Free The Last Phoenix by Linda Chapman Page A

Fenella with a puffed-out smile. “It’s a pleasure to spoil such deserving young chickadees. Now, don’t be shy. Come up and help yourselves!”
    â€œWell, if you insist…” Michael stepped up and grabbed three of the little slabs for himself and three for Milly.
    Milly took them from him carefully and stared in wonder. Smooth and glowing, each one felt warm and tingly in her hand. As she moved it in the light, it gave off a deep reddish gleam. “They’re beautiful,” she murmured. “Thank you, Fenella.”
    Jason nodded as he counted out three more. “Yes, thank you.”
    â€œThey’re gorgeous,” breathed Jess, taking hers.
    â€œIt’s gold!” said Michael, his eyes gleaming. “Gold, gold, lovely gold!”
    â€œI could tell you some tales about the times I’ve been ordered to weave it,” said Fenella, still panting softly for breath. “I’ve been captured, held prisoner, deprived of food until I gave in…dreadful situations! There was this one time when Sultan Ibrahim the First of the Ottoman Empire caught me in a net…” She covered her eyes as if it was too horrible to remember.
    â€œOh, you poor thing,” said Milly.
    â€œYou look worn out after all that weaving,” said Jess. “You should rest now. We’ll come again tomorrow.”
    Michael shrugged. “Beats getting ready for school the next day.”
    Fenella sighed. “Oh, you are a tonic, my loves. I’m so pleased I found you. Now I can sleep soundly at night again.” She stifled a yawn with a wing. “And I am rather spent.”
    â€œBye-bye,” Milly whispered, kissing the bird on her head. Jason and Jess stroked her wings, and even Michael patted her awkwardly on the back.
    â€œBye, lovies.” Her eyes began to close and she flapped clumsily back into the kiln. “Maybe if I just have forty winks…” She tucked her head under her wing, and soon she was snoring softly, glowing in the red heat of the furnace. Jess carefully closed the kiln door.
    â€œWa-hoo—we’re loaded!” Michael cried gleefully,starting outside. “Who needs the lottery? I don’t know why I looked so fed up in the future. All we have to do is turn this gold into cash and then the fun really starts!”
    â€œ Fun! Fun, he says!” A familiar mumbling, grumbling voice broke through the air behind them. The children stared at each other for a long, electric moment. “I might have known it. I might have expected it…”
    Milly was first to swing round. Floating beside the shed on a little pink cloud was a funny-looking worm with a drooping mustache and a purple genie turban on his head.
    â€œI don’t believe it!” she squealed. “It’s Skribble!”

Chapter Nine
    S kribble’s tiny dark eyes gleamed above his mustache. His segmented body trembled as he bobbed about on the pink cloud.
    Jason beamed. “Skribble, is it really you?”
    â€œCourse it is!” A grin spread over Michael’s face. “The grumpiest genie in the world.”
    â€œGrumpy, I? I, who have impressed popes and princes with my sweet nature? Huh!” Skribble looked set for a major huff, but then his expression softened. “Greetings to you all, my young friends.”
    â€œThis is so brilliant!” Milly ran to the cloud and looked at the magical bookworm in delight. “I’ve missed you tons . Where did you come from? What are you doing here? Can you stay?”
    Skribble looked a little awkward. “I’m afraid I cannot, Milly. I have come here to…” He made a strange strangled squawk. “To…” He opened and closed his mouth, as if struggling for words. “I…I…”
    The children exchanged looks. Normally, nothing in the world could stop Skribble from speaking.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” Jason asked.
    â€œThe matter?”