Treasure of the Orkins by Tony Abbott

Author:Tony Abbott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2016-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

The Snitcher guards jumped when they saw beasts entering their camp and shouting at the top of their lungs.

“OUT OF THE WAY, BANDITS! WE FOUND US AN ORKIN SPY!”

“An Orkin!” cried the robber named Corporal Smeed. He scurried over to them with a squad of Snitchers. “And beasts! Beasts who have come into our humble camp! Did the great Ko send you?”

The children looked at one another.

“SURE, HE SENT US!” Neal shouted. “WE’RE HIS SPECIAL FRIENDS. YOU’D BETTER DO WHAT WE SAY!”

The Snitchers shrank back. Corporal Smeed quaked in his boots. “Please don’t hurt us!”

“Then don’t make us mad!” Eric growled in a voice as deep as he could make it.

“Please come,” said Smeed. “Captain Plundit will want to see you immediately.”

Keeah and Eric held Djambo loosely as the friends tramped noisily through the camp.

They found Plundit standing on a small stool amid a circle of mesmerized robbers. He wore a pair of wide-barreled pistols in his belt. He held the treasure box high while inventing the story of how he’d gotten it.

“One thousand Lumpies with cutlasses! Hundreds of spark-shooting wizards! Hah! I vanquished them all!” he declared.

“Yay!” cheered the Snitchers.

“I sank a navy, too —” he started.

But then his eyes went wide when he saw beasts in his camp. “Yikes!” he cried, jumping down from his stool “How … how … wonderful that you have joined us today. With a prisoner! This Orkin will tell me exactly what I need to know. Bring him forward, if you please.”

Djambo whispered to the children. “I have a plan. One of you stay with me while the others search for Max. I’ll try to trick Plundit into letting go of the treasure, even briefly.”

“You got it,” whispered Eric. “Neal, I volunteer you. And be loud. You’re a beast.”

“HOW CAN I FORGET?” Neal shouted.

He pretended to push Djambo, while Keeah and Eric backed away, step by step.

“So,” said Plundit, his grin revealing several missing teeth. “I want to unlock this treasure box! Tell me, or I will force you to!”

“YEAH, FORCE YOU!” shouted Neal.

Djambo closed his eyes. “The … oh, I cannot lie! The box is under a magic spell. Unless the box is opened the right way, it will explode into a million pieces!”

“Ahhh!” Plundit set the box on the ground and jumped away from it. “What kind of treasure is that? Ko can open it himself when he comes for it —”

When he comes? thought Eric. So we were right. Ko is definitely behind the theft.

But why?

Why does he want the blue snowflake?

Plundit pushed his whiskery face into Djambo’s great blue one and scowled. “Wait a second! You must know the spell. You can open it, can’t you? Of course you can! It’s an Orkin treasure. You’re an Orkin. I demand that you open it!”

“He demands it!” snarled Smeed.

“WE ALL DEMAND IT!” said Neal.

Djambo tried to look frightened. “I know the spell, but everyone must help.”

Djambo turned to wink at Neal, then turned back. “If it works, the box should begin to float off the ground.

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