The Detour of the Elephants by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2017-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

On the Earth Dragon’s Back

“Who did that?” Jessie cried as they all crowded around the back of the car trying to see who on the platform had the duffel bag.

“I don’t see the bag,” Violet said. “There are too many people.” Some of them were pointing up at the cable car. Others were turning around like they were trying to see what was happening.

“It was someone who had on a dark blue coat,” Benny said. “I saw the coat sleeve.”

“I did too,” Henry added. “I think it was a woman. I saw a hand on the strap. It was someone with long fingers and painted red fingernails.”

“I see someone with a blond ponytail and a blue coat. There,” Jessie said. They could see a tall woman walking away from the platform. She had the duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

“Anna Argent,” Violet said.

“I can’t believe she found us here,” Jessie said. Anna Argent had already tried to steal artifacts from them in other places. She was very clever and very quick.

Henry sat down on one of the benches in the car. “We knew the Argents were going to try something like that, but it just surprised me. I didn’t expect it to be here.”

“It’s a good thing it was a decoy bag,” Jessie said as she sat down too. “All the artifacts are still safe.” She patted her camera bag.

“I wish I knew how they found us,” Henry said. “The only people who knew where we were going were Mary, Wenwen, and the owner of the puzzle shop. Tricia said we could trust Wenwen and Mr. Yao.”

“Maybe Mary called someone after we went to the village,” Violet said.

“They wouldn’t have had time to get here,” Henry responded. “Unless someone was following the van all the way from Beijing.”

Jessie knew there was one other person. She got out her phone and called the hotel. The clerk answered. Jessie explained who she was and then asked, “Did anyone call for us?”

“Yes,” the hotel clerk said. “Right after you left. The person said they needed to get in touch with you right away. I was lucky I knew where you were going. I hope they found you.”

“Yes, they did,” Jessie said. She didn’t tell the clerk they didn’t want to be found. “Did the caller tell you their name?”

“It was a man by the name of John Smith,” the clerk said.

“Thank you.” Jessie hung up the phone and then told the others what the clerk said. “Someone made up the name John Smith to find out where we were.”

“That’s very sneaky!” Violet cried.

“Whoever took it isn’t going to be happy when they realize they’ve been tricked,” Henry said.

“Good!” Benny said. “We don’t want them to be happy.”

“No, we don’t, but we want them to go away and not try again,” Henry told him.

“Maybe they won’t open the packages until they are a long way from here,” Violet said.

“I hope they don’t,” Jessie said as she looked back down the slope. “If they open them right away, they will either follow us to the top of the wall or wait for us when we come down.

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