“Don’t go near that truck, Shadow,” Whiskers begged. “Remember what happened last time?”
“True,” said Dash, “but more information could be helpful.”
“I’ll be fine, Whiskers,” Shadow said. And she slipped out the door.
“Everything is going downstairs,” Dad said, wiping off his wet boots. He crossed the Welcome Area and opened the basement door for the delivery person.
I flew over to my perch. Out the window I could see Shadow sitting in the driver’s seat of the delivery truck.
“Can you see her, Leopold?” Whiskers asked.
I nodded. “Same as last time. Paws on the steering wheel.”
“Let’s hope the keys aren’t in the ignition this time,” Dash said.
Dash came over and placed his two front paws on the windowsill. We both watched as Shadow scampered from the driver’s seat into the back of the truck.
“Best party ever!”
It was Coco, stumbling in from the party room. She had cake frosting all over her snout. “Hey, what are you guys looking at?” She came over next to Dash.
“It’s Shadow.” I pointed with one wing. “She’s in that truck.”
“Ooh,” said Coco. “She’s going to get in trouble.”
Dad and the delivery person came up from the basement. Dash quickly took his paws off the windowsill.
“Well, nothing’s getting out of there,” said the delivery person, pointing downstairs.
“Hope not,” said Dad.
“Good luck,” said the delivery person. He left and shut the front door.
“Plus,” Dad said to himself, “it’s too late to turn back now.”
Too late to turn back? I thought.
I looked at Dash. He looked as worried as I felt.
Dad headed back down to the basement.
Dash put his paws back up onto the windowsill to check on Shadow. But before he could spot her, a dozen puppies bounded out of the party room.
Yip! Yip! Yap! Yap! Yap!
The party was officially over. Jake, Ethan, and Cassie were making sure every guest had a goody bag.
Yap! Yap!
Mom opened the front door. As the gaggle of puppies bounced out, Shadow snuck back in.
“How about some lunch?” Mom asked the kids.
“Sounds great,” said Ethan. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a puppy treat.”
The Tylers headed upstairs.
“Shadow! What a relief. You’re safe.” Whiskers sighed.
“For now,” said Shadow. She looked more than a little worried.
“What do you mean?” Whiskers asked.
Shadow looked around nervously. “There were lots of boxes in that truck.” She shivered.
I held my breath.
“Some of the boxes were labeled Exotic Animal Supplies.”
“What does ‘exotic’ mean?” asked Coco.
“It means ‘unusual,’ ” I said.
“Or ‘from a different land,’ ” added Dash.
“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad,” said Coco.
“It’s not,” said Shadow. “But some of the boxes were labeled Dangerous-Animal Containment System.”
“Did you say . . . ‘dangerous’?” Whiskers trembled.
“I don’t get it,” said Coco. “Why would a wizard need a containment system?”
“I don’t think it’s for the wizard,” I said.
“Then who’s it for?” asked Shadow.
I looked at Dash. Dash looked at me. He let out a long sigh.
“Don’t panic,” he said, “but the wizard is dropping off a dragon.”
“A dragon!” shrieked Whiskers.
Ding-dong!
This time we all jumped.
Ding-dong!
Dad ran up from the basement. He opened the door.
A very tall man stood dressed in full firefighting gear. He looked like he had just put out a fire.
CHAPTER
6
“Welcome, Fire Chief Morales,” Dad said.
“Sorry I’m late,” said the fire chief. “We were putting out a small brush fire.”
“No problem,” said Dad. “Thanks for coming on a Saturday. Our special guest arrives tomorrow.”
I shivered. The dragon was coming tomorrow?
“Let’s make sure everything is as safe as possible,” said the chief. “Can I see the room?”
Dad led the fire chief down to the basement.
Dash and I looked at each other with alarm. I could see he was shaking.
“What’s everybody looking at?” asked Fuzzy and Furry. They poked their heads out of a heating vent in the Welcome Area. They looked a little dusty, but otherwise they were fine.
