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Thea Stilton and the Spanish Dance Mission (Thea Stilton Graphic Novels Book 16)

Page 4

by Thea Stilton


  caseta from floor to ceiling, but they didn’t

  find anything helpful. So Violet and

  Paulina turned to Anita and Joaquin’s parents

  and asked if they had noticed anything.

  “Not me. I was playing my guitar the whole

  time. When I play, I concentrate only

  on the music,” said Javier. He sounded upset.

  “I noticed a rodent with a hat, too,”

  Mama Lucia said. “He seemed familiar, but I

  can’t quite put my paw on WHY. . . .”

  AN OLD FRIENDSHIP

  “Now that you squeak it, he did seem

  familiar

  . . . .” Vanessa murmured. “But

  I can’t get a clear picture of him in my mind.”

  “We can help with that!” Violet exclaimed.

  “Paulina, do you have your MousePad with

  you?”

  “Of course,” her friend replied,

  pulling

  out

  her tablet computer. “What do you have in

  mind?”

  “Open the Identikit app! We’ll create a

  sketch of the THIEF,” Violet suggested.

  With help from Vanessa, José, and Mama

  Lucia, Paulina reconstructed the thief’s

  looks.

  “No, his snout was a bit longer. . . .”

  “And his cheekbones a little higher . . .”

  “His

  snout

  was hidden by his hat, but

  his eyes seemed darker to me. . . .”

  After a few minutes, the mouselets found

  themselves staring into the

  snout of a young, mysterious-

  looking

  rodent.

  “That’s . . . that’s Carlos!”

  Julieta cried.

  “You’re right! It’s him!”

  Mama Lucia added.

  “Who are you

  squeaking about?”

  Paulina asked.

  “He’s an old friend of

  Julieta’s, a great GUITAR

  player. They performed

  together years ago,”

  Vanessa explained. “When

  they appeared onstage

  together, their harmony

  took your breath away.

  The connection between

  . . . a

  longer

  snout . . .

  . . . higher

  cheekbones . . .

  . . . that’s

  Carlos!

  contract

  Julieta and Carlos

  performing together

  music and dance was

  perfect

  !”

  “Yes . . . what a shame they

  didn’t last longer!” Mama

  Lucia said sadly.

  “What do you mean?” Violet

  asked curiously.

  “Carlos disappeared just a few hours

  before the performance that would

  have secured them a

  with the

  most important theater in the city,” Vanessa

  explained.

  “

  But why?

  ” asked Violet.

  “I don’t know why,” Julieta SIGHED.

  “Carlos just vanished without a word. I

  haven’t seen him since then.”

  “That’s incredible! But why would

  he come back now?” Paulina asked.

  “I have no idea. And I don’t understand

  why he would take my fan, either.”

  Vanessa shook her snout. “I don’t

  believe that he would really

  have stolen it. . . .”

  “It’s been years since

  we’ve heard anything about

  him,” Julieta said sadly. “We

  have no way of knowing if he’s

  still the kind rodent he once was, or if

  he’s changed.”

  “We’ll find him soon,” Paulina declared.

  “The others are already on his

  trail

  . With

  a little bit of luck, they might have already

  tracked him down!”

  Just then, Paulina got a text message from

  Nicky:

  “Granada . . . that’s where Carlos is from,”

  Julieta said. “He came to Seville to study

  music with a famouse guitarist.”

  THE CHASE!

  “It’s so strange,” Violet reflected. “After

  years without squeaking to you, this

  Carlos pops up out of nowhere. He takes

  your fan and then goes back to his hometown.

  What could he be thinking?”

  “There’s only one way to find out — we’ve

  got to FOLLOW him!” Paulina exclaimed.

  “Yes, let’s go!” Julieta said.

  “My dear, you and Rodrigo have four

  performances in the next two days,” Mama

  Lucia interrupted. “Let Anita and Joaquin

  and the mouselets go without you. Together

  they’ll solve this mystery!”

  Julieta sighed. “You’re right. I can’t cancel

  my shows. But I can help you with the

  search — I still have Carlos’s address in

  Granada. I wrote to him there, but I

  never received a reply. . . .”

  She pulled out an

  address book

  and gave

  the information to Paulina.

  “Before you leave, you

  should go back to the house,”

  Mama Lucia said. “You can’t

  investigate a mystery

  in flamenco dresses!”

  Violet and Paulina burst out laughing.

  They had been so focused on the theft, they’d

  completely forgotten how they were dressed.

  “You’re right, Mama Lucia,” said Violet.

  “In these gowns, we’d stand out like

  bobcats in a bird preserve!”

