dying from a fit of coughing.
“Homer, stop coughing, you’re embarrassing me.” Gwendolyn slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said to a passing man in a checkered suit. “Which way is it to the Museum of Natural History?”
“Twenty-seven blocks that way,” he replied with a tilt of his head.
Twenty-seven blocks? Homer had no idea The City was so vast. A delivery truck drove past. Homer’s eyes watered as he broke into another coughing fit. By the time his vision cleared, Gwendolyn was a half block ahead.
“Come on,” he urged, tugging on the rope. But the going was slow because Dog decided that it was absolutely necessary to stop and pee on
everything
. He lifted his short leg on an iron fence, a fire hydrant, and a garbage can. “Gwendolyn!” Homer cried. “GWENDOLYN!” She stopped and waited. “I don’t want to go to the museum yet,” he said when they finally reached her. “I need to find a library.”
“Too bad.” She wrapped her arms around her duffel. As they crossed a busy intersection, a bunch of cars honked.
“But I need to do some research,” Homer insisted.
“Whatever. Do it later.”
“I need to do it now, before…”
Before the man named Ajitabh finds me.
“Before Mom and Dad come to get us.”
“Dad won’t come to get us. He’ll never set foot in The City. And Mom has to stay home and take care of Squeak.”
“But I need to…”
Gwendolyn’s hair soared as she whipped around. “This is the most important day of my life, Homer, and you’re trying to ruin it. I’m not missing that party. Do you hear me? I’m not missing it just so you can go to the library.”
Homer was used to Gwendolyn getting her way. He usually didn’t care when she got the bathroom first or when she got to choose which movie they were going to watch. Trying to win an argument with Gwendolyn was like trying to find treasure in your backyard. But more was at stake than a full bladder or a boring time at the theater. “The party’s not until ten o’clock tonight.”
“So?”
“So we have lots of time.”
“And what if we get lost? Or what if we get caught by a policeman who wants to know why we’re not in school?” Gwendolyn set the duffel on the sidewalk, then put her hands on her hips. “It’s too risky. We’ll go straight to the museum and wait for the party.”
Homer clenched his fists. “I’ll be there. Don’t worry. I promise.”
She bit her lip. What could she do? She needed him. His name was on the VIP invitation. “FINE! Go do your stupid research, but you’d better meet me at the museum before ten o’clock or…” She leaned real close and lowered her voice. “Or I’ll tell Dad that you went into another library.”
“I said I’ll be there!”
“You’d better.” Gwendolyn heaved the duffel bag over her shoulder and stomped off.
Homer watched as his sister walked away, her footsteps feisty and determined. The Pudding kids had different interests, no doubt about that, but they shared the same passion for their dreams. Nothing was going to get in Gwendolyn’s way. Homer admired that. He raised his hand to wave, hoping she’d turn around, but she disappeared into the crowd. The towering shapes of the endless buildings made him feel small, as if he might also disappear and no one would notice. He almost ran after her, suddenly afraid to be left on his own in such a loud, stinky place.
“Solitude is the treasure hunter’s destiny,” Uncle Drake had once told him. “While you might begin your quest in a large group, as Sir Richard did with his elephant wranglers and veterinarians, you will face the final test of endurance and intellect on your own.”
I can do this,
Homer thought, but he didn’t feel convinced so he said it out loud. “I can do this.”
“Do what?” A girl knelt next to Dog and scratched his rump so that Dog’s back legs did a little dance. “What can you do?”
Homer didn’t know what to say. He
“Homer, stop coughing, you’re embarrassing me.” Gwendolyn slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said to a passing man in a checkered suit. “Which way is it to the Museum of Natural History?”
“Twenty-seven blocks that way,” he replied with a tilt of his head.
Twenty-seven blocks? Homer had no idea The City was so vast. A delivery truck drove past. Homer’s eyes watered as he broke into another coughing fit. By the time his vision cleared, Gwendolyn was a half block ahead.
“Come on,” he urged, tugging on the rope. But the going was slow because Dog decided that it was absolutely necessary to stop and pee on
everything
. He lifted his short leg on an iron fence, a fire hydrant, and a garbage can. “Gwendolyn!” Homer cried. “GWENDOLYN!” She stopped and waited. “I don’t want to go to the museum yet,” he said when they finally reached her. “I need to find a library.”
“Too bad.” She wrapped her arms around her duffel. As they crossed a busy intersection, a bunch of cars honked.
“But I need to do some research,” Homer insisted.
“Whatever. Do it later.”
“I need to do it now, before…”
Before the man named Ajitabh finds me.
“Before Mom and Dad come to get us.”
“Dad won’t come to get us. He’ll never set foot in The City. And Mom has to stay home and take care of Squeak.”
“But I need to…”
Gwendolyn’s hair soared as she whipped around. “This is the most important day of my life, Homer, and you’re trying to ruin it. I’m not missing that party. Do you hear me? I’m not missing it just so you can go to the library.”
Homer was used to Gwendolyn getting her way. He usually didn’t care when she got the bathroom first or when she got to choose which movie they were going to watch. Trying to win an argument with Gwendolyn was like trying to find treasure in your backyard. But more was at stake than a full bladder or a boring time at the theater. “The party’s not until ten o’clock tonight.”
“So?”
“So we have lots of time.”
“And what if we get lost? Or what if we get caught by a policeman who wants to know why we’re not in school?” Gwendolyn set the duffel on the sidewalk, then put her hands on her hips. “It’s too risky. We’ll go straight to the museum and wait for the party.”
Homer clenched his fists. “I’ll be there. Don’t worry. I promise.”
She bit her lip. What could she do? She needed him. His name was on the VIP invitation. “FINE! Go do your stupid research, but you’d better meet me at the museum before ten o’clock or…” She leaned real close and lowered her voice. “Or I’ll tell Dad that you went into another library.”
“I said I’ll be there!”
“You’d better.” Gwendolyn heaved the duffel bag over her shoulder and stomped off.
Homer watched as his sister walked away, her footsteps feisty and determined. The Pudding kids had different interests, no doubt about that, but they shared the same passion for their dreams. Nothing was going to get in Gwendolyn’s way. Homer admired that. He raised his hand to wave, hoping she’d turn around, but she disappeared into the crowd. The towering shapes of the endless buildings made him feel small, as if he might also disappear and no one would notice. He almost ran after her, suddenly afraid to be left on his own in such a loud, stinky place.
“Solitude is the treasure hunter’s destiny,” Uncle Drake had once told him. “While you might begin your quest in a large group, as Sir Richard did with his elephant wranglers and veterinarians, you will face the final test of endurance and intellect on your own.”
I can do this,
Homer thought, but he didn’t feel convinced so he said it out loud. “I can do this.”
“Do what?” A girl knelt next to Dog and scratched his rump so that Dog’s back legs did a little dance. “What can you do?”
Homer didn’t know what to say. He
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