Jinx On The Divide Read Online Free Page A

world."
    "Betony's different," said Thornbeak. "Just look at you, with your feathers sticking out all over the place. The library isn't some kind of fashion opportunity, Fuzzy, it's a place of serious study. I want to see those feathers properly preened, and I want you back at the perching rocks by sunset."
    "Sunset?"
    "Sunset," repeated Thornbeak. She tucked a few more volumes under her wing, opened the door, and strode off toward the entrance hall.
    Well, fishguts to that, thought Fuzzy. / bet she made up all that stuff about brazzles being unpopular in Yergud. I could sneak off during my lunch break: She'd never notice; she'll have her beak stuck in some boring old manuscript.
    Sure enough, by lunchtime, Thornbeak was hunched in a corner of the library, reading something about peck patterns on pottery. She didn't even look up as Fuzzy hurried past. Fuzzy was doubly glad: She didn't want Thornbeak to ask her where she was going -- nor did she want her mother to see that she'd had some of her spikiest golden feathers dyed black, and her talons painted with pink and orange polish.
    As soon as she was outside, Fuzzy took off and headed for
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    the mountains, which lay between Andria and Yergud. The air was crisp and clear, and it felt good to be alive. She settled down to a nice regular wing beat, and started to sing a disgracefully rude raptorial song her father had taught her, which was used to cheer on the local math team. She felt very grown-up. There would be herds of nobble-heads and packs of snagglefangs up north. Rumor even had it that wild fire-breathers lived in the craters of spitfire mountains, but it probably was just a rumor. No one had seen one for decades.
    She did a couple of backflip swoops and a tricky little triple-twist tumble. She was one smooth brazzle; Yergud would be a piece of fish.
    Felix was aware that he was shivering before he was aware of anything else. He opened his eyes and sat up. He realized he was sitting on snow, so he got to his feet. Everything was pearly gray and misty, as though he'd found himself in the middle of a cloud. Presumably, they were on the Andrian Divide, somewhere above the snow line, but it was impossible to see any detail and therefore impossible to recognize any landmarks.
    It was getting dark -- and it was bitterly, achingly, lung-crushingly cold. He hugged himself to keep warm, and blew into his hands. His breath swirled out like puffs of dragon smoke, dense and white. He had put on his warmest parka, but it was about as effective as a plastic bag.
    Betony stood up, stamped her feet, and gave him a thumbs-up. She was wearing a thick green cloak she'd brought with
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    her, and fur-lined leather boots. She took a pair of woolen mittens out of her pocket and put them on.
    "This feels like the Arctic," said Felix. It took him longer than usual to get the words out, because his teeth were chattering like castanets. He'd probably caught a cold already; he'd have to spend Christmas in bed and make do with turkey soup. Just at that moment, the idea had a certain appeal.
    "Let's get on with it," said Nimby, hovering so that his warp didn't freeze up. "I think this is a spitfire mountain. There are lots of them around here."
    Standing on it didn't particularly bother Felix -- he'd visited both Arenal and Irazu, in Costa Rica. The chances of it choosing that moment to erupt were minuscule. "I thought we were going to find someone who would do the summons safely," he said.
    "That means going to Andria," said Betony. "It'll take ages. I think we should risk it."
    Felix took the lamp out of his backpack. It all seemed a little hit-or-miss. "Suppose the brandee won't release Rhino until I produce a scientist?" he said.
    "Lie," said Betony. "Tell him we're still in your world and we've come here to meet some famous egghead who knows all about gases and solids and stuff like that."
    Felix glanced around at the white expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see -- which wasn't