For Mary Anne A.
PROLOGUE
Ring-ring!
Ring-ring!
Our phone is always ringing.
Ring-ring!
Welcome to Animal Inn. My name is Dash. I’m a Tibetan terrier.
No, I’m not from Tibet. I live in the Virginia countryside. To be honest, I’m not even a terrier. When people outside of Tibet first saw my ancestors, they thought we looked like terriers.
We Tibetan terriers are shaggy and surefooted. We’re known as good luck charms and as excellent companions. This comes in handy because I am a companion to a lot of animals and people.
I live with my family, the Tylers—Mom, Dad, Jake, Ethan, and Cassie—plus six other pets:
• Leopold—a scarlet macaw
• Coco—a chocolate Labrador retriever
• Shadow and Whiskers—sister and brother cats
• and Fuzzy and Furry—a pair of very adventurous gerbils
We used to live in an apartment in the city. But when kid number three and dog number two joined the family, Mom and Dad bought this old house in the country.
Animal Inn is one part hotel, one part school, and one part spa. As our brochure says: We promise to love your pet as much as you do.
Ring-ring!
Would someone please answer the phone?
It could be a Pekinese for a pedicure. A Siamese for a short stay. Or a llama for a long stay. We even had a Komodo dragon bunk in our basement. But that’s another story. It’s no wonder the phone is always ringing.
On the first floor of Animal Inn, we have the Welcome Area, the office, the classroom, the party and play room, and the grooming room.
Our family lives on the second floor. This includes Fuzzy and Furry locked in their gerbiltorium in Jake and Ethan’s room. (More about this later.)
The third floor is for smaller animals. Any guest who needs an aquarium, a terrarium, or a solarium stays on the third floor.
Ring-ring!
Where is everybody?
I know I have excellent hearing, but am I the only one who hears the phone? Maybe everyone else is out in the barn and kennels. That’s where the larger animals stay.
Here at Animal Inn we pride ourselves on calm and comfort. But that was put to the test when we were almost raided by pirates.
Let me tell you what happened. . . .
CHAPTER
1
The day began like any other Saturday morning.
When I padded downstairs, the sun was just coming up. Mom was already in the Welcome Area with a cup of coffee in one hand and a to-do list in the other.
Leopold was on his perch, his feathers neatly groomed. Leopold always likes to look his best.
“Good morning, Leopold,” I said. “Nice day, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Leopold agreed. “Nice and quiet.”
Dad soon came downstairs with an armload of camping equipment.
“Did you find the poles?” Mom asked him.
Dad held up the tent poles. “Got ’em,” he answered. “Are you sure you can manage here alone?”
“I’ll be fine,” Mom said, checking her to-do list. “It’s going to be a quiet day.”
I looked at Leopold. Leopold looked at me. Saturdays at Animal Inn are rarely quiet.
In fact, Saturday is our busiest day. Mom teaches her Polite Puppies class. Dad and Jake host the Furry Pages. That’s when children read aloud to an animal buddy. Then there are grooming appointments and usually a birthday party or two.
“I’ve got it all worked out,” Mom began. “Polite Puppies are going to join Furry Pages. That way I can run both programs at the same time. Plus, Mary Anne from the library is coming to give me a hand.”
“Sounds like a great plan,” said Dad.
My ears perked up. I love when Mary Anne comes to Furry Pages. She always brings cool books from the library.
“We have only one grooming appointment,” Mom continued. “Monsieur Petit. Martha will do that. There are no parties, and we’re not expecting any new guests.”
“You’re right,” Dad said with a smile. “A quiet day.”
I let out a sigh. We needed a quiet day.
The day before, we had said good-bye to 2,311 monarch butterflies. They had been spending a few days at our milkweed patch on their way to Mexico. During the previous few weeks waves of monarchs had been stopping at Animal Inn to relax and recharge.
Suddenly I heard Ethan from upstairs. “Where’s my sleeping bag?” he hollered.
