Hunt for the Panther 3 (9781101610923) by Gerald (ILT) Rachelle; Guerlais Delaney Page A

help thinking that the doors weren’t altogether useless. At least they’d give the panther some kind of obstacle in his path toward dinner. He shuddered at the thought. “What about—”
    “Jem! Jem!”
    Jem whirled around. “What on earth?”
    “Jeeeeem!”
Ronagh came tearing across the clearing, her face the color of an extraripe grapefruit.
    “Now, stop right there!” Uncle Finn was hot on her heels, his own face shiny with sweat.
    “What the flotsam?” Jem cried as the hefty explorer and the tiny girl slid to a stop in front of him.
    “Your uncle is being
horrible
!” Ronagh shrieked. “You’ve got to—”
    “Don’t listen to her,” Uncle Finn huffed. “She just—”
    “You
are
horrible! You’re—”
    “STOP!” Jem bellowed, once again feeling like he’d channeled Scarlet. “What’s going on? Ronagh, you start.”
    Ronagh gave Uncle Finn a poisonous look. “Uncle Finn is… is
experimenting
.”
    Jem and Kapu exchanged a glance. “Experimenting?” Jem repeated.
    Ronagh nodded. “The scoundrel.”
    Jem crouched down and put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Ro, you know he’s a scientist, right? That’s what he does.”
    “I
know
.” Ronagh shrugged his hand away. “That’s the problem.”
    Jem stood back up. “I think you need to explain some more.”
    “I’ll explain,” Uncle Finn cut in. “I
have
been experimenting. And with great effect! Nine of the last ten samples I tested produced a full head of hair on a specimen lacking one! This is it, my boy! The experiment is—”
    Ronagh shrieked and lunged for Uncle Finn.
    “Ro!” Jem caught her by the arm before she could pummel his uncle.
    “And
you
are making a big deal over nothing!” Uncle Finn cried, stepping out of Ronagh’s way. “I thought your vegetarianism was crazy, but
this
!”
    By now, a few other Lost Souls had gathered to watch.
    “Jem!” Ronagh yanked her arm away. “He’s using the animals! For
science
!”
    Jem looked up at his uncle. “You’re what?”
    “Just a few tests,” Uncle Finn huffed. “Nothing that will harm them long-term. You see, I ran out of humans to test my plant samples on.
I’ve
already got a full head of hair.” He tossed it for effect. “As does Thomas.”
    “So he’s using the monkeys!” Ronagh yelled. “He’s feeding them plants and making them all…
hairy
!” She lunged again for Uncle Finn, this time slipping past Jem.
    “Which means it’s working! Ow!” Uncle Finn cried as she pounded his stomach with her small fists. “They don’t mind a little more hair. Who wouldn’t want more hair?”
    “Look!” Ronagh stopped pounding and grabbed Jem by the wrist, pulling him over to a tree. Uncle Finn and the Lost Souls who’d stopped to watch followed. “There!” Ronagh pointed high up into the branches. “See?”
    Jem squinted. “Where?”
    Ronagh whistled, and a few seconds later, a small black monkey came swinging down to see her.
    Except he couldn’t see her, with all the hair in his eyes. He vaulted off a branch, but instead of landing on Ronagh’s shoulder, he crashed right into the dirt. Ronagh rushed over and pulled him up, pushing his hair out of his face. It promptly fell back over his eyes.
    “See?” Ronagh yelled.
“See?”
    Jem groaned. “Uncle Finn! You can’t do that. It’s wrong.”
    “No,” Uncle Finn replied, “it’s
science.
Look at the hair on that creature! It’s beautiful!”
    Jem smacked his forehead.
    “And who else am I supposed to test on?” Uncle Finn looked around at the Lost Souls. Several ducked and covered their heads.
    “How about some pirates in port?” Elmo suggested. “Lots of them could use some more hair.”
    “Yeah,” said Charlie. “Go to port and feed ’em your plants, then go back a few days later and check up on ’em.”
    That, Jem had to admit, was a pretty good idea. Even Ronagh looked somewhat appeased as she began braiding the monkey’s hair away from his face.
    Uncle Finn twirled a lock