Brass Monkeys by Terry Caszatt

Author:Terry Caszatt [Caszatt, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60734-500-8
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Published: 2010-11-27T05:00:00+00:00

34

return of the wild bunch

“Holy crow, it’s Jack.” I said it way too loudly, and Harriet, Weeser, and Alvin looked at me in alarm.

“Who?” whispered Weeser.

For a moment I was so stunned I couldn’t speak. “It’s Jack,” I said, “the guy I told you about. I can’t believe it. They caught him.”

The other three crowded around me and peered out cautiously.

“He looks exactly like I pictured him,” said Harriet.

“They’ve really been beating on him,” murmured Alvin. “Look at his nose.”

We watched as Jack was dragged down the steamy hall and thrown on passenger walkway, which was now motionless. Grindsville teachers were standing around him, scratching themselves with their long orangutan arms and paying no attention to the disturbance. The two Stormies tried to force a cup of Zorca down Jack. He drank it, but when the Stormies left, I saw him spit it out.

“Yeah,” I said, balling my fist triumphantly, “that’s Jack.”

With a loud screech and a blast of steam, the walkway began moving slowly and Jack joggled his way toward us. I watched nervously as he drew nearer.

“Where do you think they’re taking him?” whispered Weeser.

I tried to steady my voice. “Ming puts everyone through three days of rotten classes before she takes their Amberlight. So I’m guessing Jack is heading for the teacher part of the classes, wherever those are.”

“They must be terrible,” said Harriet.

I nodded. “They have to be.” I paused and my eyes widened. “Waitaminnit,” I burst out. “Look just behind Jack. See the woman with the dark curly hair?”

“Lilah?” said Harriet in that clear, logical way of hers.

“Yeah, Lilah!” I said, happily. “And that guy to her right, the one with the bushy brown hair and the gappy teeth. That’s Teddy!”

“He looks like he’s hurt bad,” said Alvin.

“But Lilah’s still looking around,” commented Weeser. “She looks smart.”

“Listen,” I said, “she’s like the most intelligent, fabulous, musical …”

As we watched, a passing Stormie snapped his whip at Lilah and I heard her even-toned voice rise in pain.

I stiffened with anger and started to grab the handle of the door.

“Easy, Tonka-buddy,” Alvin whispered quickly. “Don’t get carried away.”

Jack was approaching our hiding spot now and he was standing in a slumped way, as if he were about to pass out. When he went by he looked up and saw me. Right away he stopped the phony slump. He straightened and made a “What?” gesture with his hands. It was Jack, tough as ever.

That did it. “I’ve got to help him,” I blurted out.

The other three gaped at me fearfully.

“Tonka-bud,” began Alvin in a nervous voice.

“What can you do?” Harriet broke in.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to do something. Jack is the only person who can get all of us out of here in one piece. I just know it.” I started to pace in the little room, my mind racing. I crossed to the film projector and grabbed up a tin film container. I opened it and it was empty. I stuffed Brass Monkeys in and replaced the cover, then put the container on the cart.

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