Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror Read Online Free PDF Page B

poison.”
    â€œPoison?” said Falcon. “You’ve got poison?”
    Pearl hopped up onto the edge of the coffin again and displayed her rear end, which was large, at least in proportion to the rest of her. Jabbing out of the back of her jeans was a long, black stinger. It looked sharp.
    â€œOnce I was eaten by the goat whose blood I desired. How did I escape? With the stinger. I stung him from the inside, then ate my way out. Was I afraid? I was not! I laugh at all death! Ha! Ha!”
    Falcon and Megan stood staring at the Chupakabra with identical grossed-out expressions.
    â€œI do not think you have goats here?” said Pearl.
    â€œYou mean, here in our rooms?” said Megan.
    Pearl nodded.
    â€œNo,” said Falcon. “No goats. I have my lunch fromschool, though. I have a tuna-fish sandwich if you want.”
    â€œAck!” said Pearl. “The blood of the tuna! It is like drinking the salt ocean! Do not speak of this again!”
    â€œSorry,” said Falcon.
    â€œIt is of no importance,” said Pearl. “The three of us—we shall be friends!”
    â€œWhat do you eat, besides goat?” said Megan.
    â€œNectar is what I love the most,” said Pearl happily. “¡Azúcar!”
    â€œSugar?” said Megan.
    â€œAnd you,” said Pearl with a smile, “you also like the sweet things?”
    â€œI don’t know,” said Falcon lamely. “I eat mostly hamburgers and stuff. Chips.”
    Pearl looked at Falcon curiously. “What are you, eh? You are not— un vampiro ?”
    â€œI don’t know what I am,” said Falcon. “Mrs. Redflint said a zombie, maybe. I have all this dead skin on my back.”
    â€œYou do?” said Megan. “Really? Like, a lot?”
    â€œSome,” said Falcon, embarrassed.
    â€œIf only we had a bola de cristal ,” said Pearl. “We could ask the spirit for your fate.”
    â€œA crystal ball?” said Megan. “There’s one in the parlor.”
    â€œActually, it’s more like a jar,” said Falcon.
    Pearl flew out into the parlor and looked at the dark jar of jelly. “Indeed! We shall ask the cristal for your fate! It is what the cristal is for, to see the future and tell us of the things to be!”
    Pearl flew toward the jar and placed her hands on either side of the glass. Then she shouted, “Awaken, Señor Fantasma !”
    A few bubbles rose from the depths of the dark jar. Then a man’s head appeared. He had a big blubbery face and lots of beard stubble.
    Pearl turned to Megan and Falcon. “You see? The cristal awakens.”
    â€œI am…,” said the head. He looked startled. “Where am I? Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?”
    â€œI,” said Pearl, “am la Chupakabra. The famous goatsucker of Peru!”
    Quimby rolled his eyes. “Yackity yak,” he said. “Don’t talk back.”
    â€œCan you tell us what we are?” said Megan.
    â€œCan I what?”
    â€œCan you tell me if I’m a banshee? Or if he’s a zombie—or what?”
    â€œBZZZZT,” said Quimby. “Regulation Ninety-one point two. Diagnosis of the students shall only be done by registered medical personnel. BZZZZT .” He looked sad. “I’m sorry. But look. If you let me out of here, I could,hmm, maybe bend the rules a little. Yes, I think I could. Go on. All you have to do is twist open the lid. It’s a screw-top crystal.”
    â€œWe’re not supposed to let you out,” said Megan. “We were told specifically to keep you in the jar.”
    â€œBy who? Therma Redflint? Is that what she said?” He rolled his eyes. “The dragon lady.”
    â€œSo what can you do?” said Falcon. “If you can’t tell us what kind of monsters we are. I mean, what is permitted by the rules?”
    â€œI’m the spirit of the crystal,” said Quimby.