20

There are few places more disgusting than the interior of a sasquatch’s nose. Not only did hair grow inside, but all sorts of things got stuck up there.

“Gross! Is that a booger?” Pearl asked.

“No,” Ben said, examining the item. “I think it’s a caterpillar.”

The sasquatch didn’t seem to mind. Pearl had found a chocolate bar in the Staff Room, so the stinky creature was perfectly content to sit and munch. The kids worked as fast as they could, snipping, picking, and trimming.

“Don’t do that,” Pearl scolded as the sasquatch stuck the candy wrapper up one of its nostrils.

It was a gooey situation, one that neither apprentice wanted to repeat. Relieved that they’d finished the task, they bid the sasquatch good-bye, then left in a hurry.

Once downstairs, Pearl and Ben returned the clippers to the Supply Closet, dumped their lab coats into the laundry bin, and washed their hands in the Staff Room. What remained of Ben’s yellow hat was a mangled mess, so Pearl threw it away. “You can get another one from Aunt Gladys. She’s got hundreds of them.”

“Uh, thanks,” Ben said, though he didn’t sound very thrilled.

They punched their time cards and thumbtacked them to the OFF DUTY side of the bulletin board. Ben checked his watch. They had a few minutes to play fetch with Metalmouth and to fill him in on their latest adventure. As the dragon bounded after the yellow tennis ball, the lobby walls vibrated, loosening flakes of paint. His tail kept smacking the elevator button, sending the doors into a repeated rhythm of open and close. Pearl had to squeeze into the corner to keep from getting squashed. When the kids told Metalmouth about Maximus Steele, he dropped the ball and flattened his ears. “I don’t like him. He’s mean.”

Pearl was expected back at the Dollar Store to do her afternoon chores. And Ben had agreed to help his grandfather with the brisket. “See ya Monday,” Pearl said as Ben handed the tennis ball back to the dragon.

Metalmouth’s tail thwapped. “Can we play fetch again then? Huh? Can we?”

“Sure,” Ben told him. “I’d like that.”

After the dead bolts slid into place, Pearl and Ben raced down the steps and across the overgrown lawn. They couldn’t use the gate, since it was locked. Even though Metalmouth had the key ring, there was no way he could step outside, into the open, where everyone could see him. So they climbed over a rusty section of fence that they used for such purposes and landed on the sidewalk. The afternoon was sunny, the sky bright blue. No bread crumbs or bits of yellow yarn were needed to guide them home. Pearl knew the streets so well she could have found her way blindfolded.

“Guess I’ll see you tonight at Victoria’s ceremony,” Pearl said, her certificate of merit rolled in her hand.

“Yeah, guess so.”

“I’m glad Dr. Woo is going to find Maximus Steele.”

“Me too.”

But then Pearl frowned. If Maximus wasn’t allowed in the Imaginary World, did that mean he would come back to the Known World and start hunting the animals here? Maybe Dr. Woo could help him get a regular job—but not at the Dollar Store! No way would she work with someone who’d tried to hurt a unicorn!

“What are we going to tell people if they notice the unicorn mane in our hair?” She touched the silky strand, then pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “You better come up with a good story.”

Ben smiled. “No problem.”

They headed down Fir Street, then turned right onto Main Street, where they bumped into Mrs. Mulberry. Had she been waiting for them? She held a box.

“It arrived,” she announced happily. The yellow shipping label read:

Pearl frowned. “You got them already?”

“Yes, indeed.” Mrs. Mulberry opened the box. Inside, a tangle of red worms glistened on a bed of wet dirt. But one worm lay in the corner, barely moving. “Looky, looky, this one’s not doing so well.” She smiled as if she’d found gold in a river, or a ruby in her ice cream.