From Russia with Lunch by Bruce Hale

Author:Bruce Hale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Natalie cleared her throat. “Well, your project is, um, very impressive.”

“Naturally,” said the woodchuck. “Is my project.”

“Why did you choose it?” asked Natalie.

“Vhy? Zhis school is run by morons, losing money. I can help.”

I produced a pencil and paper, to look more writerly. Doodling a dinosaur, I said, “And what about the students? How do you feel about them?”

She brushed her whiskers with the back of a paw. “Pffft, children,” she said. “If I run zhis place, children vould behave much better—like nice little robots.”

Natalie and I exchanged a glance.

“I bet not everyone appreciates your brilliance,” said Natalie.

She was laying it on a bit thick. But the woodchuck smiled.

“Precisely,” she said. “Ze administration resists my best ideas, like putting ze microchips in students. Staff are jealous.”

“Your machines put some guys out of work,” I said. “Do you think they might try sabotage?”

Dr. Lightov’s eyebrows drew together like two caterpillars dancing the tango. “You think sabotage?” she said.

“Could be,” said Natalie. “Anyone in particular come to mind?”

The inventor’s blue laser gaze rested on Cool Beans for a long moment.

“I cannot say,” she said. “Now leave me. I must vork.”

We said our good-byes and beat feet. As we left, the groundhog was muttering to herself, tinkering with her invention, and shooting evil looks at the librarian.

As we stepped outside, I said, “Do you really believe Cool Beans would . . . ?”

“Never in a million years,” Natalie said.

We stood on the top step and blinked in the bright sunshine. The jolly cries of kids at play echoed around us. It all seemed so normal.

It was anything but.

“You know,” said Natalie, “what if Dr. Lightov herself did the sabotage?”

I looked over at her. “That again? Come on.”

Natalie hopped down the steps. “Hear me out. She said she wanted to put microchips into kids to control us.”

“Yeah, so?” I followed her onto the walkway.

“What better way to kick off that plan than with students going crazy?”

“Hmm,” I said, seeing her point. “Create the problem . . .”

“And then offer the solution.”

I clapped her on the shoulder. “Partner, you might be onto something.”

She grinned. “So what now, Mr. PI?”

I scratched my head and looked out at the playground. Too many choices.

“Um . . .,” I began.

Natalie smirked. “What say we stake out the cafeteria at lunch and try to catch the culprit in the act?”

“Now why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because I thought of it first?” she said.

Taking Natalie by the wing, I made a beeline for the snack machine in the hallway. “This calls for a treat,” I said.

“How generous,” said Natalie.

I stopped in front of it. “Yes, you are. So why don’t you treat me to a Pillbug Crunch bar?”

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