by Amanda Hosch
Recite Murphy’s Law at least once a day: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Be prepared.
If captured by the enemy, play along and be agreeable. Lie if you have to. You will not get in trouble.
If you’re working with a co-agent, never look for him/her. Never acknowledge the other agent unless it is appropriate to do so. When leaving an operation, never look back.
If your contact doesn’t make contact at the agreed upon time, assume the worst. Go immediately to Plan B. Or Plan C. Or whatever is the next plan. Just go.
Assume every agent is a double agent.
He who talks first loses.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
If you panic, stop whatever you’re doing. Breathe. Ask “Huh?” Or eat something as a diversion.
Never leave a fellow agent behind. You’re in this together. Go team Secret Agent!
Enjoy the small victories. They may be all you ever get.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Invite your archenemies over for tea and cookies. It will confuse them.
If all else fails, beg like a puppy, making big eyes. But don’t whimper. No one likes a whiner.
Anticipate surprises. No one — not even a supergenius — knows all the facts.
Everyone overlooks the quiet ones. Gather your ordinariness like an invisibility cloak and make some serious mischief.
Luck counts too.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Well, my not-enemy for today, at least.
Double-crossing a double agent makes double the work. Don’t do it, unless there is no other choice.
If you find yourself behind enemy lines and your cover holds, use this golden opportunity to observe the enemy at close range. Then escape as soon as possible.
Successful spying consists of 50 percent preparation, 30 percent inspiration, 20 percent perspiration, and 10 percent action, which adds up to 110 percent because a great spy gives it her all and then some.
Coincidences do happen, just not that often. When in doubt, check it out.
Author’s Note
Mabel's inspiration for Rules for A Successful Life as an Undercover Secret Agent came from her parents' copy of The Moscow Rules.
The Moscow Rules are real. Well, maybe. At least lots of people think they are real. If you're interested in learning more about them, the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. posts The Moscow Rules online: http://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/online-exhibits/argo-exposed/moscow-rules
I don't remember when I first learned about The Moscow Rules. In a childhood spent reading obsessively, I picked up lots of useless but fun information, like the fact that Thomas Jefferson had no middle name.
Mabel's Rule Number 23: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee is a quotation from Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All Time.
The expression "odd sock" came from the ABC TV show Castle. The ruggedly handsome Nathan Fillion (he'll always be my captain!) played the titular character Richard Castle, a mystery writer.
Love nature?
Mabel and Stanley love hiking on Mount Rainier. Wherever you live, you can visit its website at https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm, or find out more about America's best idea at https://www.nps.gov/index.htm, the National Park Service website.
The Moscow Rules
Assume nothing.
Never go against your gut.
Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
Don't look back; you are never completely alone.
Go with the flow, blend in.
Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.
Lull them into a sense of complacency.
Don't harass the opposition.
Pick the time and place for action.
Keep your options open.
Acknowledgments
Writing is a solitary activity; revision takes a village, lots of coffee, and a neverending supply of chocolate.
Val Moses read an early draft of Mabel Opal Pear with a fine-toothed comb and gave invaluable suggestions. Corina Linden (my fancy artist friend) and Tatiana Linden read the manuscript and gave constant encouragement. Kelly Delaney offered great revision notes. Many thanks to Jolie Stekly and her marvelous University of Washington’s Writing for Children class (2013-14), Wendy Terrien, Jude Bloom, Kevin Wolf, Wendy Heipt, and the generous and wise members of SCWBI, especially the Western Washington region.
The people who make up my writers’ village are Allison Conner, Jessica Petersen, Amy Nibert, and Arlene Bolton. Thank you all for making Tuesday evenings the best.
Every book needs its champion, and agent extraordinaire Steven Chudney found MOP a perfect home. Eliza Leahy, your editorial guidance has made MOP a better, kinder, and richer story. Thank you both.
Thank you to Ira Sluyterman van Langeweyde for bringing Mabel and Silverton to life. And a giant thank you to Capstone’s editorial, marketing, and design teams for their enthusiasm and support.
My family — Andrew, Anne, and Susu — I could not have done this without all of you. Thank you for reading and listening, for understanding why I write, for sharing in the struggles and the joys. I love you all more than…
This book is for the ancestors: my mother Jane, grandmother Dorothy, the great-aunts: Eleanor and Anne Faulkner, godmother Annie, and grandma Amelie, who let me play with her amazing collection of collectible spoons. Aunt Sue and Aunt Blizzie, thank you for taking over grandmother duty for my girls.
Last, but not least, in loving memory of Beetle J. Cat, who spent the last months of her 22 years curled on my lap while I wrote Moppet.
About the Author
Amanda Hosch loves writing, travel, and coffee. She lived abroad for almost a decade, teaching English as a Foreign Language. A fifth-generation New Orleanian, Amanda now lives in Seattle with her husband, their two daughters, and a ghost cat.
Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying is published by
Capstone Young Readers
A Capstone Imprint
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.mycapstone.com
Text © 2017 by Amanda Hosch
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Cover illustration by Ira Sluyterman van Langeweyde
Book design by Tracy McCabe
Design elements: Shutterstock: Anelina, Attitude, Christopher Brewer, EsSueno, My Life Graphic
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN 978-1-62370-805-4 (paper over board)
ISBN 978-1-4965-4051-5 (library hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4965-4052-2 (ebook pdf)
ISBN 978-1-62370-806-1 (ebook)
Summary: When Mabel’s parents leave town without warning, she isn’t worried. They’re spies, after all. But when her beloved Aunt Gertie is arrested for leading a smuggling ring, then her obnoxious uncle Frank and aunt Stella show up, demanding to be let into the family’s private museum, things begin to look fishy. Especially since Mabel hasn’t heard from her parents in days. Tackling a mystery like this one is what she has been training for her whole life. Using her self-authored spy rules, will Mabel be able to find her parents and unmask the real criminal before she loses all trust?
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