sounded loud on the wooden boards, and he was pretty sure several of the birds were watching him from behind large, heart-shaped leaves.
    He spotted a tiny hummingbird zipping around Zoe’s shoulder, its chest feathers glowing pink like iridescent raspberries.
    â€œWhoa,” he said softly to her. “What kind of mythical bird is that? What can it do?”
    â€œThe hum of its wings can tell you the future,” Zoe said in a hushed, mysterious voice. “Listen really carefully.”
    Logan concentrated, but all he could hear was the stream and the hidden twitters and squawks. The hummingbird paused at a white hibiscus, ignoring Logan.
    Worry-Cub making fun of you, Squorp informed him.
    â€œOh. Wait, was that a joke?” Logan asked.
    â€œYes,” Zoe said, smothering her giggles. “It’s just a hummingbird.”
    â€œThat’s not fair,” Logan protested. “How am I supposed to know what’s magical and what’s not? Why would you have ordinary hummingbirds in here?”
    â€œThe mythical birds like having company,” Matthew explained. “Most of them enjoy the noise and friendship of less-mythical birds. And a couple of them just like feeling superior to something else.”
    â€œSpeaking of which,” Zoe said under her breath. She lifted aside a trailing vine curtain, wound with sunset-orange flowers, to reveal a nest on a low platform.
    The nest was the size of the Wheel of Fortune. Straw and curving green branches mixed with expensive-looking velvets and silks in purple and blue. Preening herself in the center was a massive white goose, as tall as Zoe, with a metallic shimmer to her orange beak. She didn’t bother to look up at the visitors until her feathers were perfectly settled.
    â€œHi, Pelly,” Zoe said. “How are you feeling today?”
    Get comfortable, Squorp grumbled to Logan.
    The goose sighed and stretched her long neck up before answering. In a slow, drawly, quacky voice, she said, “Oh, it is so sweet of you to ask. I do appreciate how some people seem to care about me at least a tiny bit. I would never want to impose on anyone, but sometimes I do think just one more yeti-fur blanket would make this nest at least bearably comfortable. It’s not at all important, though. I wouldn’t even mention it if I weren’t sleeping so very badly. Only I might be able to produce even more golden eggs if I weren’t so terribly exhausted, but I’m sure that’s hardly important to a place as financially secure as this. Although I really am almost the only source of income you have, but of course I love my work, and I’m so happy to contribute. Another yeti-fur blanket is the only thing that could really make my happiness complete, but I’m sure it’s too much to ask. Forget I said anything.”
    Logan goggled at her. A goose that laid golden eggs! He wouldn’t mind having one of those in his backyard.
    â€œNo, no,” Zoe said flatly. “Please. We just want you to be happy. I’ll talk to Mooncrusher about getting more fur tonight, but it might take a while, okay?”
    The goose sighed again, and Zoe hurriedly went on. “Anyway, we’re looking for my dad. It’s urgent. Have you seen him?”
    â€œWell,” the goose started slowly, but a new voice interrupted.
    â€œ I know where he is!” it yelped. “Why doesn’t anyone ever ask me ? I could be so helpful if anyone cared I existed. SIGH!”
    â€œOkay,” Zoe said, putting her hands on her