by Ellis Byrd
PENGUIN YOUNG READERS LICENSES
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
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Cover illustrated by Karianne Koski Hutchinson
Copyright © 2017 WildWorks Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Penguin Young Readers Licenses, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
Ebook ISBN 9781524786618
Version_1
CONTENTS
Title Page
Map
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Continue Your Animal Jam Adventure!
CHAPTER ONE
“Welcome to day one of Jamaa’s first-ever Winter Games!”
Cheers erupted from the hundreds of animals surrounding the enormous bonfire at the base of Mt. Shiveer. Liza beamed, lowering the conch shell Graham had modified for her to use as a megaphone. Her heart glowed with warmth at the sight of so many species gathered together, their enthusiasm obvious. Bunnies and elephants handed out pom-poms they had made out of long, silky blades of grass painted in bright colors. Falcons and eagles swooped and dipped over everyone’s heads with confetti clutched in their talons to sprinkle over the festivities. Kangaroos and koalas blew whistles, while lemurs and lions waved noisemakers filled with rattling pebbles. A group of penguins hopped on one another’s shoulders to form a shaky pyramid for a few seconds before tumbling to the ground amid gales of laughter.
Liza raised a paw, and the crowd quieted. “I’m so excited for this event,” she continued, her violet eyes twinkling. “And I know you all are, too. After all, we have much to celebrate! For years, we’ve worked together to clean Jamaa and repair the damage the Phantoms once caused.”
At the mention of Phantoms, the animals grew somber. Liza surveyed them, her chin high. “Many of you here today were at our side at Mt. Mira when we drove the Phantoms away and prevented a terrible volcanic eruption. And some of you even fought with us in the first battle against the Phantom Queen, when we lost our beloved guardian spirits, Mira and Zios. It’s because of their sacrifice, and your hard work and dedication, that Jamaa is once again a safe and beautiful place to live.”
Liza paused, looking for her fellow Alphas. Cosmo and Graham stood near the front of the crowd, clutching noisemakers, along with Peck, who was easy to spot due to the pom-poms she’d tied to her long ears. Sir Gilbert watched Liza proudly from his place between the polar bears and snow leopards, while Greely and a handful of animals quietly sat on the edge of the frost-covered pine tree forest that grew at the base of the mighty mountain.
“Defeating the Phantoms hasn’t been easy,” Liza went on, and a few animals nodded in agreement. “Our success is worth celebrating—and that’s what the Winter Games are all about! Over the next few days, you’ll get to participate in all kinds of exciting athletic competitions, like speed skating, sledding, and skiing, and even a fun game of capture the snow castle. These games are a way for us to celebrate our incredible accomplishments, and I can’t wait to get started!”
Cheers rose up again, along with the rattle of noisemakers and the waving of pom-poms. Liza noticed a snow leopard sigh as he batted a fresh sprinkling of confetti from his eyes, and she lifted her conch shell again.
“I’d like to thank the animals of Mt. Shiveer for their hospitality and patience,” she said, smiling at the snow leopard. “The Winter Games have taken several months of preparation, and I know everyone here is so grateful to them for graciously hosting this event.”
An arctic fox’s head popped up in the middle of the crowd, his black eyes sparkling. “And let’s not forget the Alphas!” he called with a mischievous grin. “After all, they’re the ones who organized this whole shindig. Three cheers for the Alphas!”
“Hip hip hooray!” the animals cried. “Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!”
“Thank you, Artie,” Liza said, returning the fox’s smile. “We can’t wait to share all the activities we have planned with everyone.”
“Oh, I bet there are lots more surprises in store!” Artie replied. Before Liza could respond, a giraffe near the back of the crowd gasped.
“The ice sculpture!” she exclaimed, straining her neck and peering at the entrance to the opening celebrations. Peck and Sir Gilbert had worked with a team of bunnies to carve an enormous statue of Mira, one of the guardian spirits of Jamaa, to welcome everyone to the Winter Games. Liza twisted to look, but she couldn’t see over the rhinos.
“What’s wrong?” Sir Gilbert asked, brows furrowed.
The giraffe’s eyes widened. “It’s . . . it’s melting!”
“But it can’t be!” Peck hopped up and down in an attempt to see the statue. “It’s so cold out!”
“What if it’s not the temperature?” a penguin fretted. “What if it’s . . . Phantoms?”
Several animals let out cries of fear, and before Liza could say a single reassuring word, chaos ensued. There was a stampede as the frightened crowd fled into the woods, putting as much distance between themselves and the entrance as possible. Liza joined Sir Gilbert and Cosmo in trying to calm the animals, while Graham and Peck rushed toward the sculpture.
“We’ll check it out!” Peck called to Liza, dodging around a charging rhino. “I’m sure it’s just an accident!”
On the outskirts of the woods, Greely frowned as he murmured to himself. “Phantoms are unlikely, but I doubt this is an accident.”
