Gregor the Overlander - 1 by Suzanne Collins Page B
Authors: Suzanne Collins
Tags: Fiction, General, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Detective, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Animals, Siblings, Missing Persons
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Gregor.
Now they really had no idea what he was saying, but his tone was so sarcastic, they couldn't miss it.
Boots wriggled from his arms and ran toward the edge of the pillar. "More, Ge-go!" she piped.
"No, Boots! No, no! No jump!" said Gregor, catching her just in the nick of time. "See, this is just what I'm talking about!" he said to Luxa.
He stuffed Boots into the pack and heaved her onto his back.
The Underlanders were baffled by his anger and stung by his tone, even if they couldn't understand his words.
"Well, it was not Boots who needed the lessons, anyway," said Luxa. "It was you."
"Oh, abandon the thought, Luxa," Henry sneered. "The Overlander would never give himself to the bats. Why, when he returns home, he may forget he is no longer in our 'creepy'
land and jump from his own roof!"
Luxa and Henry gave an unfriendly laugh. Mareth just looked embarrassed. Gregor knew it was a dare, and one part of him itched to take it. Just run and jump into the darkness and leave the rest up to the bats. Another part of him didn't want to play this little game. Luxa and Henry wanted him to leap so they could laugh at him flailing around in the air. He guessed they both hated being ignored, though. So he gave them a look of contempt and walked away.
He could feel Luxa positively steaming behind him.
"I could have you thrown off the side, Overlander, and have no one to answer to!" said Luxa.
"So, do it!" said Gregor, holding out his arms. He knew it was a lie. She'd have Vikus to answer to.
Luxa bit her lip in vexation.
"Oh, let the 'warrior' be, Luxa," said Henry. "He is no good to us dead ... yet... and even the bats may not be able to compensate for his clumsiness. Come, I will race you to the pitch pool." She hesitated for a moment, then ran for the edge. She and Henry launched into the air like a pair of beautiful birds and vanished, presumably on their bats.
Gregor stood there, hands on his hips, hating them. He had forgotten Mareth was behind him.
"You must not take what they say to heart," said Mareth softly. Gregor turned and saw the conflict on Mareth's face. "They were both kinder as children, but when the rats took their parents, they changed."
"The rats killed Henry's parents, too?" said Gregor.
"Some years before Luxa's. Henry's father was the king's younger brother. After the Overlanders, the rats would most like to see the royal family dead," said Mareth. "When they were killed, Nerissa became as frail as glass, Henry as hard as stone."
Gregor nodded. He could never hate people very long because he always ended up finding out something sad about them that he had to factor in. Like this kid at school everybody hated because he was always pushing little kids around and then one day they found out his dad had hit him so much, he was in the hospital. With stuff like that, all Gregor could feel was bad.
When Vikus arrived a few minutes later, Gregor got onto his bat without a word. As they took off, he realized how tightly his legs clutched the bat's sides, and tried to loosen up. Vikus rode with his legs swinging free. Gregor let his legs go and found it was actually easier to stay on. More balanced.
"Now we must visit the crawlers," said Vikus. "Do you wish to continue dissecting the prophecy?"
"Maybe later," Gregor answered. Vikus didn't press it. He probably had plenty on his mind with the war and all.
Something else was eating at Gregor now that he had his temper under control. He knew he hadn't refused to jump off the pillar only to make Luxa and Henry mad. And it wasn't only because they'd laugh at him. No mystery why he'd mentioned theme parks. Roller coasters, bungee jumps, parachute drops -- he hated them. He went on them sometimes because everybody would think he was a chicken if he didn't, but they weren't fun. What was fun about feeling the world drop out from under your feet? And those rides at least had seat belts.
CHAPTER 14
They flew through dark tunnels
Now they really had no idea what he was saying, but his tone was so sarcastic, they couldn't miss it.
Boots wriggled from his arms and ran toward the edge of the pillar. "More, Ge-go!" she piped.
"No, Boots! No, no! No jump!" said Gregor, catching her just in the nick of time. "See, this is just what I'm talking about!" he said to Luxa.
He stuffed Boots into the pack and heaved her onto his back.
The Underlanders were baffled by his anger and stung by his tone, even if they couldn't understand his words.
"Well, it was not Boots who needed the lessons, anyway," said Luxa. "It was you."
"Oh, abandon the thought, Luxa," Henry sneered. "The Overlander would never give himself to the bats. Why, when he returns home, he may forget he is no longer in our 'creepy'
land and jump from his own roof!"
Luxa and Henry gave an unfriendly laugh. Mareth just looked embarrassed. Gregor knew it was a dare, and one part of him itched to take it. Just run and jump into the darkness and leave the rest up to the bats. Another part of him didn't want to play this little game. Luxa and Henry wanted him to leap so they could laugh at him flailing around in the air. He guessed they both hated being ignored, though. So he gave them a look of contempt and walked away.
He could feel Luxa positively steaming behind him.
"I could have you thrown off the side, Overlander, and have no one to answer to!" said Luxa.
"So, do it!" said Gregor, holding out his arms. He knew it was a lie. She'd have Vikus to answer to.
Luxa bit her lip in vexation.
"Oh, let the 'warrior' be, Luxa," said Henry. "He is no good to us dead ... yet... and even the bats may not be able to compensate for his clumsiness. Come, I will race you to the pitch pool." She hesitated for a moment, then ran for the edge. She and Henry launched into the air like a pair of beautiful birds and vanished, presumably on their bats.
Gregor stood there, hands on his hips, hating them. He had forgotten Mareth was behind him.
"You must not take what they say to heart," said Mareth softly. Gregor turned and saw the conflict on Mareth's face. "They were both kinder as children, but when the rats took their parents, they changed."
"The rats killed Henry's parents, too?" said Gregor.
"Some years before Luxa's. Henry's father was the king's younger brother. After the Overlanders, the rats would most like to see the royal family dead," said Mareth. "When they were killed, Nerissa became as frail as glass, Henry as hard as stone."
Gregor nodded. He could never hate people very long because he always ended up finding out something sad about them that he had to factor in. Like this kid at school everybody hated because he was always pushing little kids around and then one day they found out his dad had hit him so much, he was in the hospital. With stuff like that, all Gregor could feel was bad.
When Vikus arrived a few minutes later, Gregor got onto his bat without a word. As they took off, he realized how tightly his legs clutched the bat's sides, and tried to loosen up. Vikus rode with his legs swinging free. Gregor let his legs go and found it was actually easier to stay on. More balanced.
"Now we must visit the crawlers," said Vikus. "Do you wish to continue dissecting the prophecy?"
"Maybe later," Gregor answered. Vikus didn't press it. He probably had plenty on his mind with the war and all.
Something else was eating at Gregor now that he had his temper under control. He knew he hadn't refused to jump off the pillar only to make Luxa and Henry mad. And it wasn't only because they'd laugh at him. No mystery why he'd mentioned theme parks. Roller coasters, bungee jumps, parachute drops -- he hated them. He went on them sometimes because everybody would think he was a chicken if he didn't, but they weren't fun. What was fun about feeling the world drop out from under your feet? And those rides at least had seat belts.
CHAPTER 14
They flew through dark tunnels
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