Amos Goes Bananas Read Free

you want?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Right.” Amos winced. “Dunc, you
never
want nothing.”
    “Well, now that you mention it, we might want to make another little trip out to C.U.P.I.D. and check things out—just to be sure no one’s trying to kill anyone or anything.”
    “Oh, good—I thought it might be something
dangerous
.”

Amos sat on his bike with his arms folded—waiting.
    Dunc was talking to the security guard, trying to convince him to let them in. “No, we don’t have a pass. See, today is our first day on the job. We’ll be in charge of … of cleaning cages.”
    The guard looked the boys up and down. “This is a government installation, kid, and nobody gets in without a pass.”
    “Okay.” Dunc started to turn his bike around. “But I sure wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when those cages get full of … well, you know, and the scientists need somebody to blame for it. Why, they might even need you to do the job yourself.”
    “You have a point there.” The guard pushed his cap back. “Tell you what. Circumstances being what they are, just this once, I’ll open the gate.” His voice turned gruff. “But tomorrow, you two better have a pass.”
    “No problem.” Dunc rolled his bike through the chain-link gate. “Thanks.”
    Amos followed. When they were well away from the gate, he pedaled beside Dunc. “Now what? How are you going to get us inside Louise’s building?”
    Dunc parked his bike. “Follow me.” He walked up the wooden steps of a red brick building with a sign above the door that read SUPPLY .
    A woman wearing a white coat came through the door. “No one’s ever around when you need them.” She wrote something on her clipboard, then noticed the boys.
    “It won’t do you any good to go in there. Henry’s not there. Nobody is. Pretty sloppy way to run things, if you ask me.”
    “Yes ma’am,” Dunc agreed. “Maybe we’ll just wait around awhile for Henry to get back.”
    The woman shrugged. “Suit yourselves. Sometimes he doesn’t show up for hours.”
    “Oh, we don’t mind. We’re not in any hurry.” He jabbed Amos in the side with his elbow. “Are we, Fred?”
    Amos wrinkled his nose. “Fred?”
    Dunc glared at him.
    “Uh, no, actually Barney and I are in no hurry at all. Of course Wilma and Bam-Bam might be wondering what’s taking us so long, but—”
    “Fred and I will just wait here until Henry gets back,” Dunc interrupted.
    The woman gave them a strange look, shrugged again, and headed down the steps and across the compound. They watched until she turned the corner and then darted inside.
    “Jackpot. Look at all this stuff, Amos. There’s everything in here from ID badges to shovels. Quick, grab some of this stuff and let’s get out of here before Henry comes back.”
    Amos slipped into one of the white coats. It was too long and almost touched the ground. He rolled up the sleeves and picked up a clipboard. “How do I look?”
    “Amos, we don’t have time for this.”
    The door opened, and a tall, thin man stumbled in. He had obviously been drinking. “Can I help you guys? That’s funny, I don’t remember seeing you two around here before.”
    Amos spoke in his best German accent. “Awk-delieber. I am Doctor Sauerkraut, and dis is my able assistant, Hans.”
    Henry hiccupped and scratched his head. “You look kinda sh … sh … short for a doctor.”
    “Oh? In my country, zee doctors are always short.”
    “What can I do for you today—hic—Doctor?”
    “My assistant and I will be requirink some items. Hans, will de please show zee man.”
    Dunc had been staring at Amos. He blinked. “Ri … right. We’ll need a couple of those badges over there, a broom, a box ofpencils, some of those nice pink erasers, a wheelbarrow—”
    Amos put his hand on Dunc’s shoulder. “Ve mustn’t get too carried away, Hans. Ve have many tings to do, vemember?”
    “Okay, how about a couple of badges and a broom?”
    Henry pointed