“Pee-yew, Sinbad must have really smelled when he got out of there,” Finch had commented when he'd finished reading. “But he sure was smart. I think he should have been called Sinbad the Thinking Sailor.”
The cape had huffed in disagreement.
That sailor was not so clever. I, too, visited that valley with my old master, the merchant.
“What!” Finch exclaimed before he could stop himself. He looked around. Fortunately, no one had heard him. He pressed his palm over his mouth and continued inside his head, “You went down into that valley? With all those snakes?”
Nay, Master, there was no need. I knew that serpents enjoyed eating warty toads much more than munching men. So I had the merchant bring two sacks. One was filled with fat, croaking creatures. The other was empty. Off we rode to the edge of the cliff above the valley. When my master looked down and saw the writhing, hissing snakes, he nearly fainted. But I advised him to toss a few of the toads over the edge. As he did so, the serpents' appetites were greatly aroused. “Moooore!” they hissed.
“Now it is time to bargain,” I told my master. “Toss the empty sack down into the valley and have the serpents fill it with jewels. Tell them if they bring it up here, you will give them a sack full of toads.”
My master was afraid the sinister serpents would eat the toads and the two of us as well. But I told him not to worry, for I had a plan. As soon as the awful creatures brought up the sack of jewels, I had the merchant toss the bag of toads over the edge of the cliff. Quickly, the serpents slithered back down to catch them. That is how, without risking his life, my master came away richer than a king.
Finch thought for a moment. “But the stories in this book are made up. They aren't true.”
Most stories begin with real experience, Master. I hope you do not think I am a teller of untruths?
“No, of course not,” Finch answered quickly. “You were really smartâand brave.”
Thank you, Master.
“You're welcome.” Fin chewed his last bite of cookie thoughtfully. “If the sides of the valley were like glass walls, how did the snakes climb them?”
They had suction cups on their undersides, Master, like the arms of an octopus.
“Then why did they stay in the valley? Why didn't they crawl up and find their own toads?”
Really, Master Finch, it is quite simple. They were too lazy.
“Oh,” Finch said, although it didn't seem so simple to him. But it hadn't sounded as if the Thinking Cape wanted to answer any more questions.
A sudden burst of wind sent his stack of paper napkins flying. He ran around the table to retrieve them.
“Hi, Finny.”
Finch looked up into the face of his sister's ex-best friend, Kelly Clark. She was with a girl he didn't recognizeâand two guys he did.
“This is Holly,” Kelly said. Her cheeks had more freckles than he remembered. It felt like a long time since he'd seen her, although really, it had only been a few weeks.
Finch slid his eyes over to the other girl. She had short black hair, big blue eyes, and a mouth that hung open as if she were bored. This girl was the reason his sister and Kelly weren't best friends anymore. He narrowed his eyes at her.
“And these two guys are Ollie Rosebud and his brotherâ” Kelly continued.
“I know, I know,” Finch snapped. He glared at Bud.
Kelly rolled her bottom lip into a pout. “Aren't you going to say hello?”
Finch peered across the lawn to where his sister was showing someone a lamp. He looked back at Kelly and shrugged.
“We'll have four lemonades,” Ollie Rosebud said.
Finch squinted up at him. Ollie had a deep voice and biceps you could actually see. He smelled as if he wore underarm deodorant. Probably the girls thought he was hot.
Finch slid four cups across the table. “That will be three dollars.”
“They're supposed to be fifty cents a cup.”
With a black marker, Finch changed the sign from fifty cents to seventy-five. “The price just went up.”
Ollie scowled. “Forget it. Let's look around.” He grabbed Bud by the back of the neck and hauled him away. Holly went with them, but Kelly lingered behind.
“Come on, Kel,” Holly called.
“I'll be there in a minute. I want to say hello to the ferrets.”
Holly stuck out her tongue. “Ew, they look like giant rats.”
“No, they don't.” Kelly knelt in front of the cage. “Hi, Rosie. Hi, Cubby,” she crooned. “I've missed you.”
