The Secret of Skull Island Read Online Free Page A

Aunt Edith was out of earshot.
    â€œWhat a dreadful, dreadful meal,” he cried. “Cream of mushroom soup, indeed! It was more like cream of washroom . And that casserole! A combination of chili squares and cheese chow mein.”
    The boys both doubled over, but Maxim cut their laughter short. He pointed a finger at Otis. “You’re obsessed with that book of yours. Don’t start cross-examining people again. You’ll be finding liars everywhere! Good night, kids.”
    â€œWell, I think there are plenty of liars here,” Otis said after Maxim was gone. “What a twitchy bunch! Did you see how that tan guy, Cordell, never made eye contact? Sure sign of a liar. And the way he put his water glass in front of him? The book says that liars put objects between themselves and others, as if they want to hide behind something.”
    Cody nodded. “Everybody was tapping and scratching and moving around. Except for Mr. McNab and Ms. Esposito. But I’m not sure that it means all the others were lying.”
    Otis tilted his head to one side. “I wonder if family business was the real reason the cook left. I have a feeling something is going on here, don’t you?”
    Cody shrugged. “Maybe. The place has a weird vibe, all right.”
    â€œOh, come on now,” said Rae. “We’re on an island paradise and all you guys can think about is some kind of mystery. First it was buried treasure, and now it’s something weird going on .”
    As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a bloodcurdling shriek ripped through the air. Rae and the boys jumped up from the table and raced upstairs.
    They found all the guests gathered in the hallway, clad in pajamas. They were gawking at Aunt Edith, who was screaming at the top of her lungs.
    â€œIt’s a cobra! Or a python! Or a copperhead!” she cried. “Right on my bed!”
    Everyone seemed frozen in shock. Cody and Otis tiptoed into her room. There, curled up on the blue cotton bedspread, was an orange and gold snake at least six feet long.

[Chapter Five]
    I t certainly looked like a deadly snake. It raised its head and looked at the boys.
    Otis looked the snake in the eyes. “This is no venomous snake,” he said firmly. “Cody, give me a hand.”
    Otis moved quickly and grabbed the snake behind the head. Then Cody grabbed the tail.
    As everyone stared, the boys hurried downstairs and outside with the snake. They walked a distance from the inn and set it free behind some trees. They both watched it slither away.
    â€œWell, that’s that,” Otis said, wiping his hands on his shorts. “I wonder where that thing came from.”
    Cody shrugged. “We’d better get back and explain why we grabbed it,” he said. “Everybody will be freaking out.”
    They were right. When they got back to the inn, everyone was downstairs waiting for them. Aunt Edith was sitting at the dining room table, shaking.
    â€œWhat on earth were you boys thinking, grabbing that snake?” she asked, her voice quivering. All of the color had drained from her face.
    â€œYes, what in the world were you doing?” snapped their father.
    â€œThat was a dangerous stunt,” said Maxim.
    Otis held up a hand for silence. “But the snake wasn’t venomous, so it wasn’t dangerous,” he said. “In fact, people keep snakes like that for pets. It was a corn snake. I know, because of helping out in the pet store, Pets Plus, for years. They sell corn snakes there. I’ve handled them many times, and I know one when I see one.”
    â€œYeah, I didn’t realize it at first,” said Cody. “Otis is more into snakes than I am. As soon as he said it wasn’t venomous I knew it was a corn snake, though. They look a lot like copperheads, but they’re gentle.”
    â€œHow could you be sure that it wasn’t dangerous?” asked Albert McNab.
    â€œLike I said,