How I Got My Shrunken Head Read Online Free

plane lower. So low I could clearly make out trees and shrubs. The trees all seemed tangled together. I couldn’t see any roads or paths.
    The ocean water darkened to a deep green. The engine roared as the plane bounced against strong winds.
    “That’s Baladora up ahead!” Carolyn announced. She pointed out the window as another island came into view. Baladora was larger than the other islands, and very jagged. It curved around like a crescent moon.
    “I can’t believe that Aunt Benna is down there somewhere!” I exclaimed.
    Carolyn smiled beneath her dark glasses. “She’s there, okay.”
    I glanced to the front as Ernesto turned in his seat to face us. I saw instantly that he had a troubled expression on his face.
    “We have a little problem,” he said, shouting over the roar of the engine.
    “Problem?” Carolyn asked.
    Ernesto nodded grimly. “Yes. A problem. You see … I don’t know how to land this thing. You two will have to jump.”
    Panic made me gasp. “But — but — but —” I sputtered. “We don’t have parachutes!”
    Ernesto shrugged. “Try to land on something soft,” he said.

8
    My mouth dropped open. My breath caught in my chest. Both hands gripped the arms of the seat.
    Then I saw the smile on Carolyn’s face. She shook her head, her eyes on Ernesto. “Mark is too smart for you,” she told him. “He’s not going to fall for a dumb joke like that.”
    Ernesto laughed. He narrowed his dark eyes at me. “You believed me — right?”
    “Ha-ha. No way!” I choked out. My knees were still shaking. “I knew you were kidding,” I lied. “Kind of.”
    Carolyn and Ernesto both laughed. “You’re mean,” she told Ernesto.
    Ernesto’s eyes flashed. His smile faded. “You’ve got to get used to thinking fast in the jungle,” he warned.
    He turned back to the controls. I kept my eyes out the window, watching the island of Baladora sweep beneath us. Broad-winged white birds swooped over the tangled green trees.
    A short strip of land had been cleared near the south shore of the island. Beyond it, I could see ocean waves smacking against dark rocks.
    The little plane hit hard as we landed — hard enough to make my knees bounce up in the air. We bounced again on the bumpy dirt landing strip. Then we rolled to a stop.
    Ernesto cut the engine. He pushed open the cabin door. Then he helped us out of the plane. We had to duck our heads.
    Ernesto carried our suitcases out. Carolyn had her small canvas bag. My suitcase was a little larger. He set them down on the landing strip and gave us a short two-fingered salute. Then he climbed back into the little red plane and pulled the door closed behind him.
    I shut my eyes as the propellers whirred, showering dust over me. A few seconds later, Ernesto took off. The plane nosed up steeply, just barely making it over the trees at the end of the landing strip.
    The plane turned sharply and headed back over the water. Carolyn and I picked up our bags. “Where do we go now?” I asked, squinting in the bright sunlight.
    Carolyn pointed. A clearing of tall grass stretched beyond the narrow dirt airstrip. At the edge of the clearing where the trees started, I could see a row of low gray buildings.
    “That’s our headquarters,” Carolyn told me. “We built the airstrip right next to it. The rest of the island is jungle. No roads. No other houses. Just wilderness.”
    “Do you get cable?” I asked.
    She stopped short. Then laughed. I don’t think she expected me to make a joke.
    We carried our suitcases toward the low gray buildings. The morning sun was still low in the sky. But the air was already hot and wet. Hundreds of tiny white insects — some kind of gnat — hovered over the tall grass, darting one way, then the other.
    I heard shrill buzzing. And somewhere in the distance, the high cry of a bird, followed by a long, sad reply.
    Carolyn walked quickly, taking long strides through the tall grass, ignoring the darting white gnats. I