Read Online The Second Adventure by Gordon Korman - Free Book Online

it’s going?” Melissa whispered.
    â€œMickey Bonaventure hates it,” Logan replied morosely.
    â€œI saw him clapping a couple of times,” she protested.
    â€œProbably swatting at mosquitoes. Trust me. If we don’t
kill
from here on, we’re doomed.”
    All at once, Melissa put an iron grip on his arm. “Look —”
    He followed her gaze. Standing at the top of the hill, behind the audience, the two bus drivers were watching the show.
    â€œDo you think they know?” she asked in a small voice.
    â€œNot unless they’ve got X-ray vision,” Logan replied. “How could they know?”
    â€œDeductive reasoning,” Melissa insisted. “They’ve scoured every millimeter of the camp. He isn’t there, so he must be here. And when they see you onstage, they’ll know you’re involved with hiding the dog.”
    â€œOh, yeah, like they’ll recognize me in this outfit!” Logan scoffed. “My own mother couldn’t find me with a telescope.”
    The song was ending, and the big moment was upon them. Melissa threw the switch, and Logan guided the rope upward. There were screams from the crowd as the “chandelier” toppled over the lighting arc and came down to the stage with an earsplitting crash.
    A surge of applause swept in from the crowd.
    For Melissa, the non-performer, it was her first chance to bask in the approval of an appreciative audience. Her eyes gleamed. “They liked it!”
    â€œThey loved it!” Logan agreed fervently. “Even Mickey Bonaventure! Hand me my caterpillars! We’re still in this thing!”
    What happened next was completely unexpected: Pride Rock moved.

    D id you see that?” Logan hissed.
    Melissa had turned to stone. “Never mind me! Did the dognappers see it?”
    Light dawned on Logan. “The crash from the chandelier —” He rushed around to the back of the stage and tried to peer under the rolling cart that formed the base of Pride Rock. To his dismay, he saw four canine legs standing upright. Luthor was awake.
    Logan tried to press his cheek to the stage for a better view, but Pumbaa’s head was too bulky. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the famished Luthor wolfing down the burger he’d fallen asleep with. Logan thought of the food he had stashed away in his pockets, and tried to reach inside the warthog suit. The costume simply wouldn’t permit it. He would have to take the whole thing off, and put it back on again — too risky with “Hakuna Matata” coming up any minute.
    â€œMelissa!” he exclaimed. “I need your burgers!”
    She was amazed. “You’re hungry
now
?”
    â€œNot me — Luthor! If we feed him, maybe he’ll go back to sleep.”
    But it was not to be. Mary Catherine, already in her lion outfit, came up and said, “What are you waiting for? Wheel Pride Rock into position!”
    Uh-oh. “Are you sure it’s the right time?” Logan stammered.
    The Ta-da! captain’s eyes shot sparks. “Of course it’s the right time! Did you hear that ovation? We’re catching fire! We have to keep it going!”
    She and two wildebeest began to ease the rolling cart out toward center stage. Logan had a nightmare vision of Luthor overturning the set in full view of the audience and two professional dognappers. If the Doberman had the strength to move the heavy piece on his own, he could probably topple it. Without hesitation, Logan flung himself aboard Pride Rock. He landed flat on his face and, if it hadn’t been for the soft material of the warthog costume, would probably have knocked himself unconscious against the wood of the set. When his vision cleared, he found himself high above the crowd, the object of everyone’s attention.
    Because it was unprofessional to waste stage time doing absolutely nothing, Logan made a great show of eating a caterpillar with much