The High Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash

Author:Scott Nash [Nash, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780763632649
Publisher: Candlewick
Published: 2012-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

“Wait!” Junco whispered.

Hillary paused and Junco stumbled into him. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. But listen, I can’t see a thing in here. I am completely blind!”

Hillary chuckled. “Doesn’t matter, really. There’s nothing to see — just darkness in front of us, more darkness behind us, darkness above and beneath us, and dirt all around us.”

“That’s not comforting,” said Junco, shivering.

“You may find the darkness less disconcerting if you simply keep your eyes closed and relax. This can heighten your other senses. At least, I find it to be so,” he said.

Junco thought for a moment, then asked, “You can’t see anything either, can you?”

“No,” said the mole. “I’m nearly blind. I don’t see much, even bright light, so I see absolutely nothing in here.”

“Am I to understand, then, that you navigate this place by, what . . . sound?” Junco asked.

“Mostly by touch . . . and by smell,” replied the mole, who then gave a very audible, very wet sniff. “Ah! See there, no offense to your friends, but they are easy to track. They smell — well . . . let’s just say they don’t smell like my tunnels.”

“So you think they’re still in here somewhere?” asked Junco.

“Quite certain they are, but we still have quite a way to go, I’m afraid.”

Hillary started to press forward, then stopped and sniffed again, causing Junco to bump into him once more. Hillary murmured, “Listen, Junco, I think you ought to know that in addition to your mates, I’ve detected another even stronger scent in the tunnel.”

“What scent?” asked Junco.

“I’m not sure. However, it is a musky odor, not unlike that of fishers . . . or weasels.” Hillary paused. “Can you smell it as well?”

All Junco could smell was dirt. “No. No, I can’t,” she answered.

“If any of those vermin are in my home,” Hillary said with a grumble, “I am not going to be pleased. Not one bit! Despicable, thieving pests, they are!”

“Fishers?”

“No, no, fishers are too big! They’d never fit in my tunnels. No, I’d say weasels are more likely.” Hillary sniffed again. “More than one, I’m afraid, at least two, maybe more. We’d better get moving. Let’s hope we find your mates before the weasels do.”

Junco suddenly panicked.

“Hold on, Hillary!” Junco said desperately. “W-we need a plan.”

“I thought the plan was to find your shipmates.”

“Yes, I know, but our defenses . . . we have none,” said Junco. “And I’m as good as useless down here. I can’t fight what I can’t see.”

“Ah, Junco,” said the mole, chuckling a bit. “We’re not going to fight weasels if I can help it. We couldn’t beat those creatures even if we could see them. No, I don’t fight under any circumstance! I mean, imagine — me a fighter! Ha! My philosophy is to evade and escape as cleverly as possible! That’s my talent, and I don’t mind saying I’m quite good at it.” He chuckled again. “I know these tunnels because they are a part of me. Right now I

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