The Eye of the Monkey

by Gareth P. Jones

  “I’ll have that!” he cried.

  But before he even had the emerald in his paws, Ali Up—who had finally recovered from his drenching—staggered to his feet and used one of his swords to slice through the fishing line and seize the jewel.

  “Now, the Eye is back with the great Ali Up,” he cried.

  “Good work, Ali,” said the Ringmaster. He held out his hand. “Now, give it to me.”

  “The Ringmaster has already betrayed you once,” said Chuck. “Don’t let him do it again.”

  “Ignore him,” said the Ringmaster. “I was the one who told you where the stone was, and do not forget I have already paid you for it. Now, hand it over.”

  “The Eye was never yours to sell, Mr. Up,” said Chuck. “You already made the wrong choice in using your magical abilities to steal it for this villain. Now, it is time to make the right choice.”

  “The great Ali Up only wanted money to repair his theater,” the magician replied. “Ali Up never wanted anyone to get hurt!”

  “Give me the Eye,” demanded the Ringmaster.

  The magician pulled himself up to his full height, which was still not very tall. “No one tells the great Ali Up what to do!” he said. “It is time for me to go. Shim shala bing.”

  Ali Up waved his hands dramatically and vanished in a puff of smoke.

  “Quickly, all of you, after him,” said the Ringmaster. “He can’t have gotten far.”

  The Ringmaster and his circus goons sped out of the tent.

  “We must follow!” said Chuck. “We cannot allow the Ringmaster to get his hands on the jewel again.”

  “Wait,” whispered Brother Bataar, placing a paw on Chuck’s arm. “It seems your words convinced the magician to do the right thing.”

  “But he has vanished with the stone,” said Chuck.

  “No. He has gone but look, he has left the Eye.” Brother Bataar lowered his arm and the emerald rolled out of his robe.

  “Talk about keeping something up your sleeve!” said Jet.

  “Now, that’s what I call magic,” said Bruce.

  “I have to say, you meerkats fought well,” said Kamil.

  “I couldn’t have stopped those elephants without your help,” admitted Donnie.

  “And I am in awe of your ability to perform the Lightning Spin Kick, Jet Flashfeet,” said Turbold.

  “I couldn’t have done it without the inspiration of the great Delhi Llama,” said Jet.

  “Oh, remembered me, have you?” said Smo, still hanging upside down from the rope. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to GET ME DOWN!”

  The four meerkats and Smo Ka watched as the sun set behind the Taj Mahal. The Clan of the Scorpion had bid farewell to the Shaolin Monkeys and the Eye of the Monkey outside the big top. They had then scoured the city for the Ringmaster, but he and his circus troupe had disappeared without a trace.

  “Will the monkeys return the Eye to the temple, do you think?” asked Jet.

  “No, it is no longer safe there,” said Chuck. “The temple’s secrecy was its best form of security. They will take it to a new hidden location.”

  “Where’s that then?” asked Bruce, who was tucking into a chicken korma.

  “It’s a secret, Bruce,” said Donnie. “That’s the point.”

  “Oh. Right,” he said.

  “What will happen to Ali Up?” asked Jet.

  “Yeah, I liked him,” said Bruce.

  “Bruce, he trapped you in a box and tried to skewer you with swords,” said Donnie.

  “I know, but he did the right thing in the end,” said Bruce, his mouth full.

  “Ali Up will not be able to return to his theater for fear that the Ringmaster will find him,” said Chuck. “But I daresay he will continue to work as a magician elsewhere.”

  “He should be behind bars, not on stage,” said Jet.

  “It’s hard to imprison a man who can disappear in a puff of smoke!” said Smo. “And even though I was on the wrong end of it, I was still impressed that he could perform the Indian Rope Trick.”

  “I can do that, no problem,” said Donnie. “Watch this.” He pulled out a piece of rope from his backpack. “Sham shala bong!”

  The rope shot up straight in the air.

  “Very clever, Donnie,” said Chuck. “But can you climb it now?”

  “I’ll do it,” said Jet, leaping up.

  “That’s not a good idea—”

  But Jet had already grabbed the rope and started climbing. All of a sudden, the rope wobbled, then collapsed, and Jet tumbled down, landing headfirst in the middle of Bruce’s curry.

  “Ninja-bhuna!” cried Jet, bursting out laughing and wiping curry sauce from his eye.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny about you spilling my chicken korma,” Bruce said sulkily.

  “Come on, it’s only a curry,” said Donnie. “You should korma down.”

  “Oh well, at least you had rice with it,” said Chuck, looking at Bruce with a smile. “It means Jet had a soft pilau to land on.”

  The others groaned.

  “Come on, Bruce,” said Jet. “I’ll find you another curry. We’ve got to keep your strength up. After all, who knows when our next adventure will come along!”

  The pilot of the twin-engine plane looked down at the Chilean mountain range. Even in the fading evening light, he could see all the way down to the southernmost tip of South America.

