CHAPTER SEVEN
When we stepped off the plane a few minutes ago, I had never imagined there were this many people in the world.
Even though I was holding tightly to Uncle Scrooge's tailcoat, I still managed to slam right into the same guy who had just crashed into Uncle Donald.
"Hold tight, Huey," Uncle Scrooge said, grabbing my hand, "As soon as we get through this market, we'll have more breathing room."
I let him pull me along as someone else crashed into Uncle Donald. The tall stranger walked away upset, but Uncle Donald didn't notice.
We had taken a plane to get here. A plane! Earlier today I had been up higher than the clouds, and now we were on our way to find some lost treasure of the Blakes or something.
This was like a dream.
Dewey and Louie were slightly ahead of us, jumping through the crowd like fish in a stream. Uncle Donald didn't fare so well, since people kept crashing into him. Of course they all walked away upset, since he didn't have his wallet anymore.
The marketplace was brown and dusty like the houses, but there were colorful things at each stall. When you could actually see them through all the people, though.
"Don't get distracted lad," Uncle Scrooge said, keeping his wallet as someone crashed into him. He was the only one other than me who seemed to notice all the pickpockets here. "We'll get through this soon enough."
Someone else crashed into Uncle Donald. It really was a good thing I never returned his wallet after taking it from the first pickpocket, or it would be long gone by now.
Right as I thought this I saw someone snag the marbles out of Louie's pocket, so I let go of Uncle Scrooge's hand to snag it back.
"Huey!" Uncle Scrooge said, grabbing my arm just after I pocketed the marbles, "Stay with me, boy."
For some reason he started walking while holding my arm, and didn't let go. I don't really like this, but it was still better than the times Ratmeat grabbed me. I kinda knew Uncle Scrooge wasn't going to throw me anywhere.
"We're almost out of this infernal crowd," Uncle Scrooge said, and then just after he said it the people thinned and we were all standing together with space between us. Uncle Scrooge finally let go of me, so I sidled up to Louie to sneak back his marbles without him noticing.
At least, I was pretty sure he was Louie. I think I'm starting to tell the twins apart.
Uncle Donald said something, but I couldn't understand him. I was getting kinda used to that.
"All here, Uncle Donald." Dewey said, apparently responding to him.
"That was more packed than the school library before a test," Louie added.
"Next time we'll take the long way around." Uncle Scrooge said, "Come on, lads. We're spending the night in a hotel. We'll start on the search for the Drake's lost invention bright and early tomorrow."
"A hotel?" Dewey and Louie asked at the same time, "Unca Scrooge, are you feeling ok?"
"And what do ye mean by that?" Uncle Scrooge asked, grabbing my arm again, "Come along, everyone. It's this way."
"Wait!" Uncle Donald shouted, and for some reason I understood him. Then he shouted something else that I didn't understand at all while frantically looking in his pockets.
He was looking for his wallet!
"Maybe you dropped it, Uncle Donald." Louie said.
"We don't have time for this," Uncle Scrooge said, grabbing his cane with both hands, "Boys, you double back and see if its in the ground by the market."
But they weren't going to find the wallet there, since it was still in my pocket. What if they went back in that crowd to look for it and got more stolen from them than just marbles?
But, what if I gave Donald his wallet and he got mad at me? He might think I was the one who stole it!
"Come on Louie. Huey, you should stay with Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Donald." Dewey said, "We don't want you getting lost!"
"W-wait!" I said, almost without thinking, "I-is this it?"
I held up the wallet. "Squack!" Uncle Donald said, taking it back, "Thank you, Huey!"
He said those words purposefully slow, but really loudly.
All of a sudden, I found myself squashed up against Uncle Donald's chest as he spun around the street. "SquankOoo!" He shouted, and he even pat me on the head when he put me down.
What. The heck?!
Then, acting like nothing happened, Uncle Donald grabbed Dewey's hand and practically started skipping down the street.
"The hotel is this way, right Uncle Scrooge?" Louie asked, following them.
"Aye." Uncle Scrooge said, still standing in place.
Then Uncle Scrooge looked right at me, almost like he wanted to say something, but it seemed like he changed his mind.
"Good job lad," he said, "Although, I wonder how ye found it so quickly."
I gulped, but decided not to say anything. When Uncle Scrooge grabbed my hand and started walking, I just followed along.
The trailer was disgusting.
"What the heck are you doing? Where's dinner?" Crazyhair asked, turning from her show to watch me as I worked in the tiny kitchen.
"Almost ready ma'am," I said, taking the pizza out of the microwave. Good, it was heated up enough.
"You're late." Crazyhair said, turning back to her show. "What are we having?"
"Pizza." I said truthfully.
"Ugh. I meant what kind of pizza, dummy."
"Pepparoni." I said.
"We had that for lunch. Got any Hawaiian?"
"We finished that up last night."
"Then order some more." Crazyhair said, lounging across the tiny couch, "We need some more fruit in our diet."
I obediently walked over to her and took the cell phone out of her hands. The pizza delivery company was on speed dial, so it didn't take long before someone answered.
But as soon as I ordered and hung up the phone, I was knocked to the floor.