“What did you find out?” Dash asked.
“We had a few close calls,” said Fuzzy.
“Very close,” added Furry.
“Dad keeps coming downstairs,” said Fuzzy.
“He’s very nervous,” added Furry.
“He almost stepped on us!” said Fuzzy.
“Twice!” added Furry.
“Guys,” I said, “just tell us what you found out.”
But before the gerbils could answer, I heard Jake shout from upstairs. “Where could they be? Start looking, Ethan!”
“Stop telling me what to do!” said Ethan.
“Start looking!” said Jake.
“You’re not the boss of me!” shouted Ethan.
“Uh-oh,” said Fuzzy. “I think we’re in trouble.”
“We’d better get back to the gerbiltorium,” added Furry.
They disappeared into the heating vent. Dad and the fire chief came back upstairs.
“Thanks again,” said Dad.
“Don’t mention it,” said Chief Morales.
“I was a little worried,” said Dad.
“You did a great job. The new room is officially up to safety code. But please be careful.”
My ears perked up. Did he say “new room”? Did he say “be careful”?
Dad waved good-bye to Chief Morales. Then he headed straight back to the basement.
We all waited a moment. Then we quietly made our way toward the stairs. Dash stopped to collect some dog biscuits he had hidden under the sofa.
We went straight to Jake and Ethan’s room. All except for Coco.
“Where are you going?” Dash asked her.
“My tummy tells me it’s lunchtime,” said Coco. “I’m going to find Cassie.”
Fuzzy and Furry were already back, snug in their gerbiltorium.
“Report, please,” Dash said.
“There’s a new enclosure,” Fuzzy said.
“It takes up one whole side of the basement,” Furry added.
“It’s big,” Fuzzy said.
“Very sturdy,” Furry added.
“It has sand and stones,” Fuzzy said.
“Real stones,” Furry added.
“There are two heat lamps,” Fuzzy said.
“Very toasty,” Furry added.
“There’s a humidifier to keep the air moist,” Fuzzy said.
“Like a jungle,” Furry added.
“There’s a new fire extinguisher,” Fuzzy said.
“And a big first aid kit,” added Furry.
“That’s all we’ve got so far,” Fuzzy said.
“But we are a little hungry,” Furry added.
“Excellent job,” I said.
Dash slipped the two dog biscuits through the bars of the gerbiltorium. “They’re whole,” he assured them. “No crumbs.”
Fuzzy and Furry took a couple of bites. Then they quickly buried the rest under the cedar shavings for later.
“Okay,” said Dash. “What does this new information tell us?”
“The new guest needs a lot of space,” I said.
“It likes heat and humidity,” said Shadow.
“It needs to be separated from the other animals,” Whiskers said, trembling, “which means it’s not friendly.”
“It might be friendly,” said Dash.
“Then why do we need a first aid kit?” asked Whiskers.
“And a fire extinguisher?” asked Shadow.
“The dragon is going to burn down Animal Inn!” shrieked Whiskers.
“Let’s stay calm,” I said. “What if we give it a safe place outside where it can breathe its fire?”
“That sounds like a good plan,” said Dash. “Like a campfire. Coco and I can collect wood on our afternoon walk.”
“Wood for what?” asked Coco, coming in from lunch. She still had some mac-and-cheese on her nose.
“A special campfire,” said Dash.
“Oh, goody,” said Coco. “Will there be marshmallows?”
CHAPTER
7
Back in the Welcome Area, Cassie put on Dash’s leash.
Shadow rubbed against Cassie’s leg.
Mom put on Coco’s leash.
Shadow rubbed against Mom’s leg. Shadow knows how to make a point.
“Okay, Shadow,” Cassie said. “Mom, can Shadow come with us?”
Mom smiled. “Of course. Sometimes I think she’s more dog than cat.”
Cassie put on Shadow’s leash. Yes, Shadow has a special cat leash.
Mom grabbed a big umbrella.
Ding-dong!
