Phoenix by Jeff Stone

Author:Jeff Stone [Stone, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-375-98759-5
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

I gripped the handles on the motorcycle seat with all my might as I stared over Hú Dié’s shoulder. We powered through the late afternoon sun out of the Cangzhen compound and onto the forest trail I had blazed with my bike. I found myself transfixed.

The world came at me so fast, it felt as if we were time traveling. Trees and ferns zipped past at a tremendous rate, forming permanent green and brown streaks in the periphery of my vision. It was similar to ripping through the undergrowth down a steep slope while atop a mountain bike, only this was much more stable and way faster. Hú Dié kept the handlebars rigidly on track, and I had a sense that she was riding at the very limit of her capabilities. It worried me, but at the same time, it added to the thrill.

My initial rush and excitement about riding on the powerful machine wore off once we broke out of the trees and began to climb our first slope. From there on out, it was work. I had to continuously adjust my balance in relation to Hú Dié’s, whether we were going up a mountainside or coming back down.

When we finally left the mountain trail and entered the village with the well, I was glad to see no sign of the two guys who had tried to steal the GPS. It was dinnertime, and the streets were mostly empty. We passed through there in minutes.

With the foothills behind us, I found that I had an even bigger challenge ahead. I needed to stay awake over all the flat, wearisome pavement before us. Being on the back was boring.

By the time we reached the outskirts of Kaifeng, I was ready to peel myself off the vinyl-covered seat and swear an oath that I would never be a passenger on a motorcycle again. Thankfully, Hú Dié wove through the city traffic even faster than I thought possible, and we arrived back at the shop with half an hour of sunlight to spare. PawPaw should still be awake.

Hú Dié parked the motorcycle in the bike shop’s loading bay, and we went inside, where she led me to a telephone. Next to the phone was a box of rags, and she tossed several to me. We removed our bicycle helmets and shoes, wiping sweat and grime off our faces, arms, and legs.

When we had finished, Hú Dié asked, “Do you know your grandfather’s friend’s telephone number?”

“Yes.”

“All right. I am going upstairs to see if my father is home. I’ll be down in a few minutes. I’ll see if I can find us something to eat, too.”

I nodded, then dialed the number while Hú Dié headed upstairs. PawPaw answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

The familiar voice sent a wave of relief surging through me. “PawPaw! It’s me, Phoenix. I just had a run-in with the dragon bone thieves from Indiana. Are you okay?”

“Phoenix! Dear me. Those two bullies broke in here last night right after I went to bed.

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