Rio 2 by Christa Roberts Page B

doing?”
    Eduardo, Nico, Pedro, and Rafael joined the group.
    â€œCarla, my dear, I’ve got news for you. I’m not Bob.” The bird removed his mask, revealing his true identity.
    Jewel glared at him. “It’s Nigel.”
    â€œWho the heck is Nigel?” Eduardo asked, studying the cockatoo.
    Nigel grabbed Blu by the throat again and held out a threatening wing. “Wait! An audience at last!” As more birds and other animals arrived, Nigel relished the attention. “Never hath a cockatoo endured such pain at the hands of so wretched a blue macaw.”
    In the distance, Gabi and Charlie recognized Nigel. “It’s happening,” Gabi whispered.
    â€œAlas, poor Blu, I knew him well,” Nigel went on. “You will pay a painful price for your pestilence.”
    No one saw Charlie take aim with a quill pointed directly at Blu’s heart.
    â€œSteady,” Gabi cautioned under her breath.
    â€œMy ashes, as the phoenix, have brought forth a bird that will revenge upon you all,” Nigel went on, stepping forward.
    Blu looked at Nigel, then Eduardo, remembering his father-in-law’s words of wisdom. “My beak is my most important tool,” he whispered. In one swift motion, he lifted himself up and used his beak to cut himself free. Then he charged Nigel. The two birds were in the middle of a fierce battle of wing-to-wing combat.
    In the distance, Gabi was trying to capture Blu in Charlie’s gun sight, but the macaw was moving around too quickly. But then Nigel pushed Blu back, giving Gabi and Charlie a clear shot.
    â€œShoot! Shoot!” Gabi urged. Just as Charlie shot the quill, Nigel lunged toward Blu. Then he froze, a look of painful surprise on his face. Nigel gasped and rolled over on the ground.
    Gabi gasped. “Nigel!” She raced to his side.
    â€œHard to speak,” Nigel managed to say. “Is this the end? So, so, so soon. I was too young, too talented, too beautiful to live.” His voice was weak. “My final curtain call, and it’s standing room only.”
    Gabi was dripping with poison. She watched, appalled, as Nigel let out a last dramatic breath. His eyes closed and his head flopped motionless to the side.
    â€œNooooo!” she wailed. “No! What have I done? What have I done? I can’t live without you! If I cannot liveth with thee, then I shall not liveth at all!” She gulped. “I just came up with that.” Then, she pushed a drop of poison out of her finger, drank it, and instantly fell lifeless across Nigel’s chest.
    The others watched in stunned silence. Someone began a slow clap, and a smattering of applause followed.
    â€œThat frog is not a poisonous dart frog,” Bia said. “The poisonous ones have red spots on their backs. Everybody knows that.”
    One of the cockatoo’s eyes opened. “What?”
    Gabi opened both of her eyes. “What?”
    Nigel drew in a breath. “We’re not . . . dead?”
    Gabi was blinking very quickly. “But, my parents always told me I was toxic and should never touch anything,” she said, mystified.
    â€œWow, so you’re not poisonous,” Carla spoke up. “You just had really mean parents.”
    Nigel rushed toward Blu, but fell flat on his face. Gabi held tight to his legs. “Oh, wow,” Gabi said, snuggling into Nigel. “So now, we can be together, my Nigel Wigel Wiggle Wumps. I’m never gonna let you go. Gimme a kiss.”
    â€œGood luck with that,” Blu said. He and the others flew off, leaving the frog and the cockatoo alone.
    Nigel’s mind was not on romance. “Wait, wait! Come back!” he shouted as all of the animals left him and Gabi alone together. “You’ll pay for this, Blu!”
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    Jewel leaned her head on Blu’s shoulder. “So it’s settled? We’ll make the jungle our home. . . .”
    â€œBut spend summers