“I don’t know,” shouted Jake. “Did you put it in the pile?”
“Where’s the pile?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah,” chirped Cassie. “Where’s the Nile? Is that where we’re camping tonight?”
“We’re not camping on the Nile,” said Ethan. “The Nile is in Africa.”
“Ethan!” Jake shouted. “Did you feed Fuzzy and Furry?”
“I thought you fed them!” Ethan shouted back.
Mom looked at Dad. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
Dad smiled and shrugged. Then he hurried upstairs to help the kids.
A few minutes later Cassie and Coco came downstairs. Shadow followed in their . . . shadow. Shadow is supposed to be an indoor cat, but she loves to sneak outside.
“Don’t tell anybody I’m here,” Shadow whispered to Leopold and me. She snuck behind the sofa, ready to slip outside if given the chance.
“Princess Coco,” Cassie said, pouting. “The campground says no dogs allowed. They’re meanies.”
“Good morning, Cassie,” said Mom. “Are you excited to go camping?”
“Sort of,” said Cassie. “I wish Coco could come. Maybe I can dress her up like a person.” Cassie took off her jacket and tried to put it on Coco. Coco gave a big shake.
“Coco can help me with Polite Puppies and Furry Pages,” Mom said. “Then she and I can take a nice, long afternoon nap.” Coco flopped down onto the floor with a sigh.
Dad, Jake, and Ethan came downstairs next. It was difficult to see them through the jumble of camping supplies they carried.
“Better late than never,” Leopold squawked.
“Very funny, Leopold,” said Ethan.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to manage here alone?” Dad asked Mom again.
“Alone?” said Mom with a smile. “I’ve got Dash, Leopold, Coco, Shadow, and Whiskers.”
“And Fuzzy and Furry,” added Ethan.
“And don’t forget the guests,” said Jake. “You’ve got four frogs, a turtle, and two hamsters on the third floor, an alpaca in the barn, and a cat and three dogs in the kennel.”
I had to agree. You’re never really alone at Animal Inn.
CHAPTER
2
Loading the car was a bit hectic, but the campers finally left. The Welcome Area was quiet again.
“Ah,” sighed Mom. She sat down on the sofa. “A whole weekend to myself.”
“Leopold is a pretty bird,” Leopold squawked.
“You’re right,” Mom said with a smile. “I couldn’t forget you, Leopold. Or you, Dash.” She gave me a pat on the head.
“There is one thing I need to do,” said Mom. “I need to e-mail a coupon to our mailing list—five percent off any Animal Inn service. After that, it’s Polite Puppies and Furry Pages, a few chores, and then we can all relax.” She stood up and headed for the office.
Maybe this would be a calm Saturday after all. Coco was already asleep on the floor, softly snoring.
“Wow,” came a voice from the bottom of the stairs. “It’s so peaceful down here today.”
It was Whiskers. Whiskers tends to be a little nervous. He made his way across the Welcome Area and happily settled into
his usual spot on the sofa.
Ding-dong!
“Who could that be?” asked Mom, coming out of the office. She hurried to answer the front door.
It was Cassie. She looked like she was going to cry.
“What’s wrong?” asked Mom. “Did you forget something?”
“I miss Coco,” Cassie said with a sniffle. Coco sleepily raised her head.
Mom leaned down and wiped away Cassie’s first tears. “It’s only for one night, sweetheart,” she said.
“I know,” said Cassie. “But I want to stay home.”
Dad soon followed. He held Cassie’s gear under one arm, and Shadow under the other. He shrugged. “One wants to abandon ship. One wants to stow away.”
Mom smiled and took Shadow from Dad.
Dad put down Cassie’s gear. “Try as I might, I couldn’t change her mind,” he said.
“It’s fine,” said Mom. “Cassie can help me here.”
Cassie ran over and gave Coco a big hug.
“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” said Dad.
Mom kissed Dad good-bye, put Shadow down, and went back to the office. Cassie stayed glued to Coco.