  Back at the Vega house, Violet and Paulina

  changed and filled their backpacks with

  fresh

  clothes

  for their friends. Mama

  Lucia packed them a lunch and a map of

  Granada. Then she drove them to the

  TRAIN STATION.

  Anita, Joaquin, Colette, Nicky, and Pam were

  anxiously waiting for them at the entrance.

  “Flying fish sticks, what took you so

  long!? Quick, the next train for Granada is

  about to leave!” Colette cried.

  “We DISCOVERED something

  important! We’ll explain everything on

  the train,” Violet said.

  The seven friends scurried on board the

  train. They were in such a hurry, they didn’t

  notice two sneaky SHADOWS spying on

  them from one of the train’s windows. . . .

  Did you notice the two figures in the first train

  car? Do you recognize them?

  shook

  After everyone had changed out of their

  flamenco costumes, Paulina and Violet

  told the others what they had discovered.

  “I was little back then, but I remember

  Carlos! He and Aunt Julieta were inseparable.

  He was a very nice mouse,” Anita commented.

  “That’s how I remember him, too!” Joaquin

  agreed. “He always took the time to play

  with us.”

  Colette smiled. “Do you remember

  anything else about him?”

  The siblings

  their snouts.

  “We’ll just have to go to his house and

  hope to find him there. . . .” Pam said.

  Violet studied the map of the city

>   DESTINATION:

  GRANADA

  back

  carefully. When they arrived in Granada, she

  led them to Carlos’s home without hesitation.

  The city was beautiful, and the mouselets

  wished they had time to explore, but

  first they needed to find the fan. Julieta

  wouldn’t have a moment’s

  peace

  until it

  was

  in her paws!

  Granada

  This Andalusian city is an

  important cultural center that’s

  rich in architectural wonders. Its

  most striking spots are hidden

  in old neighborhoods such

  as the ALBAYZÍN, with its

  narrow streets, white houses,

  and ancient villas, and the

  SACROMONTE, which is built on the ruins of

  Roman catacombs. But the true jewel of Granada is

  the ALHAMBRA, a sprawling fortress built on a

  hillside overlooking the city.

  GRANADA

  Madrid

  Córdoba

  Seville

  large

  Carlos lived in a big building with an

  interior courtyard. Colette, Nicky, Pam,

  Paulina, Violet, Anita, and Joaquin were

  looking for his name on the buzzer

  when a deep squeak

  surprised

  them.

  “Do you need something?”

  It was the building’s superintendent. He

  was a stout rodent with a

  bunch of

  keys at his waist.

  “We’re looking for Carlos,” Joaquin said.

  “We’re

  old

  friends of his.”

  “Ah, the

  musician

  !” the

  superintendent said. “He’s

  not here. I saw him a little

  while ago, but he was in a

  HURRY.”

  “Did you see which way

  he went, by any chance?”

  Anita asked.

  “Oh, sure, I can tell you more than that.

  He said he was going to the jeweler

  at the corner of San Nicolás Square. You can

  wait for him here. I don’t think he’ll be gone

  long —”

  Before he could finish, Anita had

  thanked him, and the little group ran off.

  They scrambled through the streets of the

  Albayzín neighborhood, which was a jumble

  of picturesque white buildings.

  “The square must be at the end of this

  street,” said Violet, examining her map.

  When they entered the square at last, the

  mouselets stopped and gazed in awe.

  On the hill in front of them was

  a truly breathtaking sight.

  “That’s the

  Alhambra

  !”

  Joaquin said. “The

  fortress

  Alhambra

  means “the red citadel” in

  Arabic. The name seems to come from

  the red clay used to build its walls.

  The Alhambra is a walled city built on the side of a hill

  next to Granada. Construction began in 1238, during the

  reign of the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, Ibn el-Ahmar.

  As time passed, the structure grew until it became what it is

  today: an enchanting place, the pride of the city.

  The Patio de los Arrayanes, or Court of

  Myrtles, takes its name from the fragrant

  myrtle bushes that grow around a large pool.

  The Mexuar is the oldest

  hall, where the council

  of ministers would meet.

  THE ALHAMBRA

  The architecture of the Alhambra was designed

  to achieve perfection in every detail. Every stone,

  inscription, and corner was placed with grace,

  harmony, and elegance.

  The Torre de Comares

  (Comares Tower) soars

  over the palace.

  Dozens of cypress trees

  grow in the Patio de

  Lindaraja (Court of the

  Lindaraja).

