open these cages.”
“Can I make a suggestion?” Pitch flicked the switch on the bulkhead, and the lights came on in the exhibit.
Even Cleopatra shielded her eyes against the harsh fluorescent glare. A chorus of complaint rose from the animals. The owl’s cry was the most angry of all. Hoo flew in erratic circles above their heads, hooting anxiously.
The disturbance even reached the ears of the paddleboat’s forgotten inhabitant. “Hey!” Klaus’s muffled voice rumbled through the ventilation system. “What’s going on down there?”
The team exchanged uneasy glances. They had no great love for the security guard, but no one had anticipated leaving him in such a tight situation.
Logan felt especially guilty. “Klaus?” he called into a grating. “We’re going to phone somebody to get you out. Just as soon as we — uh — finish.”
There was a long pause. Then: “Ferris? Is that you?”
“Just relax,” Logan soothed. “The sooner we load up these animals, the sooner we can send help.”
A cry of outrage erupted from the vent, followed by more struggling and banging.
The roundup began. They chased Hoo all through the boat in a series of collisions and near misses until Savannah tossed a tarpaulin over the swooping owl. Grateful for the return of darkness, Hoo allowed himself to be captured. Griffin got busy with the wire cutters, snipping through bars and opening cages. A large cardboard carton became home to the meerkat, prairie dog, chipmunks, squirrels, and beaver. The chicken and piglet were swaddled in Melissa’s hoodie. A battered suitcase with a broken fastener became the reptile room, housing the frogs, turtles, salamanders, garter snakes, and chuckwalla. The rabbits fit in an old shopping bag, but the ferret could not be trusted with them, so Ben had to stick it inside his sweater. The duck and the loon fought and had to be stashed in separate boxes. And the hamsters, gerbils, and mice were spread out among everybody’s pockets.
“When we get to the boat, we can wrap them in the fishing nets,” Savannah told the others. “That’ll be more secure.”
They carried the whole menagerie outside and moved around the outer deck tostarboard, where they had moored the rowboat.
Pitch drew in a deep breath. “Fresh air! I’ve got to admit — I never thought we’d make it this far!”
They reached the starboard gunwale and peered over the rail. The ratline of fishing nets hung loosely down, stirring with the movement of the waves.
The dory was gone.
17
“ W here’s the boat?” Logan wailed.
Savannah was mystified. “Did it sink?”
Pitch shook her head. “Then it would still be bobbing at the end of the net.” She wheeled on Griffin, furious. “Some
idiot
tied up the boat with a knot he learned in Balloon Animals 101!”
In a frenzy, Griffin panned his flashlight over the surrounding waters.
“What’s the point?” groaned Ben. “Even if you spot it, we can’t swim for it. Face it, Griffin, we’re so dead that even dead people would be amazed how dead we are.”
“Not yet!” Griffin exclaimed, stuffing an errant gerbil back in his pocket.
“Give it up!” Pitch snapped. “Even The Man With The Plan can’t make a boat out of no boat!”
Griffin ran to the stern and returned dragging the bright yellow suitcase he’d used as a stepstool while boosting Ben up to the vent. “Stand back, everybody!” he cried, pulling the cord.
There was an explosion of compressed gas, and the suitcase began to grow and unfold, morphing into a giant life raft, complete with outboard motor and sun canopy.
Pitch goggled. “I take it all back. You
can
make a boat out of no boat!”
The cruise back to Cedarville was a lot faster than the first trip, mostly because of the life raft’s outboard. In fact, in many ways the craft was ideal for a zoobreak. It was meant for a shipwreck and was stocked with food, water, a compass, rain gear, and medical supplies. None of this was of great
“Can I make a suggestion?” Pitch flicked the switch on the bulkhead, and the lights came on in the exhibit.
Even Cleopatra shielded her eyes against the harsh fluorescent glare. A chorus of complaint rose from the animals. The owl’s cry was the most angry of all. Hoo flew in erratic circles above their heads, hooting anxiously.
The disturbance even reached the ears of the paddleboat’s forgotten inhabitant. “Hey!” Klaus’s muffled voice rumbled through the ventilation system. “What’s going on down there?”
The team exchanged uneasy glances. They had no great love for the security guard, but no one had anticipated leaving him in such a tight situation.
Logan felt especially guilty. “Klaus?” he called into a grating. “We’re going to phone somebody to get you out. Just as soon as we — uh — finish.”
There was a long pause. Then: “Ferris? Is that you?”
“Just relax,” Logan soothed. “The sooner we load up these animals, the sooner we can send help.”
A cry of outrage erupted from the vent, followed by more struggling and banging.
The roundup began. They chased Hoo all through the boat in a series of collisions and near misses until Savannah tossed a tarpaulin over the swooping owl. Grateful for the return of darkness, Hoo allowed himself to be captured. Griffin got busy with the wire cutters, snipping through bars and opening cages. A large cardboard carton became home to the meerkat, prairie dog, chipmunks, squirrels, and beaver. The chicken and piglet were swaddled in Melissa’s hoodie. A battered suitcase with a broken fastener became the reptile room, housing the frogs, turtles, salamanders, garter snakes, and chuckwalla. The rabbits fit in an old shopping bag, but the ferret could not be trusted with them, so Ben had to stick it inside his sweater. The duck and the loon fought and had to be stashed in separate boxes. And the hamsters, gerbils, and mice were spread out among everybody’s pockets.
“When we get to the boat, we can wrap them in the fishing nets,” Savannah told the others. “That’ll be more secure.”
They carried the whole menagerie outside and moved around the outer deck tostarboard, where they had moored the rowboat.
Pitch drew in a deep breath. “Fresh air! I’ve got to admit — I never thought we’d make it this far!”
They reached the starboard gunwale and peered over the rail. The ratline of fishing nets hung loosely down, stirring with the movement of the waves.
The dory was gone.
17
“ W here’s the boat?” Logan wailed.
Savannah was mystified. “Did it sink?”
Pitch shook her head. “Then it would still be bobbing at the end of the net.” She wheeled on Griffin, furious. “Some
idiot
tied up the boat with a knot he learned in Balloon Animals 101!”
In a frenzy, Griffin panned his flashlight over the surrounding waters.
“What’s the point?” groaned Ben. “Even if you spot it, we can’t swim for it. Face it, Griffin, we’re so dead that even dead people would be amazed how dead we are.”
“Not yet!” Griffin exclaimed, stuffing an errant gerbil back in his pocket.
“Give it up!” Pitch snapped. “Even The Man With The Plan can’t make a boat out of no boat!”
Griffin ran to the stern and returned dragging the bright yellow suitcase he’d used as a stepstool while boosting Ben up to the vent. “Stand back, everybody!” he cried, pulling the cord.
There was an explosion of compressed gas, and the suitcase began to grow and unfold, morphing into a giant life raft, complete with outboard motor and sun canopy.
Pitch goggled. “I take it all back. You
can
make a boat out of no boat!”
The cruise back to Cedarville was a lot faster than the first trip, mostly because of the life raft’s outboard. In fact, in many ways the craft was ideal for a zoobreak. It was meant for a shipwreck and was stocked with food, water, a compass, rain gear, and medical supplies. None of this was of great
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