  But what he failed to see were five small furry stowaways jumping out of his plane and parachuting down to earth. Chuck Cobracrusher, Donnie Dragonjab, Jet Flashfeet, and Bruce Willowhammer were all using parachutes designed by Donnie, with toggles on either side allowing them to steer. Bruce was having the most difficulty, as he had their ancient mentor, Grandmaster One-Eye, strapped to his back.

  “What are we aiming for?” shouted Jet, pulling his right toggle and swooping around in front of the others.

  “The ground,” smirked Donnie.

  “We are aiming for the Academy of Revered Grandmasters, for Grandmaster One-Eye’s school reunion,” Chuck yelled over the sound of rushing wind.

  “Did you really go to school here, Grandmaster?” asked Bruce.

  Grandmaster One-Eye nodded.

  “It seems like a long way to travel every day from the Red Desert,” said Bruce.

  “Bruce, the students who attend the ARG live at the academy,” said Chuck.

  “So, where is this place, Grandmaster?” asked Bruce. “I can’t see it yet.”

  “I’m afraid I cannot see it either,” replied One-Eye.

  “Bruce, remember that Grandmaster One-Eye’s eyesight is not as good as yours,” Chuck pointed out.

  “It isn’t that,” said One-Eye. “I’ve had my eyes shut since we jumped out of the plane. If meerkats were meant to see the world from such heights, they would have wings.”

  “My granddad had wings,” said Bruce.

  “No, he didn’t,” sighed Donnie.

  “Yes, he did. I never saw them myself, but I remember Mom saying she wouldn’t have him in the burrow because he had such a bad case of wings.”

  “I think that would have been wind,” said Jet.

  “Oh. That does make more sense now that you say it,” admitted Bruce.

  “Follow me,” said Chuck, pulling his toggles and aiming for a spot near the top of a hill. When he was moments from the ground, he released the parachute and landed into a roll. The others followed suit, except for Bruce, who took the force of the landing in his knees to avoid flattening Grandmaster One-Eye. In front of them were two large wooden gates. A long golden rope hung to one side.

  “Ah, now this brings back memories,” said Grandmaster One-Eye as Bruce set him on the ground. “Would you give me a moment before we go any farther?”

  “You need time to reflect on all that has happened since you were last here?” said Chuck.

  “No, I drank rather a lot of tea while we were waiting for that plane to take off and I need the bathroom,” said Grandmaster One
-Eye.

  Jet chuckled and the Grandmaster disappeared into a nearby bush.

  “Bruce, keep an eye on him,” said Chuck.

  “What? Watch him go to the toilet?” exclaimed Bruce.

  “Yes. The last time he went, we lost him for an hour,” replied Chuck.

  “Don’t worry,” replied Donnie. “I’ve attached a tracking device to his robe so there’s no chance of losing him again.”

  “I’m looking forward to getting inside and having some grub,” said Bruce, carefully watching the bush Grandmaster One-Eye was hidden behind. “Oooh, I used to love school dinners. Mealworm mash, mealworm stew, mealworm Bolognaise…”

  “We will not be entering the grounds,” said Chuck. “According to ancient ninja code, no one is allowed to walk into the temple without an invitation.”

  “So, no mealworms?” said Bruce, disappointed.

  “Not unless you find them yourself. We will set up camp nearby,” said Chuck. “After the reunion, we will accompany Grandmaster One-Eye back home.”

  “I wish we could get inside and take a sneak peek,” said Jet. “The ARG is the coolest academy in the world.” He scurried onto a rock and jumped up, trying to see over the wall, but it was far too high.

  “Please remove yourself from my shell,” said a voice.

  “Who said that?” asked Jet, spinning around.

  “It was that rock you’re standing on,” said Donnie.

  “That is no rock,” said Chuck. “Jet, climb down at once.”

  Jet leaped off, and a small wrinkly head appeared from under what was in fact the shell of a giant tortoise.

  GOFISH

  QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR

  Gareth P. Jones

  What did you want to be when you grew up?

  At various points, a writer, a musician, an intergalactic bounty hunter and, for a limited period, a graphic designer. (I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the way it sounded.)

  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

  I don’t remember realizing it. I have always loved stories. From a very young age, I enjoyed making them up. As I’m not very good at making things up on the spot, this invariably involved having to write them down.

  What’s your most embarrassing childhood memory?

  Seriously? There are too many. I have spent my entire life saying and doing embarrassing things. Just thinking about some of them is making me cringe. Luckily, I have a terrible memory, so I can’t remember them all, but no, I’m not going to write any down for you. If I did that, I’d never be able to forget them.

  What’s your favorite childhood memory?

  To be honest with you, I don’t remember my childhood very well at all (I told you I had a bad memory), but I do recall how my dad used to tell me stories. He would make them up as he went along, most likely borrowing all sorts of elements from the books he was reading without me knowing.

  As a young person, who did you look up to most?

  My mom and dad, Prince, Michael Jackson, all of Monty Python, and Stephen Fry.

  What was your favorite thing about school?

  Laughing with my friends.

  What was your least favorite thing about school?

  I had a bit of a hard time when I moved from the Midlands to London at the age of twelve because I had a funny accent. But don’t worry, it was all right in the end.

  What were your hobbies as a kid? What are your hobbies now?