Finch had a hunch she missed his sister, too. If Kelly didn't want to be friends with Mimi again, why would she have come today? He looked up at his backpack and sent an urgent message: “Cape, wake up! Mimi's ex-friend Kelly is here. Did you think of a way to get them back together yet?”
Master, be reasonable. The powers of a Thinking Cape are limited to what is possible. Who can make peace between a she-lion and a she-tiger?
Finch glanced over at his sister. She was staring at Kelly. But when Kelly looked back, Mimi turned away. “My sister isn't a wild beast,” he told the cape. “She's only a girlâa very unhappy one. If you really figured out how to take diamonds away from snakes, you should be able to solve a little problem like this.”
In a few moments, the wind picked up. It blew across the lawn and swept the tables. Toys, knickknacks, paperbacks, and other items flew off onto the grass.
“Help!” Mimi called as the wind got stronger. She tried to keep the tables from overturning.
Finch hurried toward her, snatching things up on his way.
“Finny, wait! The ferrets!” Kelly yelled.
Finch whirled around. He saw the door to the old ferret cage swinging back and forth in the wind. Rosie and Cubby were scampering across the yard. “Mimi! Rosie and Cubby are out,” he shouted as he began chasing them.
The ferrets disappeared among the shoppers and the items scattered on the lawn.
“Rosie, Cubby!” Mimi got down on her hands and knees to peer under a table.
“Rosie, Cubby!” Kelly poked in the bushes at the side of the house.
“Rosie, Cubby, where are you?” Finch scanned the trees. He looked under cars parked in front of the house. Suddenly, from behind a tire, he saw a cinnamon-colored tail twitch. He reached under the car and scooped up the ferret.
“Ew, ew, ew!” a voice shrieked. “Help!”
Finch spun around. Holly was bent over at the waist. Her hands were covering her face. Poor, frightened Rosie had climbed up onto her back and was hiding in the hood of her sweatshirt jacket.
Running from different directions, Mimi and Kelly reached her at the same time.
“Ooh, ooh, get it off! Get the rat off of me!” Holly shrieked. Nearby, Ollie and Bud were laughing hysterically.
“Be quiet, you're frightening her,” Mimi ordered as she lifted Rosie out of the hood. She glared at Ollie and Bud. “And you losers shut up, too.”
Finch couldn't help grinning.
“I already told you not to call her a rat. She's a ferret,” Kelly told Holly. “She's the sweetest, most gentle creature in the world.”
“Sorry,” Holly said. “I never saw one of those before.”
“I'd better bring them both inside in case the wind starts gusting again,” Finch offered.
“Here.” Mimi tucked Rosie into the crook of his other arm.
Kelly put a hand lightly on Mimi's shoulder. “I'll help you fix up the tablesâif that's okay.”
“Sure.” Mimi flashed a mile-wide grin. They began walking off together, shoulders touching. Then Mimi stopped and turned. “Come on, Holly, you can help, too.”
Finch was pretty sure his sister was going to have two best friends soon. He headed for the house with Rosie and Cubby. When he was far enough away, he checked to see that no one was watching him. Then he gave each of the ferrets a quick kiss on their furry heads.
Â
Master Finch, help!
Fin was just coming outside again when the cape's voice filled his head. He gazed at the tree branch. His backpack was gone. He scanned the lawn and spotted it lying there. But when he picked it up and looked inside, it was empty.
Please hurry, O valorous lion! I am about to be sold.
Finch looked around until he saw a flutter of green. A boy of about four or five was wearing the Thinking Cape. It dragged behind him on the ground as he ran across the yard. For a second, Finch felt as if he were looking at his old self.
“Eric, don't run with that on or you'll trip, honey,” a woman called. “I'll cut it down when we get home.” She held some bills out to Mimi.
Aiyyya! Scissors will snip away my power!
“Wait!” Finch shouted as he bolted to the table. “That cape is mine.”
Everyone on the lawn turned to look at him.
“It was on the table,” the woman said. “That means it's for sale.” She waved her bills.
