Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission by Christopher Paul Curtis Page B

the wall under the painted-on window. Using all the strength he had, he pulled his friend up on the dictionary and sang, “Bow-wow-wow-yippee-yo-yippee-yay!”
    From where they were they saw the gnome's eyes come to life; they were so close they could even feel warm, swampish-smelling air coming out of his nose. They lookedup into his nostrils and saw a couple hundred hairs with tiny bits of nose candy dangling off some of them.
    Not only didn't this gnome take very good care of his fingernails or his teeth, sitting in a drafty window for so many years had given him a pretty bad cold too!
    The creature's dirty hands reached out and snatched Steven by his collar. Russell squirmed out of Steven's grip and had just about rolled away when the gnome's fingers clamped around his ankle. Russell grabbed at anything he could but only managed to pick up Great-great-grampa Carter's cranky old dictionary.
    Then, as if the boys and the dictionary were as light as three grains of rice, the gnome tossed them over his shoulder into the blackness of the little window!
    The gnome growled, “Welcome, Your Highness!”
    Before they disappeared, Russell yelled, “I hope he's the scariest thing in here, 'cause if he isn't, I'm really not going to be too hap—”
    The sound of something very large and heavy crashing into water filled both of their ears. A blackness surrounded them that was so powerful and thick that it seemed to smother everything, even their thoughts.
    Good thing too, 'cause both boys were having almost the same one and it wasn't the sort of thought you'd think a couple of future detectives would have, especially not two from Flint.
    Steven was thinking, “I want my mommy!”
    Russell was thinking, “I want my mummy!”
    As the darkness began to lift, a whining, winding-down sound, like a giant vacuum cleaner had just been switched off, came through first; then their sight and their thoughts returned too.
    Steven looked at Russell and Russell looked at Steven.
    They were sitting on the front steps of a wide porch.
    Russell shook his head, rubbed his eyes and said, “Man, Bucko, am I ever glad to see you! I'm having the worst nightmare! That terrible monster at Halo Burger finally snatched me and pulled—”
    “Russell, it isn't a nightmare, that gnome did get us, we came through the window behind him!”
    Russell continued, “… and then in the nightmare you told me that it really happened! I can't wait till I wake up and tell you about this for real!”
    “Russell, this
really
is happening.”
    A voice from behind them said, “It took you two long enough to get here.”
    Steven's eyes rolled.
    Russell said, “Richie-Rich! You aren't going to believe this crazy nightmare I'm having, in it Bucko keeps telling me it's real and you're standing over there tapping your foot with your arms crossed and your lips twisted up the same way you do when I'm awake!”
    She said, “Russell, I think you've been traumatized again. This isn't a dream or a nightmare, this really is happening. And where did you get that thumb drive? I never noticed that before.”
    Richelle pointed at the silvery computer thumb drive that was hanging around Russell's neck.
    Russell raised it so that he could get a better look.
    The thumb drive said, “Oh! This is a nice change of pace, not only have I lost ninety-nine point nine seven percent of my weight, but if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm currently downloading information that is increasing my data storage by an amazing seven thousand and fifty-nine percent!”
    Steven instantly recognized the voice. Even though he'd never heard it before, he knew this was Great-great-grampa Carter's bad-dispositioned dictionary!
    He frowned and said, “Oh, great. Not only is it light enough to carry around, it can actually talk.”
    The dictionary said, “Don't hate, celebrate! And please be quiet while I momentarily shut down to gain all of this new knowledge.”
    Russell laughed and handed the thumb drive