  I love listening to and making music. My hobbies haven’t really changed over the years, except that there’s a longer list of instruments now. When I get a chance, I like idling away the day playing trumpet, guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin (and piano if there’s one in the vicinity). I also like playing out with my friends.

  What was your first job, and what was your “worst” job?

  My first job was working as a waiter. That’s probably my worst job, too. As my dad says, I was a remarkably grumpy waiter. I’m not big on all that serving-people malarkey.

  What book is on your nightstand now?

  I have a pile of books from my new publisher. I’m trying to get through them before I meet the authors. I’m halfway through Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, which is written in the amazing voice of a dyslexic boy.

  How did you celebrate publishing your first book?

  The first time I saw one of my books in a shop, I was so excited that I caused something of a commotion. I managed to persuade an unsuspecting customer to buy it so I could sign it for her son.

  Where do you write your books?

  Anywhere and everywhere. Here are some of the locations I have written the Ninja Meerkats series: On the 185 and the 176 buses in London, various airplanes, Hong Kong, Melbourne, all over New Zealand, a number of cafes and bars between San Diego and San Francisco, New Quay in South Wales, and my kitchen.

  What sparked your imagination for the Ninja Meerkats?

  The idea came from the publishing house, but from the moment I heard it, I really wanted to write it. It reminded me of lots of action-packed cartoons I used to watch when I was young. I love the fact that I get to cram in lots of jokes and puns, fast action, and crazy outlandish plots.

  The Ninja Meerkats are awesome fighters; have you ever studied martial arts? If so, what types?

  Ha, no. If I was to get into a fight, my tactic would be to fall over and hope that whoever was attacking me lost interest.

  If you were a Ninja Meerkat, what would your name be?

  Hmm, how about Gareth POW! Jones?

  What’s your favorite exhibit or animal at the zoo?

  Funnily enough, I like the meerkats. I was at a zoo watching them the other day when it started to rain. They suddenly ran for cover, looking exactly like their human visitors.

  What’s Bruce’s favorite food?

  Anything with the words ALL YOU CAN EAT written above it.

  If you had a catchphrase like Bruce Force! or Ninja-Boom! what would it be?

  That’s a tricky one. How about PEN POWER!

  If you were a Ninja Meerkat, what would your special ninja skill be?

  I like to think I’d be like Jet, and always working on a new one. When I got into school, I took the Random Move Generator! We used it to come up with new moves, like the Floating Butterfly Punch and the Ultimate Lemon Punch.

  What is your favorite thing about real-life meerkats? Have you ever met a meerkat?

  I was lucky enough to go into a meerkat enclosure recently. They were crawling all over me, trying to get a good view. It was brilliant.

  In The Eye of the Monkey the Meerkats travel to India, have you ever been to India?

  I went to India for three months when I finished college. It was an amazing experience. I traveled all over, met lots of interesting people, and got so ill that I came back as thin as a rake.

  What challenges do you face in the writing process, and how do you overcome them?

  The challenge with writing the Ninja Meerkats books is mostly about the plotting. It’s trying to get all the twists and turns to work, and to avoid them feeling predictable. When I hit problems, I write down as many options as I can think of from the completely ordinary to utterly ridiculous. Once they’re all down on paper, the right answer normally jumps out at you.

  Which of your characters is most like you?

  I’d like to say that I’m wise and noble like Chuck, but I’m probably more like the Ringmaster as we’re both always coming up with new ways to take over the world.

  What makes you laugh out loud?

  My friends.

  What do you do on a rainy day?

  Play guitar, write, watch TV, or go out with my sword-handled umbrella.

  What’s your idea of fun?

  Answering questionnaires about myself. Actually, tomorrow, I’m going to a music festival with my wife where we will dance and cavort. That should be fun.

  What’s your favorite song?

  There are far too many to mention, but today I think I’ll go fo
r “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz.

  Who is your favorite fictional character?

  Another tricky one, but today I’ll say Ged from the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin.

  What was your favorite book when you were a kid? Do you have a favorite book now?

  As a child, I especially loved The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

  What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

  Raiders of the Lost Ark.

  If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want for company?

  My wife and son, then probably my friend Pete, as he’s really handy and would be able to make and build things.

  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

  I’d like to go to Canada next. Ideally, I’d like to go and live there for a bit. I’ve never been to South America. There are also lots of parts of America I haven’t visited yet.

  If you could travel in time, where would you go and what would you do?

  I think I’d travel to the future and see what’s changed and whether anyone’s invented a new kind of umbrella.

  What’s the best advice you have ever received about writing?

  Don’t tell the story, show the story.

  What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

  Getting published and getting married.

  What do you wish you could do better?

  Draw.

  What would your readers be most surprised to learn about you?

  I’m writing this while working as a TV producer, sitting in a hot editing suite, pretending I’m working hard.

  Read all the Ninja Meerkats Adventures!

  The Clan of the Scorpion

  The Eye of the Monkey

  Escape from Ice Mountain

  available Spring 2013

  Hollywood Showdown

  available Spring 2013

  The Tomb of Doom

  available Fall 2013

  Big City Bust-Up

  available Fall 2013