“It wasn't supposed to be here. It blew out of my backpack,” Finch said more quietly. His ears began burning. He felt like a jerk.
The woman eyed him up and down. “My little boy really likes it. Surely a big guy like you can understand.”
Finch rubbed his eye with a fist. “But my grandma made it for me, and she's not . . . um . . . she's not here anymore.”
For a moment, Mimi gave him a wide-eyed look. Then she put her arm around him. “I'm really sorry, but we can't sell it,” she said sweetly. “My brother and my grandmother were very close. The cape is like an heirloom to him.”
“Oh, I see.” The woman put her money away. “You should have said so.” She gave Finch a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
“Hereâgive your son this. It's free.” Finch held out Daniel, his old tiger.
“That's very nice of you.” The woman carried the stuffed animal over to her boy. Finch followed behind her.
“Look at this, Eric.” As the kid examined the tiger, his mother untied the cape strings. “I'm sorry about your grandmother,” she told Fin as she handed him the cape.
“Er, thanks,” Finch said uncomfortably. His grandma lived in Miami Beach, Florida. She could swim more laps in her condo's pool than he could.
“Capeâdid you stir up the wind?” he asked silently as he carried it across the lawn.
I do not know for certain, though I might have, Master.
“You might have? You never told me you could do anything but think.”
While I sat on a shelf waiting to be purchased, I could not help hearing the weavers whisper many types of magic spells. I may have remembered one.
“Do you remember any others?”
Nay, Master. After more than a thousand years, the words are lost to me. But perchance over time they will return.
Finch stroked the cape as if it were one of the ferrets. “Thanks for helping my sister the she-tiger.”
It is I who owe you thanks, Master Finch. Your quick thinking kept me from being sold. Who knows what would have become of me?
“That little kid didn't look so bad. But I'd better put you away now before someone else tries to buy you.”
Yes, Master. I had no idea how dangerous a yard sale could be.
That gave Finch a chuckle. The cape had faced a valley full of man-eating snakes, yet it thought a yard sale was dangerous. He shook his head as he tucked it into his backpack. “You're too much, Cape!” he said aloud.
When he looked up, he saw Bud staring at him.
17
SHELL SHOCK
“Wake up, Anthony. It's Monday morning. Look what I've got for you.” Finch lifted the screen and lowered a swirly white shell into the tank. The minute he'd spotted it in his sister's collection, he knew it would be perfect for the little crab. Carefully, he set it in on the bottom. For a change Anthony didn't hide. On the ends of their stalks, his eyes watched the new object.
“Go for it!” Finch whispered. “It's nice and roomyâit will make you look like a big shot.”
For a moment, Anthony's two longer antennae seemed to reach toward the new shell. But they stopped short of actually touching it.
“Aw, come on.” Finch was so frustrated he flicked a finger against the tank. That sent Anthony withdrawing into his old shell.
“Oops, sorry,” Finch apologized. On the Internet he'd seen pictures of hermit crabs without their shells. Their pale, hairless bellies had made him think of raw chicken. Yech. Probably Anthony would change his shell at night when he had more privacy. That's what Finch would do if he were a hermit crab.
“I'll check on you later, boy,” he whispered. He looked around for something to do. Last night he'd finished all his homework and read the end of the third book in
A Series of Unfortunate Events.
As usual, Mr. Burns was on the computer.
Finch cleared his throat. “Mr. Burns?”
“Yes?” his teacher answered without looking up.
“Do you want to show me any new yoga positions? I'm pretty good at the scorpion now.”
“Sure. Just let me finish this e-mail to my brother.”
“Is he going to come here for your birthday?”
“Nope.” Mr. Burns shrugged a shoulder. “We've decided to wait until winter break and go skiing together.”
“Oh.” Even though Mr. Burns didn't sound upset, Finch felt bad for him. Last winter, for the first time, his father hadn't been at his birthday dinner. The blob had just been born, and Lisa wasn't feeling well enough to be left alone. So Fin had gone out for pizza with his mom and Mimi. Although he'd eaten four slices, he'd still left with a strange, empty feeling.