CHAPTER 16

Did you know ghosts sometimes think of living people as very noisy, easily frightened receptacles of oxygen?

It’s not something they often discuss, because, as another ghost would quickly point out, that’s incredibly rude.

“GREAT PARSNIPS! MAGGIE!” The tallest ghost dove to the front, pushing the shorter ghost back with an aggressive shove. “Manners!”

“HEY!” the shorter one snapped.

“My sincerest apologies,” the tall ghost explained. “Margaret is not used to . . . company. None of us are, but that does NOT excuse that sort of language.”

“BEANS!” Maggie growled from behind the other ghosts.

The tall ghost cleared her throat, a leftover habit from her own time as a breathbag . . . er, living scout. Speaking in what seemed to Molly and April to be a bit of a British accent, she continued. “Thank you for coming. Of course, we must apologize for the ‘Boo’ earlier. It was, upon reflection, quite uncalled for.”

“I thought it was funny,” Maggie the ghost piped in. “Bunch of sprouts. Sent you RUNNING!”

“Ahem,” the tall ghost clipped, with a frown. “It was rude and we apologize.”

“Sorry,” Maggie deadpanned. “I mean, if we had KNOWN you were coming—”

“Boo-ing,” the tall ghost interrupted, “is a ghost maneuver only called for in very specific situations.”

April wondered what those would be. She could think of six.

Wait.

Seven.

“Apology accepted,” Mal said.

“We are,” the ghost continued, “as Maggie has said, the scouts of Daedalus cabin. And, of course, we welcome you.”

Roanoke all nodded appreciatively. “Thanks!”

“I am Deborah Anne Delores Fellow,” the tall ghost continued.

“I am Margaret Rosaline Caroline Li, but you can call me Maggie.” The growly, curly-haired scout raised her hand and shook it like a rag doll. “Do NOT call me Margaret.”

“My name is Heddie Eleanor Rebecca Ross.” The ghost with the braids waved. “Hello.”

“I’m Claudia Elizabeth Grace Kelly.” A ghost scout with a pair of thin wire spectacles slipped forward.

There was a pause.

“And you are?” Deborah asked, holding out her hand.

“OH! Um. I’ll do this.” Molly stepped forward. “I’m Molly. This is April, Jo, Mal, and Ripley. And that’s Bubbles. We’re Roanoke cabin. And we’re really happy to meet you.”

Roanoke waved, eyes wide. “Hey,” they all said in unison, with a smile.

“I hope we’re not intruding,” Molly continued. “We were under the impression that you wanted us here.”

“Yes. We should confess, Claudia is the one who has been borrowing your socks,” Deborah noted.

“We thought she was just COLLECTING them,” Heddie added. “We didn’t know they were STOLEN.”

Deborah looked at Claudia with what for even a ghost must have qualified as a deadly glare. “Perhaps you could explain, Claudia, your reasoning for this very un-Lumberghost behavior.”

“Of course.” Claudia nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes that glowed slightly green. “My reasoning was . . . Yes. You see, we have been scouts here, Lumberghosts, for—”

“Guess how long!” Maggie cut in from behind Deborah.

“A hundred years?” April guessed.

“MASHED POTATOES!!” Maggie scoffed. “A HUNDRED YEARS? What kind of corn-brained—”

“MAGGIE!” Deborah shot Maggie another look. “Great gourds! Perhaps you could be a little more Lumberghost and a little less GHOUL?!”

“It’s been a long time,” Claudia broke in. “But beyond that, the reason I brought you here is . . .”

Everyone, ghosts included, leaned in to hear Claudia’s explanation.

April turned and whispered at a level only Jo could hear. “Please ask us to take part in the first annual ghost games please ask us to take part in the first annual ghost games please ask us to take part in the first annual ghost games please ask us to take part in the first annual ghost games.”

“Badges,” Claudia finished. “I, or, WE, would like you to help us acquire badges.”

“Badges,” Deborah coughed.

“Badges,” Maggie sputtered.

“Yes.” Claudia turned to her fellow ghost scouts and raised her hands in a small celebratory gesture. “Surprise!”

April threw her head back. “GREAT NALO HOPKINSON! THAT IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN GHOST GAMES!”

“Interesting,” Jo said. By which she meant, interesting that Claudia’s plan meant acquiring badges, and also, interesting that this was news to her fellow scouts.

April jogged from foot to foot with giddy excitement. “You mean you want us to help you get amazing super-cool badges! Badges for LUMBERGHOSTS?!”

Claudia looked around. “I’m sorry, I’m not clear, are you angered by this request?”

Mal shook her head. “No, that’s just April’s way of telling you, ‘Yes, of course we will help you get badges.’”

“WOOT WOOT!” April waved her arms in the air, almost knocking over Ripley. “It’s OPERATION GHOST BADGES POSSIBLY TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST ANNUAL GHOST GAMES WHICH I WILL HELP ORGANIZE AND WILL INVOLVE A GHOST CUP AS A PRIIIIIZE!”