"Idiot! Who told you to order that?" Crazyhair shouted, and I couldn't help but cry out just a little, "Did you really think I'd want the same thing we had last night? Huey, you rotten spoiled brat, think a little!"
"What's going on here?" Asked another voice.
Oh no.
Ratmeat.
When did he get here?!
"I asked for cheese pizza, and this little twerp ordered Hawaiian!"
Oh no, not again! Please don't tell him that Crazyhair, please don't tell him that!
"Huey, are ya alright lad?"
What? Why would they ask me if...
I opened my eyes, and was instantly confused. I wasn't in the dirty trailer. Instead, it was so bright the place hurt my eyes, so I closed them right away.
"Huey?" Prompted the voice again, and I opened my eyes with several blinks.
Then, I remembered. This voice belonged to Uncle Scrooge. I was nowhere near the dirty trailer. I must have fallen asleep as soon as we got to the hotel...
The hotel!
I opened my eyes wide and looked around. How could I have fallen asleep so fast? And while it was kinda normal to be on the floor, why was I lying on such a comfy cushion?
"Huey?" Uncle Scrooge asked again. He was sitting next to me.
"I'm awake Sir," I said.
Uncle Scrooge looked a little surprised for some reason, but he just sighed.
"Bad dream?" He asked.
"Not really," I said. The dream had been really normal, after all. "Where are the others?"
"Out getting supplies." Uncle Scrooge said.
"Then I'm going too," I said, getting up. I wanted to be sure to get the light supplies, since I'd be the one carrying them. "See you later, Uncle Scrooge!"
"Now hang on there," Uncle Scrooge said, snagging my arm with his cane, "Ye cannae just leave, Huey! Remember what happened when you left the houseboat? You wouldnae know this, but yer Uncle Donald cried all night because of it."
"But he won't cry this time, since I properly told you that I was going," I said.
"That's not how-" Uncle Scrooge sighed, "Listen. You can't go wandering off on your own. Especially since we're in another country. Promise me that you'll always stay close to me, yer Uncle Donald, or your brothers. Okay?"
"Okay," I said.
"There's a good lad." Uncle Scrooge said, rubbing my head. "Now, why don't we do something together while we wait for them to get back?"
So, does he want to give me private instructions on chores or something?
"Okay," I said.
"Good," Uncle Scrooge said, gesturing for me to sit back down on the cushion, "Now, I'm not one for games. But have ya ever played checkers before?"
I shook my head.
"Well then, no better time to learn than the present." Uncle Scrooge said, pulling out a board game. "Donald got this from the hotel gift shop. He won't mind us using it for a while."
I listened as Uncle Scrooge explained the game. Even though playing against him was another chore, it made me feel kinda happy.
We played several rounds, and it was really hard for me to win at first, but once I realized Uncle Scrooge wouldn't get mad if I won it became more fun.
"We're back!" One of my brothers shouted as the door opened, "And we've got enough supplies for the whole trip!"
"Here Huey," Louie said as he dropped a small backpack in front of me, "This is yours! We all have to carry our own supplies."
"Where's the rest of it?" I asked. They couldn't want me to carry just this, it was too light a load.
"Uncle Donald's got it!" Dewey said, "He'll be here in a second."
"Unca Donald and Unca Scrooge will carry the heavy stuff, and if we need even more we'll hire a donkey or something." Louie explained.
My eyes opened wide. The grownups were carrying the heavier supplies? Just what was the world coming to?
"Who's winning?" Dewey asked.
"I am," Uncle Scrooge said, "But Huey sure is giving me a run for my money!"
He rubbed my head. I'm not sure why he mentioned money, since we weren't gambling yet. To be honest, I was ok with that since I hate the gambling side of games. Ratmeat always turned grouchy when he gambled.
"I think I hear Uncle Donald," Louie said, "Dewey, come help me help him carry the stuff inside! You too, Huey."
So I followed the twins outside the room, and sure enough Uncle Donald was standing there in the hallway carrying so many bags and supplies that you couldn't see his face.
"Thanks boys," he said as we all took things out of his arms.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
A cell phone.
I nearly dropped the canteens I was holding. Cell phones, or phones of any kind, were never a good thing.
"Can you get that Uncle Scrooge?" Uncle Donald asked, trying to waddle in the door with all the supplies he was still carrying. "The phone's in my bag."
"This better be an emergency, international calls aren't cheap." Uncle Scrooge muttered, walking over to a bag on the ground and fishing out a cell phone.
"Hello? Donald's a little busy right now, who's calling? That's for me, I'm his uncle...Oh yes Chief, I recognize your voice now...Yes, you said the trial would be today, and all the papers would...What?! When?!...How could you let this happen? Get everybody out and searching for him on the streets! Don't leave a single stone unturned! I want him found by TONIGHT!"
The cell phone was suddenly thrown against the bed, and Uncle Donald suddenly dropped all his bags onto the floor at once.
"Uncle Donald? You okay?" Louie asked.
"Uncle Scrooge?" Dewey added.
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!" Uncle Donald shouted, and just as Uncle Scrooge started to pound the floor in anger, Uncle Donald raced out of the hotel room to parts unknown.
"I wonder what happened to make them so mad," Dewey said.
"Same here." Louie and I said at the exact same time.
Hey, look at that! For a second there, it was like I was one of the twins.