The arctic wolf at his side was silent for a moment. Snowflakes drifted down from the pine trees, blending perfectly with his thick white fur. “I’d be happy to look into it, if you like,” he said gruffly. “I’ve learned much from you in the last few months, Greely.”
“I appreciate that, Walter,” Greely replied. “But I’d rather investigate this myself.”
The arctic wolf smiled tightly. “We’ve been through this, Greely. You can call me Walt,” he replied. “And while I know you’re quite capable, you don’t know Mt. Shiveer quite as well as I do.”
Greely turned to his protégé, considering this. The other Alphas had befriended many of the animals who called Mt. Shiveer home back when they’d first started planning the Winter Games. But Walt had avoided the Alphas, staying on the side and watching, instead of joining the crowd. He reminded Greely strongly of himself—someone who often worked best alone. But though Greely was still reluctant to admit it, he now understood that being part of a team did have some value. He was hoping he could help Walt come to that realization, too.
“A valid point,” Greely conceded at last, his low
voice barely audible over the retreating stampede. “Very well. Do a careful inspection of the entrance. Be sure to ask anyone nearby if they saw anything unusual. I will check on the other activities we have planned for today and make sure everything is still in order.”
With that, Greely slipped between the trees and vanished. Walt gazed after him for a moment before making his way toward the entrance, his glittering yellow eyes the only thing visible against the snow.
CHAPTER TWO
“What a mess.”
Paws on her hips, Peck surveyed the entrance to the opening celebrations. The beautiful ice sculpture of Mira that she and Sir Gilbert had been so excited about was now just a puddle of gray slush. Discarded noisemakers and whistles were scattered all over the wet ground, along with plenty of confetti. Next to Peck, Graham scratched his head.
“I could probably build something to clean this up quickly,” he said, peering around through his goggles. “Some sort of super cooler to freeze this puddle, trapping the trash inside. Then we could just lift up the ice and dispose of it all in one go.”
“That’s a good idea,” Peck told him. “But first, let’s take a look around. Maybe we can find a clue that’ll tell us how this happened—and who’s responsible.”
The two Alphas inspected the entrance. Peck checked under some bushes and sighed.
“Nothing here . . . Oh, hang on!”
A few feet away, something round and purple stuck out of a mound of snow. Peck hurried over to take a closer look.
“A handle,” she murmured, brushing a bit of frost away. “Wait a minute, I know what this is . . .”
Peck grabbed the handle and pulled a giant, heavy pitcher from the snow. Then she spotted another one beneath it. “Graham!” she called. “Do you recognize these?”
A moment later, Graham joined her. “Yes, yes indeed,” the monkey Alpha said, pushing his goggles up to the top of his head. “Pitchers from the Hot Cocoa Hut!”
“That’s what I thought,” Peck said, pulling out a second pitcher. “Two . . . three . . . there’s gotta be at least a dozen here! And it almost looks like someone tried to bury them.”
“Or maybe a few animals just brought some hot cocoa to the opening celebrations and forgot the pitchers when they fled.” Tilting his head back, Graham squinted up at the tall pine trees. “Those branches are holding a lot of snow. Some could’ve fallen on them.”
“True.” Peck handed the first pitcher to Graham. “Still, they might be evidence. I think we should see what the other Alphas think.”
When Peck turned around, she heard a light rustling sound in the bushes. A bit of movement caught her eye—a white tail, almost invisible against the snowy backdrop, whipping around a tree trunk.
Peck stepped forward. “Artie?” she called. “Is that you? You can come out—there aren’t any Phantoms, it’s perfectly safe!”
There was no response. Peck and Graham looked at each other, frowning.
“Everyone’s a bit spooked,” Peck said at last. “I hope Liza and the others were able to calm them down.”
Graham nodded. “Let’s get back to Alphas Hollow and find out.”
Alphas Hollow was located inside an enormous tree with great twisting roots. A cheery fire crackled in the hearth, casting a flickering glow on the shelves and cabinets stocked with all types of tools, art supplies, and herbs. While Graham rummaged around one of the cabinets, Peck showed Sir Gilbert, Liza, and Cosmo the pitchers from the Hot Cocoa Hut.
Sir Gilbert inspected one of the pitchers. “And you believe the culprit attempted to conceal this evidence in the snow?” he asked.
Peck wrinkled her nose. “Maybe. Or maybe snow just fell on them, or got kicked over them. The celebration did get pretty rowdy.”
“We don’t even know if these pitchers are evidence of any foul play,” Liza added. “What animal would want to melt that beautiful sculpture of Mira?”
Exhaling slowly, Sir Gilbert looked up at Liza. “Maybe it was Mira. Maybe this is another call for help. Another chance to rescue her, after my failed attempt last time. That blasted volcano . . .”
Peck put a sympathetic paw on Sir Gilbert’s shoulders. Before the eruption at Mt. Mira, Sir Gilbert and Greely had made contact with Mira through a mystical pool, but they had been unable to help her. Sir Gilbert still took the loss personally.
