Fortune's Magic Farm by Suzanne Selfors (i read book .TXT) 📗

growling when Rolo got too close. Sage tossed a piece of bacon rind to the raven. Isabelle didn’t say a word until she had finished the last bite of her meal. Feeling full was as unfamiliar to her as rainless silence. And it felt good. Really good.

She drained her mug. “How far away is the Northern Shore?”

“Hopefully we’ll land by dinner, if that good-for-nothing seal would hurry and finish hunting.” Sage scraped the pan clean, then stuffed it into his satchel.

As much as she wanted to get to Fortune’s Farm, Isabelle wasn’t looking forward to riding Neptune again. All that rocking to and fro might upset her lovely breakfast. She stretched her legs and leaned back, spreading her fingers in the soft grass. The fog had lifted above the horizon, revealing scattered islands sprinkled with trees and edged with rugged cliffs. Back home, Isabelle had often gazed at the cove’s horizon, but never had there been anything to see. Each of those islands is a different place, she thought. A different world I know nothing about.

“Ouch!” She pulled her hand out of the grass. A droplet of blood dripped from her pinkie. “Something bit me.” She put her finger to her mouth.

Sage pointed. “There’s the villain.”

Isabelle turned to find a pair of black eyes staring up at her. Attached to the black eyes was a body about the same size as Eve’s, only covered in brown fur, with a shorter, thicker tail. The “villain” sat on its hind legs, exposing a belly of yellow fur. The nails on its little paws were long and two big front teeth rested on its lower lip. It wiggled its black nose at her and blinked. Then it whistled and darted into the field, disappearing down a hole.

“What was that?” Isabelle asked, still sucking on her finger.

“A yellow-bellied marmot. You gotta watch out for them. They’re little devils. I don’t know what they’re doing out here on this island. They usually live inland. At the rate they reproduce, there soon won’t be enough food for all of them.”

“Why’d it bite me?”

“Just protecting its territory. If you get too close to its den, it’ll hit you right in the head with a rock. Believe me. I know.” He looked out over the inlet. “Neptune better not forget to come back. If he forgets me one more time, I’m getting myself a new seal.”

Isabelle examined her finger. The bite wasn’t deep and it stopped bleeding right away. As Sage continued packing things into his satchel, she remembered something. “Do you think we should put my barnacle into some water?” she asked.

“I already did. I found the perfect new home for it.” He motioned for her to follow.

They climbed down the bluff. Isabelle’s kelp booties gripped the flat black stones that covered the beach. At the water’s edge she and Sage knelt beside a tide pool thick with barnacles. Little white feathers fanned the water as the barnacles fed. Or maybe they were talking to each other. Maybe they were one big family.

“There it is,” Sage said.

Sure enough, Isabelle’s little barnacle sat on its rock, right in the center of the tide pool, also fanning the water. Isabelle smiled. “It’s the perfect place,” she said, surprised by Sage’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”

He lowered his head and mumbled, “No big deal.”

A roar filled the air. “Finally,” Sage said, leaping to his feet. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” The seal hauled himself out of the shallows and a full-blown argument ensued, with Sage hollering and shaking his fists, and the seal roaring and whacking Sage with his flippers.

Isabelle took a long, last look at her barnacle. “I hope you’ll be happy here,” she whispered. She felt proud and victorious, having saved something from Mama Lu’s stomping feet. Too bad she hadn’t been able to save the others. Two of us escaped. Take that, Mama Lu!

Something hit the back of Isabelle’s arm.

A marmot sat on a log, a stone’s throw away. It wiggled its black nose and blinked. “Hey,” Isabelle said, rubbing her arm. Another marmot popped out from behind the log and joined its friend. They greeted one another by touching noses. Then they balanced on their hind legs and stared at Isabelle.

“Go on. Shoo.”

They didn’t shoo. One picked up a rock and threw it at her.

“Ouch!” She rubbed her shoulder. “Stop doing that.” Was she standing near one of their holes? No. But still, they stared. “What do you want?”

The two marmots jumped off the log and scampered up the beach to where a giant tree had fallen. They climbed up the fallen tree’s trunk and chirped, a softer, friendlier sound than the whistle. They stared at her, chirped, stared, chirped—clearly telling her something. Sage was busy with the saddle, so with a shrug, Isabelle approached the tree, shielding her face with her hands in case they took aim again.

Dozens of empty broken crates lay hidden behind the fallen tree. Each had a label that read: HANDLE WITH CARE. CONTAINS LIVE LABORATORY ANIMALS. SPECIES: YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOT.

The marmots ran along the trunk, then lay on their bellies and hung their heads over a branch. A furry marmot bottom poked out from under the branch. The creature’s little legs kicked frantically but to no avail—it was stuck. The two marmots chirped softly to their trapped friend.

“Poor little thing,” Isabelle said as the legs continued to kick. “I’ll help you.” She crouched next to the wiggling bottom and pulled at the branch with all her might until it snapped off. Branch in hand, she tumbled backwards.

The marmot waddled out and scratched its head with its leg. Except for a small cut above its right eye, it looked unhurt.

Isabelle was about to sit up when the freed marmot climbed onto her chest and sat itself down as if it meant to stay awhile. It leaned forward and peered into her eyes. Isabelle held her breath. Was it going to bite her nose with its buck teeth? It leaned closer