“Good try,” I whispered to Shadow.
Shadow huffed. “I sneezed in the car and gave myself away.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re back,” said Whiskers. “We’re going to have a quiet day.”
“You mean a boring day,” scoffed Shadow.
Ring-ring!
Ring-ring!
“Hello. Animal Inn,” we heard Mom say from the office. “I’m having trouble hearing you. Can you speak louder? You’re at the harbor?”
Whiskers looked up from the sofa.
“Today?” we heard Mom ask. “It is a bit last-minute. What’s the guest’s name?”
“A new guest?” said Cassie, perking up. She hurried toward the office door. Coco started to follow her.
“Sorry, Coco,” Cassie said. “You know the rules. No animals allowed in the office.”
Coco flopped back down onto the floor with a sigh.
“The name is Blackbeard?” we heard Mom ask.
“Blackbeard?” Cassie said excitedly. “That sounds like a pirate name.” She disappeared into the office.
“Did Cassie just say ‘pirate’?” Whiskers asked with a worried look.
“I believe so,” said Leopold.
“Awesome!” said Shadow. “Pirates are way cooler than Polite Puppies.”
CHAPTER
3
“Hold on,” I said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Remember what happened with Miss KD?”
Miss KD was the Komodo dragon who stayed in our basement. Before her arrival, there were a lot of misunderstandings about what she was.
“First we thought she was a wizard,” I reminded Whiskers. “Then we thought she was a real, fire-breathing dragon.”
“In the end,” said Leopold, “she was a polite guest and a good friend. And we learned not to believe everything Cassie says.”
“It’s not just what Cassie said,” insisted Whiskers. “It’s what Mom said. Harbor? Blackbeard? It can mean only one thing.”
“A pirate!” cheered Shadow. “To think, a real plank-walking, treasure-seeking, sword-wielding pirate is coming here to Animal Inn.”
We actually knew a lot about pirates. Pirate stories were a favorite choice for family movies and Furry Pages.
“Don’t pirates have crews?” Whiskers asked worriedly. “What if lots of pirates are coming?”
“The more salty dogs the better,” said Shadow.
“Salty dogs?” asked Coco, suddenly awake. “Do you eat them with ketchup? Or mustard?”
“Salty dogs are not something to eat,” I explained.
“Salty dogs are pirates,” said Leopold.
“Pirates?” asked Coco. “Why are we talking about pirates?”
“Haven’t you been listening?” Whiskers asked.
“No,” said Coco. “I’ve been napping. I thought we were having a quiet day.”
“A last-minute guest is coming,” I explained. “The name is Blackbeard.”
Ding-dong!
“Batten down the hatches!” Whiskers screeched.
“Shiver me timbers,” Shadow said with a grin. She snuck back behind the sofa.
Mom and Cassie came out from the office to answer the door. I pointed with my nose to alert Mom that, yes, Shadow was hiding behind the sofa.
“Thank you, Dash,” she said.
To our surprise it really was . . .
Not a pirate.
It was Mary Anne, the librarian.
“Come on in,” said Mom, holding open the door.
“Good morning. I brought books for Furry Pages,” said Mary Anne. She held out a big bag of books. “Cassie, do you want to help me choose some favorites?”
“Yes,” said Cassie. “Can Coco help too?”
“Of course,” said Mary Anne.
“I’ll join you in a minute,” said Mom. “I need to get ready for a last-minute guest.”
“It’s a harbor pirate,” Cassie told Mary Anne.
Mary Anne smiled. “That’s exciting,” she said.
Cassie and Mary Anne headed to the classroom. Coco followed close behind.
“See?” said Whiskers. “It is a pirate.” He buried his head under a sofa cushion. “I don’t want to walk the plank. All I want is a quiet day.”
“It will be a quiet day,” I said.
I hoped I was right.
CHAPTER
4
“Good morning, everyone,” Mary Anne announced. “Welcome to Furry Pages and Polite Puppies.”