  The Patio de los Leones (Court of

  the Lions) is circled by 124 marble

  columns. In the center flows a fountain

  decorated with twelve lion statues.

  was once home to the rulers of the

  city.”

  “Mouselets, there’s the jeweler!” Nicky

  exclaimed, pointing to a small shop a

  short distance away. “Quick, it’s closing!”

  But before the Thea Sisters and their

  friends could make a move, the shop owner

  lowered the shutters.

  Everyone looked at one another. No one

  knew what to do next.

  Then Anita exclaimed, “

  Over there!

  It’s Carlos!”

  Anita pointed to a rodent a few yards away.

  He had a backpack on his shoulders,

  and he was busy undoing a bike lock.

  “Are you sure that’s him?” Paulina asked.

  “Definitely!” Anita exclaimed.

  As Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina, Violet,

  Anita, and Joaquin moved toward him,

  Carlos climbed on his bicycle and

  pedaled

  out of the square. A moment later, he was

  zooming down an alley.

  Quicker than a cat with a ball of yarn, the

  mouselets scurried after him. Soon, they

  were

  breathless

  trying to keep

  him in sight. That’s when they heard a cry.

  “Oh! Ouch!”

  The mice turned and saw Colette on the

  CARLOS’S TALE

  ground, holding her left leg.

  Joaquin rushed over to her. “Are you hurt?”

  he asked,

  concerned

  .

  “No, it’s just a cramp!” she replied,

  grimacing

  .

  “Lean on me!” he said, helping her up.

  “Oh no, we’ve lost sight of Carlos!

  My

  bad!

  ” Colette apologized.

  “Don’t worry,” Anita reassured her. “We’ll

  try his house again.”

  The group began retracing their steps.

  Steadily, they drew closer to Carlos’s

  building. After a few minutes,

  Paulina exclaimed, “Hey,

  look!”

  Locked to a pole was

  a bicycle identical

  to the one that Carlos

  had been riding!

  A moment later, the rodent emerged

  from a travel agency. This time, the mouselets

  were determined not to let him

  escape

  .

  They immediately surrounded him.

  “Hey, you’re . . . you’re . . . Anita and

  Joaquin!” he exclaimed, amazed. “What

  are you doing here?”

  “Actually, that’s what we’ve been planning

  to ask you,” Anita replied coldly.

  “Me?” he started, surprised,

  “I’m going back home to —”

  “To hide the fan that you STOLE from

  our aunt?” Joaquin accused him.

  “Wait,

  WHAT

  ? No, there’s been a

  misunderstanding!” exclaimed Carlos,

  blushing redder than a tomato. “It’s true, I

  took Julieta’s fan, but I just wanted to surprise

  her. . . . I’ll show you.”

  Carlos took his backpack off his


  shoulders and opened it.

  “Here, LOOK. Wait . . .

  no, this can’t be right!” he

  cried. “The fan is gone!”

  “What did you say?” Nicky

  asked.

  “I put it in here a moment ago. . . .

  Someone must have STOLEN it!”

  “Are you telling us that someone stole the

  fan that you stole from Julieta?” asked

  Violet, staring him down.

  “That’s not how it was!” Carlos said firmly.

  “I didn’t steal the fan, I just . . . borrowed

  it.” He SANK down on a bench and put his

  snout in his paws. “You see, I haven’t seen

  your aunt since I left Seville, but I’ve never

  stopped thinking about her.” Carlos’s

  squeak was both sweet and sad.

  Who stole the fan from Carlos’s backpack? Why?

  fearless

  “But why did you leave?” Anita asked.

  “I never had Julieta’s confidence onstage.

  She was always so brave, so

  in

  front of an audience. I was always terrified

  of making a mistake and ruining our

  shows!”

  “Stage fright is totally normal,”

  Anita said. “It happens to us, too,

  when we dance!”

  “You just need to be brave and

  face your fears,” Joaquin agreed.

  “I know that now, but back then, I was a

  scaredy-mouse.

  I let my stage fright

  get the better of me,” Carlos said. “I didn’t

  even have the courage to tell Julieta I hadn’t

  written a song for our

  performance

  !”

  “So why come back now?” Joaquin asked.

  “Because now my song is ready. And I want

  to show Julieta that I’m worthy of

  accompanying the greatest dancer in all of

  Spain!”

  “But what about the

  fan

  ?” Colette asked.

  inscribe

  “It was supposed to be a surprise for

  Julieta,” Carlos explained. “I wanted to talk

  to her last night. I was going to ask her

  forgiveness

  — and confess my love

  for her. But when I saw her gorgeous fan, I

  had an idea. . . .”

  “What idea?” Violet asked.

 

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