The Last Phoenix Read Online Free PDF Page B

wisely. “It will take magic, ingenuity, and a good deal of courage.”
    â€œSo is this why Skribble told you to find us, Fenella?” asked Milly. “He wants us to help you get all these things?”
    Fenella nodded. “I’m a little bit on the forgetful side, as you might have noticed, and me and maps, well—we just don’t get along. I don’t stand a chance of gathering all those things, not with time pressing the way it is.”
    â€œAnd so Skribble said we’d help,” said Jason.
    Michael nodded glumly. “Cheers, Worm.”
    â€œOf course we’ll help!” Milly exclaimed.
    Fenella preened herself. “Well, if you do, you won’t find me ungenerous. I’ll pay you…in gold.”
    Michael gasped. “Gold?”
    â€œSpecial phoenix gold.” Fenella nodded proudly. “Magical stuff, spun from the sunlight.”
    â€œIs it worth something, though?” Michael pressed her eagerly, “Like real gold?”
    â€œIt puts real gold in the shade!” the phoenix cried. “I’ve seen men fight to the death for a speck of the stuff in the markets of old Cairo. Rarer than an eagle’s tears and brighter than the polestar, it is.”
    â€œGold…” Michael’s eyes were agleam. “I can see it now—move over Rick the Slick, there’s a new millionaire in town!”
    â€œShut up a minute, Michael.” Jess looked searchingly at the golden bird. “Fenella, you said something about time pressing. What did you mean by that?”
    Fenella sighed. Her body seemed to deflate a little. “I’m nearing the end of my life, dearies. In this old body, anyway.”
    Milly frowned. “What?”
    â€œI’ve come to know the signs, you see,” the phoenix went on. “Feeling the cold, losing my way, overheating. In a matter of days it’ll be time for my next rebirth—and without all those magical ingredients, my egg will never hatch.” She sniffed. “And this is my last chance, Skribble said so. He told me it is written in the prophecy that only the body that laid the egg can hope to hatch it—and that I will never lay another egg!” Tears glittered in her eyes again. “Oh, dearies, I always got by just fine on my own…But now that I know there’s a chance to have a chick, if I blow it I’m not sure I can go on as the only phoenix in all this big, wide world.” She cradled her unlikely egg and looked imploringly at the Worthingtons. “Can you help a tired old bird, lovies? Can you make my only dream come true?”
    Jess looked at Jason, Michael, and Milly in turn. “Do we need to talk about this?”
    Milly hardly seemed to hear her. “We get to do magic!”
    â€œWe get to go to all sorts of cool places,” said Jason.
    â€œAnd we get away from all the normal boring problems in our lives,” added Michael. “All that and gold, too!”
    Fenella crossed her wings and closed her eyes. “Then…what do you say?”
    â€œWhat can we say?” Jess smiled and looked at the others. “Except…yes!”

Chapter Five
    â€œY ou mean it?” cried Fenella. “You’ll help me?” She whooped loudly and took off into the air. The egg went tumbling. Jason dived forward to catch it. He missed, and it landed with a thunk on the carpet.
    â€œOooh!” Fenella flapped down, scooped up her egg and pressed her beak against it, cooing softly. “I’m sorry, pet, so sorry…”
    Jason was cringing. “Why am I rubbish at anything sporty?”
    â€œThat didn’t look like anything sporty to me, mate,” grinned Michael. Jess gave him a shove.
    â€œIs the egg all right?” asked Milly anxiously.
    â€œRight as pie, I’m sure.” Fenella held the egg to her ear and shook it vigorously. Then, apparently satisfied, she tucked it firmly under her wing. “And