Graham poked his head out from the cabinet, clutching a wood chisel. “It could’ve been the work of Phantoms!” he reminded Peck. “We didn’t see any evidence that one had been lurking around, but we can’t rule them out.”
“But why would they melt an ice statue?” Liza said reasonably. “Especially with so many animals gathered nearby. They’re usually more direct—surely they would’ve just attacked the crowd.”
“Maybe there’s another explanation,” Cosmo mused. “Something about that spot . . . Is it possible the ground beneath the statue got hot enough to melt it?”
Graham scratched his head. “Possible, but unlikely. The ground was cool when Peck and I inspected the area. What would cause the ground to heat and cool so quickly?”
None of the Alphas had an answer to that. The silence was broken when the roots that formed the entrance to the Hollow began to shift, allowing Greely to step inside.
“There you are!” Liza exclaimed. “Thanks for checking on the other activities. Is everything running smoothly?”
“No problems as of yet,” Greely replied, brushing the snow from his purple cloak. His eyes fell on the pitchers, and he approached the round table to join the other Alphas. “What are those?”
“Pitchers from the Hot Cocoa Hut,” Peck explained. “I found them near the entrance.”
Sir Gilbert cleared his throat. “We believe it’s possible the culprit used these to carry hot water to the statue, then attempted to bury the evidence once the deed was done.”
“Or perhaps someone just brought refreshments to the opening celebrations and dropped the pitchers when everybody started to panic,” Liza added.
“Hmm.” Greely’s voice was dry. “Unfortunately, I believe Sir Gilbert’s theory is more likely.”
Liza’s mouth fell open. “Why? These pitchers aren’t proof of foul play.”
“True,” Greely conceded. “However, I’ve been informed that one animal may indeed have malicious intentions for the Winter Games.”
Sir Gilbert’s eyes flashed. “Who?”
Graham abandoned his hunt for tools and hurried over to the round table. He and the other Alphas stared at Greely expectantly.
The wolf Alpha sighed. “Artie, the arctic fox.”
“Artie?” Cosmo exclaimed in surprise. “No way!”
“It can’t be,” Liza said firmly. “Artie’s been a huge supporter of the Winter Games. You all saw how excited he was at the opening celebrations!”
“True, very true,” Graham agreed, giving Peck a sideways glance. “However . . .”
All eyes turned to Peck. Her eyes were bright as she stared at the purple pitchers. After a few seconds, she whispered, “I saw him near the spot where the pitchers were buried. At least, I’m pretty sure it was him.” Peck chewed her lip, looking around nervously at the others. “I called his name, but he was either hiding or he ran off. I—I figured he was just scared, like the other animals.”
“And that could still be the case.” Liza turned to Greely. “Who gave you this warning about Artie?”
“A reliable source.”
“Yes, but who?”
“I am not at liberty to—”
“Greely,” Sir Gilbert interrupted forcefully. “Now is not the time for secrecy. All of the animals attending the Winter Games could be in grave danger, and as the organizers for these events, their safety is our responsibility.”
“So is the safety of my source,” Greely replied. “Which is why I’m protecting his identity.”<
br />
“Greely,” Peck said quietly. “You trust us, right? Whoever it is, we’ll protect them, too. But we have to be honest with one another if we’re going to solve this mystery.”
After a few long moments, Greely sighed.
“Very well,” he said. “You all know my protégé, Walter. Mt. Shiveer is his home, just as it is Artie’s. According to Walter, the fox has been acting suspiciously.”
“Is he friends with Artie?” Liza asked.
“I wouldn’t say friends,” Greely replied. “Walter prefers to be on his own.”
Sir Gilbert arched a brow. “Not unlike yourself.”
The wolf Alpha’s mouth tightened. “Actually, yes. He does remind me of myself. If he says we need to keep an eye on Artie, I believe him.”
A pensive silence fell as the other Alphas considered this new information. Before anyone could respond, a crackling noise sounded from beneath the table, followed by a high, panicky voice.
“. . . breaking! Come quickly, please . . .”
“My walkie-talkie!” Graham exclaimed, ducking under the table. “I left one at each event location, just in case they needed to get in touch with us . . . Aha!” He emerged a moment later, setting a coconut shell on the table. A circle had been carved out, replaced with antennae, knobs, and a speaker. Graham fiddled with one of the knobs, then called: “Alphas here! Can you repeat that?”
A second later, the voice crackled again.
“It’s the frozen pond—the ice is breaking! Please, we need help!”
“I’m on my way!” Peck was already hurrying toward the entrance, Greely right on her heels. Her heart pumped wildly as she tore away from Alphas Hollow. She’d personally inspected the frozen pond for the ice-skating competition just yesterday, and it had been as solid as stone. If it was cracking now, there was no way it was an accident.
Her mind racing, she pictured Artie’s fluffy white tail as he’d darted away between the trees. Could he be behind this, too?