Mom opened the door. It was Martha, one of the Animal Inn groomers. While all of our groomers are excellent, Martha is my favorite. I just love the way she trims and files my toenails.
Yes, I have toenails. You might call them talons.
“Hi, Martha,” Mom said. “Come on in. Cassie and I are taking the dogs out for a walk.”
Shadow gave a loud meow.
“Correction,” said Mom. “Cassie and I are taking the dogs and Shadow out for a walk. Then we’ll check on the guests in the barn and kennels.”
“Have fun,” said Martha.
I watched as the group of walkers left through the front door.
“Hi, Leopold!” Martha waved. “How’s my pretty bird?”
Did Martha know about the dangerous dragon? Would she have to groom its scales and trim its claws? A shiver ran down my back.
Ding-dong!
I froze in place. It’s what we macaws do when we’re scared.
Martha opened the door.
It was only Monsieur Petit, here for his weekly styling appointment. Monsieur Petit is a miniature French poodle. He is also one of my dearest friends. Monsieur has been coming to Animal Inn every Saturday since the day we opened.
“See you in an hour!” said Monsieur Petit’s owner, Madame Gigi.
Then the phone rang.
“Be right back, Monsieur,” Martha said, hurrying to the office.
“Bonjour, Leopold,” Monsieur Petit crooned. “It’s wonderful to see you.”
I stayed frozen in place.
“What’s the matter, mon ami ?” Monsieur asked.
“We are expecting a new guest,” I said. “A strange and scary guest.”
“Scary?” Monsieur Petit asked. “Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure of anything,” I said.
Monsieur Petit smiled. “This reminds me of a story,” he said. “When I was a pup in Paris, I heard some friends talking about a terrible creature. They said it had horns and wings. I was so scared. And then one day I looked up and I saw the terrible creature perched high above.”
Monsieur Petit paused for a moment. I held my breath.
“It really was fierce and frightening,” he said slowly.
“Oh dear,” I gasped.
“But it was not dangerous.” Monsieur Petit smiled. “It was a gargoyle. You do know, mon ami, what is a gargoyle?”
“Of course,” I said. “It’s a stone statue that guides rainwater away from a building.”
“Correct,” said Monsieur Petit. “I had nothing to fear. Perhaps you do not either.”
“Ready, Monsieur?” Martha was back from the office. “Sorry to make you wait.”
Monsieur Petit bowed to me, and then followed Martha to the grooming room.
I thought about what my wise friend had said. Then I heard the sound of hammering. Dad was still working downstairs.
Unfortunately, he was not getting the basement ready for a gargoyle.
CHAPTER
8
“Looks like a storm is coming,” said Jake as he came downstairs. The clouds were dark. The rain was now falling steadily.
Jake headed to the supply closet and grabbed the broom. Dragon or no dragon, there were still chores to be done.
“Want to help, Leopold?” Jake asked.
I flew over and took my place on Jake’s shoulder. Sweeping with Jake always calms me. He took me for a little ride around the Welcome Area. It felt safe.
Jake was careful not to get too close to Whiskers on the sofa. Brooms make Whiskers nervous. And Whiskers was nervous enough already.
“Come on, Jake,” Ethan called from upstairs. “Time for chores.”
“I know,” Jake called back. “I’m sweeping the Welcome Area.”
Ethan came down and slumped on the last stair. “I don’t feel like doing chores today,” he said.
“I know,” said Jake, “but there are about a dozen guests on the third floor. I can’t clean, feed, and water them all by myself.”
“Why can’t Cassie help?” asked Ethan.
“Cassie is helping Mom.”
“Well, where’s Dad?” Ethan said.
“Dad is busy finishing the new habitat,” said Jake. “Aren’t you excited about tomorrow? This is a big deal for Animal Inn.”
“Yeah,” said Ethan, “but new guests mean even more chores.”
“Leopold is a pretty bird,” I said. I wanted to cheer Ethan up.
