Mob Squad by Delilah S. Dawson

Author:Delilah S. Dawson [Dawson, Delilah S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2022-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chug is right on both counts, and I am so confused right now. It’s misty and far away, but I’m pretty sure I’m looking at an island covered in red mushrooms bigger than a house, and I’m also pretty sure I hear plaintive mooing.

“Can we stop?” Lenna asks, looking excited for the first time since she began to suspect we were being followed. “I’ve got to do some sketches, and those cows look really, really weird.”

“I can stock up on mushrooms for stew.” As if in punctuation, Chug’s stomach grumbles. But then again, his stomach is usually grumbling.

“And think of the breeding possibilities if that’s a new kind of mob,” I say, because yeah, I’m always thinking about my animal empire back home.

Mal looks off into the distance, the ocean and meadow seeming to go on forever. “We shouldn’t. Every moment we waste, Nan is in pain and one step closer to—” She shakes her head. “We need to hurry.”

“But…wouldn’t Nan want us to stop?” Lenna asks. “Her favorite thing in the whole world is hearing about new discoveries. She always says, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ ”

And, yeah, I’ve heard Nan say that. Maybe Mal is Nan’s’s descendant, but Lenna is her assistant, and she spends the most time in the little cottage in the woods.

“She can’t hear about new discoveries if she’s dead.” As Mal says the D word, her voice is hard, her eyebrows drawn down.

“What if there’s a new plant or potion out there?” Chug says, shielding his eyes with his hand. “Maybe there’s a chest with an enchanted golden apple hidden on that island. You never know.”

Mal sighs. “Wishful thinking. We have the map. We just need to get the apple.”

“A quick trip,” Chug begs. “I just have a feeling this place is gonna be worth it.”

“And Nan always says to follow your gut,” Lenna adds.

Mal looks out at the island, frowning. “Really quick,” she finally says. “We need to be a lot farther by nightfall. It’s all galloping, after this.”

Chug shifts in his saddle. “It’s a sacrifice my butt is willing to make.”

We dismount and I put up fences for the horses. We only have two boats, and we don’t want to waste time making another boat, so we have to consider who gets to row over to the mysterious island. Lenna has to go so she can record what she finds in her book and look for plants that might be useful. Mal should go because we definitely hear mooing, and she grew up on a cow farm. Chug wants to go because he likes cute animals and is also our resident expert on mushroom stew. That means it’s down to Tok and me.

“You should go,” Tok says. “You’re the one who tamed horses. If it’s some new kind of animal, you’ll probably have an affinity for it.”

“But don’t you want to, I don’t know…” My eyes flick to Chug, and Tok knows exactly what I mean.

“Just keep my brother in line for me, okay? If there’s a mean cow, don’t let him try to hug it.

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