As Cassie and Mary Anne handed out books to the children, the puppies tugged and pulled on the carpet squares. The puppies were still learning to be polite.
I had a moment to think. Why would a pirate come to Animal Inn? I couldn’t think of any logical reason. Surely we had nothing to worry about.
Cassie brought Coco over to my carpet square so that she could read to both of us.
“I found a pirate book!” she said excitedly. She held up Eloise’s Pirate Adventure.
It’s only a book, I told myself.
Cassie started reading. Soon I could hear Coco softly snoring. Well, I guess that is the sign of a good bedtime story.
Mom hurried into the classroom. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. She had the phone in one hand and her to-do list in the other.
While the kids read, the parents chatted quietly. Mary Anne passed out puppy snacks, and people snacks too. She and Mom helped the children sound out difficult words.
Soon most of the puppies were snoozing just like Coco. Maybe it would be a quiet day after all.
Ring-ring!
Ring-ring!
“Animal Inn,” Mom answered. “Oh, hi again. Yes, we do have parrot food.”
Parrot food? I thought.
“Of course,” Mom said. “There’s plenty of space for Blackbeard to dig.”
Did she just say “dig”?
“Can you e-mail me the information?” Mom asked. “I’m sure we’ll find a safe place for your treasure.”
Treasure!
A pirate is dangerous enough. But a pirate with treasure to hide? Maybe we did have something to worry about after all.
How could Mom be so calm? Wasn’t she nervous about the new guest? I hurried to the Welcome Area.
“Leopold,” I whispered. “We may have a real problem.” I filled him in on what I’d just heard.
“We’re going to need assistance,” said Leopold. “Follow me to the gerbiltorium.”
We rushed up the stairs to Jake and Ethan’s room. Fuzzy and Furry were lounging in one of their play structures.
“Hi, Dash. Hi, Leopold,” said Fuzzy.
“Care for a snack?” added Furry. He held out a sunflower seed.
“No time,” I said. “We need your help.”
“It involves computers,” said Leopold.
“No problem,” said Fuzzy. “
You’ve heard of a computer mouse?”
“We’re computer gerbils,” added Furry.
“We’re very tech-savvy,” said Fuzzy.
“But it will cost you,” added Furry.
“How many dog biscuits?” I asked.
“Not dog biscuits,” said Fuzzy.
“We’re talking walnuts,” added Furry.
“I can get walnuts,” said Leopold.
“Deal,” said Fuzzy.
“Give us the details,” added Furry.
“We need information about a last-minute guest,” I explained. “Your job is to sneak into the office and print out an e-mail.”
“Easy,” said Fuzzy. “Is the e-mail coming to Mom’s address or to Dad’s address?”
“Or the general Animal Inn address?” added Furry.
“We don’t know,” I said. “But look for any message with the word ‘Blackbeard’ or ‘treasure.’ ”
“Did you say ‘treasure’?” asked Fuzzy.
“We are expert treasure-hunters,” added Furry.
“We have quite a collection,” said Fuzzy.
“We keep it locked in the old chest in the attic,” added Furry.
“We recently added a windup mouse and a rubber hot dog,” said Fuzzy.
“Would you like to see them?” added Furry.
“Maybe later,” I said. “But right now we need that e-mail.”
“It’s extremely urgent,” said Leopold.
“No sweat,” said Fuzzy.
“We know all the passwords,” added Furry.
They giggled and picked the lock on the gerbiltorium. Then they scampered into the heating vent and disappeared.
CHAPTER
5
Leopold and I rushed back downstairs.
Yip! Yip! Yap! Yap! Yap!
The dismissal of Furry Pages and Polite Puppies was a bit chaotic.
Yap! Yap!
Owners were chasing after puppies. Tail-wagging puppies were chasing after one another. Mary Anne did her best to hand bookmarks out to the children.
As Mom and Cassie waved good-bye to the last puppy, a few leaves blew into the Welcome Area.
Treasure Hunt Page 1