I know what it feels like to be the middle child. Dash is older than me. Dash is the leader. Everybody looks up to Dash. Coco is younger than me. Coco gets to goof around, and everybody thinks she’s adorable.
“Leopold is a pretty bird,” I tried again.
“Hi, Leopold,” Ethan said. He patted his knee. This was an invitation for me to go over.
“You want to come upstairs and help us with chores?” Ethan asked.
“Better late than never,” I squawked.
“I guess that means yes,” said Ethan.
We all headed up to the Reptile Room.
Chore number one—the Turtle Enclosure.
A box turtle named Bert was spending the week with us. His family was backpacking. No turtles allowed.
You might think that a box turtle would be staying in a box. But there you would be wrong. Box turtles are called “box turtles” because they can pull their heads, tails, and legs into their shells, and then close up like a . . . box. This is how they protect themselves in the wild.
Bert is lucky, I thought. He has a built-in hiding place.
Inside the turtle enclosure there was moss and ground-up tree bark. Ethan used a spray bottle to mist the moss with warm water, while Jake cleaned the pool. The pool was actually a paint tray filled with water. But it did the trick. Bert seemed quite pleased with his accommodations.
Then the boys rearranged the hideouts and climbing structures in the enclosure. Finally, Jake gave Bert a plate of worms, chopped spinach, and slightly mushy strawberries. Not my cup of tea, but Bert seemed to enjoy it.
Chore number two—the Snake Enclosure.
We moved on to Copernicus, the boa constrictor. He was curled up in his hiding box, taking an afternoon snooze. The snake enclosure was similar to the turtle’s, just much bigger. Copernicus is almost five feet long.
Would he be in danger too when the dragon got here?
Outside, there was a rumble of thunder.
“Here comes the storm,” said Jake.
Ethan checked the temperature and humidity in the enclosure. Jake made sure Copernicus had plenty of water. They didn’t have to feed him, though. He had eaten just before he’d arrived. He wouldn’t need another meal for a week.
G
ood thing too. A boa constrictor’s favorite food is mice. And right next door, four generations of the Field family were enjoying a reunion.
Chore number three—the Rodent Room.
The Rodent Room is equipped with a system of tubes and tunnels. The pieces can be connected or disconnected, depending on how many different guests we have. There are wheels and swings and all kinds of toys. It can be a lively place.
Jake and Ethan filled the food bowls and water bottles.
What would a dragon do with a room full of mice? I shuddered at the thought.
Chore number four—the Small Mammal Room.
Our guests at the time included an Angora bunny named Juniper, a guinea pig named Squeaky, and a pair of ferrets named Frank and Bob. They each had their own hutch, except for the ferrets. They were bunking together.
Jake and Ethan scooped out the old cedar shavings. Then they sprinkled in new shavings. Once again they filled the food bowls and water bottles.
“Are we done yet?” asked Ethan. “This is taking forever.”
I agreed. I needed to see if Dash was back.
“Almost done,” said Jake. He swept up the shavings that had fallen onto the floor. “You think this is tough. Just wait until tomorrow. That dragon is going to be a ton of work.”
“Yeah,” said Ethan. “But Dad will do most of it. He said we can’t get too close because of the poison spit.”
Poison spit? I gulped.
BOOM!
A clap of thunder shook the walls. Lightning flashed outside the windows. Rain poured down.
“Dragon spit is not poisonous,” Jake said.
Thank goodness! I breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s toxic.”
CHAPTER
9
Toxic spit! Things were only getting worse.
I flew downstairs to see if Dash, Coco, and Shadow were back.
They barreled through the front door, startling Whiskers, who was still on the sofa. Mom and Cassie quickly undid the leashes and went upstairs to change into dry clothes.
“So much for our plan,” said Dash. “Not exactly campfire weather. Maybe the rain will dampen the dragon’s fire.”
I wanted to tell Dash that fire wasn’t our only problem, but everyone looked frazzled. They didn’t need to know about the toxic spit just yet.
A Furry Fiasco Page 2