Welcome to the Jungle by Matt London Read Free Book Online Page A

he gave up on his trash-conversion research for years. It wasn’t until Rick and Evie discovered what their father had been up to so long ago that he finally allowed the compound to be used. And even then he’d warned them to be careful about attracting Mastercorp’s attention.
    Everything Rick had seen of Mastercorp freaked him out. The corporation was dangerous. It had pressured his father. It had imprisoned his dad’s thesis advisor, Doctor Grant. It had chewed up the earth here in Texas and countless other places. What a waste. The farther he could keep his family from Mastercorp, the better.
    Sprout hocked a big loogie off the ridge, interrupting Rick’s thoughts. Rick watched the spit descend until it spattered on the dirt below. Sprout tipped his hat to Evie. “Sorry, ma’am. That was mighty inconsiderate of me. I just can’t abide them Mastercorp folk. It makes me right angry.”
    Evie stared at Sprout for a moment, letting a wry smile creep up on her face. Then she turned and spat. The slick glob of spit was the size of a Ping-Pong ball, and it soared over the ridge in a smooth arc.
    â€œYuck.” Rick scrunched up his nose.
    â€œHee hee hoo!” Sprout slapped his thighs excitedly. “That’s my kind of spitting, ma’am.”
    Evie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, blushing. “You can call me Evie, Sprout. ‘Ma’am’ makes me sound like an old lady.”
    Sprout nodded. He stepped aside to make room for Rick at the edge of the ridge. “C’mon, Rick. Give it a try.”
    Rick thought spitting was gross and undignified, but if Sprout thought that it was cool, he didn’t want to disappoint the young cowboy. After all, it was rare that kids his age invited him to do anything at all.
    Rick shuffled between Evie and Sprout, staring at the shrapnel and missile silos in the distance. Summoning all his anger and frustration—at the devastation Mastercorp had wrought upon the earth, at the rules Winterpole had used to torment his family for so long, at Vesuvia and her nasty pink robots—Rick summoned a huge loogie and spat.
    â€œAgh! Gross!” Evie squealed. Spitting, apparently, wasn’t one of Rick’s strong suits. A little white froth dribbled out of his mouth and onto his chin.
    â€œHa ha hee hoo hoo!” Sprout slapped his thighs again. “That’s showing them, Rick!”
    â€œThis is a big waste of time,” Rick roared. “We have to get back to the mission. The eighth continent is in danger!” He stomped away, looking for Professor Doran’s lab.
    Evie chased after him. “Aw, Rick! Come back. We didn’t mean it.”
    Sprout caught up and guided them to the largest building on the site, a three-story barn made of sheet metal. The top floor was a greenhouse, encased in glass, where Rick imagined Professor Doran conducted his coolest botanical experiments.
    â€œMind where y’all step,” Sprout cautioned, pushing open the barn’s sliding doors. “It’s a jungle in here.”
    He meant it literally. Rick and Evie followed him into the barn, eyes wide in amazement. Prehistoric-looking vines and plants hung from a leafy canopy that covered the ceiling. Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower.
    â€œUh, how are we supposed to get through?” Rick asked.
    â€œFollow me!” Sprout replied. He drew his old machete from its scabbard and hacked away at the vines.
    Evie grinned. “Cool! Can I try?”
    Sprout handed her the sword. “Sure, go ahead.”
    Evie chopped the plants with gusto, cutting a path through the barn jungle. Rick winced. “Aren’t these Professor Doran’s plants?”
    â€œOh sure,” Sprout said, tipping back his hat. “The Prof uses his super fertilizer on everything in the barn, so it doesn’t matter if you chop things down. It all just grows back. He thinks it’s funny. See?”