The Secret of Skull Island Read Online Free Page B

I’ve handled them lots of times. But besides that, there is an interesting fact about snakes,” Otis said. “You see, non-venomous snakes like this one have round pupils. Snakes with venom in their fangs have vertical pupils, like a cat does.”
    Otis glanced at Rae. “She’s the one who told me about it,” he said with a nod.
    The guests blinked as they looked at Rae. “That’s right,” she said. “I read about it in a textbook of ophiology that my brother brought home from college.” She shrugged.
    â€œBut the study of snakes is herpetology , dear,” corrected Ms. Wallace.
    â€œUm, actually, no, ma’am,” Rae said, looking at her own shoes. “Herpetology is the study of snakes and other reptiles. Ophiology is the study of only snakes.”
    Ms. Wallace fluttered her lashes and raised a hand to her cheek. “Well, well, now that I think of it, you’re quite right.”
    The guests murmured in surprise. All peered at the boys and the girl, their eyes moving from one to the other. “Almost like they’re kids—but not really ,” whispered McNab under his breath. “They’re like walking computers.”
    â€œI have very, very, very good eyesight,” Otis went on. “I looked at the snake’s eyes carefully. I wouldn’t recommend anyone doing what Cody and I did unless you are one hundred percent sure of the kind of snake you are dealing with. It could be deadly.”
    â€œOh, goodness, I don’t like the idea of snakes crawling into my bed,” said Muriel Esposito. Her body shivered as she spoke.
    â€œWell, it’s an island, after all,” said Steve Cordell. “Islands have snakes. It could happen again, you know.” He ignored the glare he got from McNab.
    â€œThe trouble is,” said Otis, “that this island shouldn’t have this snake. Corn snakes aren’t native to the Caribbean. They live in the southeastern United States. Someone must have brought it here.”
    â€œAnyone lost a pet corn snake?” asked Cody.
    The guests were silent. Finally Cordell’s face lit up with a grin. “I think that maybe it belongs to one of you kids.” He chuckled. “You knew it wasn’t dangerous. Kids like to play pranks. Maybe you decided to have a little fun with your aunt.”
    â€œMy sons didn’t bring any snakes with them,” snapped Mr. Carson.
    â€œIt isn’t even an amusing suggestion,” Maxim added, as Rae gave Cordell an icy glare.
    â€œAnd if anyone played such a silly prank, it certainly wasn’t my nephews,” Aunt Edith said indignantly.
    Cordell held up his hands and backed away, but he was still grinning. “Whoa! I was just kidding around.”
    Otis scowled at him. “Not funny,” said Cody.
    Everyone began heading back to their rooms. As the boys passed by they saw Inez, the maid, standing there lost in thought, a strange expression on her face.
    Back in their room, Cody leaned against the door. “I didn’t like what that guy Cordell said,” he fumed.
    â€œMe neither,” Otis agreed. “I didn’t like the way he was acting before, either. There is something else about him that bothers me, too.” He yawned. “But I’m too tired to think anymore.”
    â€œMe, too,” Cody agreed. In moments they were fast asleep.
    *
    When Cody woke up, the light of the moon was streaming through the window. His brother was already sitting up in bed. “I heard something,” he said.
    Cody rubbed his eyes. “What?” Then he heard it, too. Thud, thud, thud, thud. “It sounds like footsteps coming from the hallway. Do you think it’s the pirate?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Otis whispered. He had to admit that at that moment his certainty about ghosts had gone right out the window.
    The two boys slipped out of bed and opened the door slowly. “Who’s