CHAPTER EIGHT

It had a body like a tiny deer’s.

But it had wings.

And claws on its front legs.

And hooves in the back.

And sharp teeth.

And it was blue. Except for its belly and its wings, which were red.

And a face that looked, more than anything, like a tiny dragon’s.

Elliot would have been insanely terrified, except for the fact that it was rather small. About the size of a cat.

Also, it was completely caught in a tangle of pink ribbon.

“Good gracious!” Elliot muttered. “What is that thing?”

“No idea,” breathed Uchenna.

They watched the little creature. It was rolling around on the sunny ground, trying to escape the loops of ribbon that wound around its chest and neck.

“Maybe we should help it,” Uchenna said.

“Absolutely not! Do not touch it, under any circumstances! Wild creatures can be incredibly dangerous!”

The little creature continued to fight with the ribbon. The harder it fought, the tighter the ribbon seemed to constrict. After another moment, the animal fell still. Its tiny flank rose and fell, rose and fell. It was struggling to breathe.

“I think it’s in more danger than we are,” Uchenna said.

She moved toward the strange animal, dragging her knees across the sunny clearing.

“Careful!” Elliot hissed.

But Uchenna was purring. “Shhh . . . ,” she purred. “Shhh . . .”

The animal caught sight of her. One of its large round eyes focused on her.

Uchenna inched forward.

The creature started to growl, deep in its throat.

“Uchenna,” Elliot whispered. “This is a horrible idea.”

But Uchenna just purred. “Shhh . . . Shhh . . .” And still her knees slid over the muddy turf. “Shhh . . . Shhh . . .” She reached out her hand. The little beast was still growling. She touched its forehead. Slowly, she ran her hand over the long ridge of its skull. “It’s soft,” Uchenna whispered. “And velvety. It’s kinda nice.”

“You’re kidding.”

Uchenna stroked the creature’s head again and again. After a while, it stopped growling at her. Its eyelids, which came from the sides of its eyes, began to flutter. Its red wings curled up against its body. It exhaled through the two round nostrils at the end of its blue snout. Its body began to relax.

“Okay,” Uchenna whispered. “Now come over here and take this stuff off it.”

“What!?” Elliot cried.

The animal’s eyes shot open.

“Shhh!” Uchenna hissed at Elliot. And then she started to purr again. “Shhh . . . Shhh . . .” She continued to stroke the creature’s blue head.

After a moment, the little beast’s eyelids closed once more. “Now,” Uchenna whispered. “Quietly come over here and take this ribbon off.”

“Fine,” Elliot snapped. “But if I die, I’m suing you.”

“Right. That makes sense.”

Elliot, very unhappily, let his hands fall into the mud, and then he began crawling on all fours toward the creature. When he arrived, he breathed through his nose, set his chin, and then reached out for the ribbon that was wrapped around the animal’s neck. It was twisted into a loop. He took hold of it. “Shhh,” Uchenna murmured. Slowly, Elliot pulled the loop over the creature’s head.

Suddenly, its eye opened.

“AHHH!” Elliot screamed. “It was a trap!”

“Shhh!” Uchenna hissed.

The little creature jumped up, the ribbon now around its jaw and over one eye.

Elliot and Uchenna fell backward. “It was a trap . . . ,” Elliot mumbled. “It was a trap. . . .”

The beast growled at them, its one free eye round and furious.

“It wasn’t a trap!” Uchenna hissed. “You just scared it.”

The animal tried to snap at them, but the ribbon held its mouth closed. Its claws dug into the earth.

“Shhh . . . ,” Uchenna purred.

But the creature was done being soothed.

It was angry.