Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd Read Online Free PDF Page B

where Spuckler and Mr. Beeba were waiting. Gax peeked over and kept me informed of their progress.
    “ SPUCKLER’S GOT HOLD OF IT, ” he said with an electronic beep or two. “ HE’S COMING UP FIRST.
    “ NO, WAIT, ” he continued, “ MR. BEEBA’S PULLING IT AWAY FROM HIM. MR. BEEBA WANTS TO GO FIRST. ”
    There was a long pause.
    “ THEY’RE ARGUING, ” Gax explained.
    I rolled my eyes.
    “ OKAY, HERE THEY COME! ” Gax announced at last.
    The rope went taut as Gax continued to describe their progress. I found myself crossing my fingers and repeatedly checking the knot to make sure it wouldn’t come undone. Finally Mr. Beeba’s head popped up over the edge.
    “Well
done
, Akiko!” he cried as I grabbed hold of his hands and pulled him up to safety. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you!”

    Spuckler hoisted himself onto the top of the wall without assistance.
    “Great work, ’Kiko!” he said, running over to give me a big hug. “I never doubted ya for a minute!” He caught a glimpse of my arm and the spot where I’d cut it.
    “Whoa! What happened
here
?” he asked, holding my arm up to get a better look.
    “Good heavens!” Mr. Beeba cried. “You’ve been injured!”
    “It’s, uh, just a scratch,” I said. It stung pretty badly, though, I have to admit.
    Spuckler reached into Gax’s insides, dug around for a while, and pulled out a rolled-up piece of cloth and a little spray bottle. He sprayed the cut on my arm with the bottle (which made it sting even more for a minute or two) and then wrapped it up in the cloth nice and snug. Gax and Mr. Beeba watched every step of the procedure with great curiosity. Poog just floated nearby with an approving look on his face. I smiled and kept quiet, surprised to see how gentle and caring Spuckler could be when he put his mind to it.
    “Ya gotta
tell
us ’bout this stuff, ’Kiko,” he said, sounding just a little like a scolding parent. “Don’t keep it all t’ yourself like that. Ya could end up with an infection, or somethin’ even worse.”
    “I promise next time I will,” I said.
    “My
word
, Spuckler,” Mr. Beeba said admiringly, “I had no idea you were so adept at treating wounds.”
    “Yeah, well, I’ve had my share of scrapes in my time, Beebs,” Spuckler said with a wink.

When Spuckler had finished with my arm, I thanked him and got to my feet.
    “Come on, guys!” I said. “Let’s go see what’s on the other side of this wall!”
    We all walked slowly across the top of the wall, which was thirty feet or so from one side to the other. The closer we got to the other side, the stronger the wind became. There was a saltiness in the air, and the sound of seabirds grew louder and clearer. The sun had reached the horizon, casting a reddish orange glow on all our faces as we gazed upon the scene before us.
    There, on the other side of the wall, was a dazzling view of the Moonguzzit Sea. The wall had been built parallel to the coastline, leaving just a small peninsula of land on the other side. Gazing down from where we stood, we could see miles and miles of water gently rolling in from the horizon. There was no sign of buildings or other man-made structures of any kind.

    Except one.
    There, at the very end of the peninsula, was a narrow stone bridge. Not just
any
bridge, though. This must have been the longest bridge ever built! It stretched out over the water, perfectly straight, for miles and miles until it disappeared into the horizon. We all just stood there for a minute or two, taking it in.
    “Heavens!” Mr. Beeba said at last. “It’s the Trans-Moonguzzit Bridge! I’d always thought the stories were sheer
fabrication
. . . .”
    “Man oh man,” Spuckler said. “Looks like we got a lot more walkin’ to do.”
    “We’ll never get down to that bridge before nightfall,” I said. “We’d better spend the night up here and save the bridge for tomorrow.”
    “A fine suggestion,” Mr. Beeba said