Welcome to the Jungle by Matt London Page B

going to think it’s weird that I’m saying this, but I feel like it’s time we call Mom.”
    Rick wiggled a finger in his ear like he thought it was clogged. “Call Mom?! Who are you? What have you done with Evie? Mom will lose her lid when she finds out we didn’t go back to school.”
    â€œI’m serious, Rick! It’s not like she’s going to tell us to give the super root back to Professor Doran. And besides, that stain on the ocean is freaking me out. I’m just hoping that maybe Mom has it cleaned up by now, and we can all go root the continent together.”
    â€œGood point.”
    They initiated the call with Mom, but it was Catherine, not her, whose face appeared on the screen. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were streaked with tears. Evie’s stomach curled in on itself.
    â€œOh, kids! Oh, I’m so sorry!”
    Evie’s voice trembled. “What is it, Catherine? What’s wrong?”
    Mom’s assistant wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Your mother arrived just a short while ago. But as soon as she got here, Winterpole showed up, and they arrested her!”
    â€œWhat?” Rick screamed. “No!”
    â€œOne of Cleanaspot’s rival corporations, called Ink-A-Spot, has accused us of planting the stain on the ocean, in order to profit from cleaning it up.”
    â€œThat’s outrageous!” Evie said. “What a diabolical blot—er, I mean plot!”
    â€œWinterpole said your mother was being held for creating the stain.”
    â€œBut that’s impossible! She was with us when the stain appeared.”
    â€œI know, kids. I’m sorry. We’re doing everything we can to get her free. I’m still trying to get in touch with your father, but I haven’t been able to reach him. Tell your teachers you can’t go home. Whatever you do,
don’t
leave your school’s campus. It’s not safe to be out there on your own. Do you hear me? Stay at school.”
    â€œUm . . .” Evie felt a heavy weight on her chest. She missed the simple days when her father was under house arrest and only Winterpole was trying to ruin their lives.
    Catherine switched off the communicator and Rick turned to his sister. “We have to get back to the eighth continent right away. We need to find Dad, and hopefully he can give us some simple explanation for why he hasn’t picked up anyone’s calls. And then he can help us anchor the continent and come up with a way to set Mom free.”
    â€œOkay.” Evie could not hide the worry in her voice. “Let’s do it.”
    There was another loud thump from behind them.
THOK!
The kids turned.
    The sound was coming from inside a crate that had been left on the bridge. “Do you remember what’s inside that thing?” Evie asked.
    Rick gulped. “I don’t even remember leaving the box here.”
    Evie eyed it suspiciously. By this point, whatever was in the crate had started banging against the wooden sides of the box. Evie took a few steps toward the crate, then noticed that her brother hadn’t moved. “Rick, come on!” she whisper-screamed. Evie’s heart raced as she popped the lid off the box. “It’s a bunch of seeds. And a—”
    â€œAnd a what?” Rick asked, finally approaching the crate.
    â€œAnd a . . . cowboy hat?”
    Suddenly, the cowboy hat moved. Only it wasn’t just a hat. It was a boy. A very familiar one . . .
    â€œHowdy again!” he yelled as he burst from the crate and seeds tumbled off his stocky shoulders.
    â€œSprout! You came!” Evie cheered.
    Rick brushed a few loose seeds off of Sprout’s shoulders. “It’s so good to see you, but won’t Professor Doran be mad you left?”
    Evie shoved her brother. “Ugh! Why are you bringing Sprout down? He’s here. That’s all that matters.”
    â€œAw, Rick,