“Well done! Once I knock out the one in the tree, I’ll take this one back and you’ll return to the others.” The pig nodded. Malcolm took aim. Ring, ring! The buzzard in the tree looked over at the boy, startled by his ringing phone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The Day Racoons Fly

PACO AND ROSCOE gasped as Benjamin tried to pry the phone out of his shorts pocket. Benjamin pressed the silent button and saw that his mother was calling. “He-hello?”

“Hi, sweetie! How are you? Everything okay?”

He started to sweat. “Yeah. Everything’s, um, great.”

“Are you getting ready for bed?”

“I will when I’m done playing here,” he said cautiously.

Malcolm reacted when he saw the buzzard in the tree take off for the barn. “Quick, Clementine! Get off that bird and run to the others! Go!”

The pig lifted his bottom. “See you at the barn!”

The buzzard was gasping precious air when Malcolm grabbed him and glared fiercely. “Okay, ugly. If you want to live, then fly, and I mean fast, up to your friend–now!” The raccoon hopped on the bird’s back, pressing the claws of one hand in his neck and holding a rock with the other. “Yee-haw!” The buzzard sprinted through the grass.

“No, Mom. I–” He covered the speaker. “Look! Malcolm’s riding the buzzard!”

Malcolm held on tight as the large wings strained to get them airborne. “Faster, baldy!” Malcolm kicked the tail as they took off. The bird they were chasing was halfway to the barn. “Faster!”

His buzzard flapped harder as the raccoon’s claw pierced his neck. Malcolm held the rock tightly in his fist as they flew up beside his target.

“I don’t believe what I’m seeing!” Roscoe marveled.

The other bird was also stunned at the sight. “Shiloh! You’ve got a raccoon–” Wham! Malcolm jumped from his buzzard to the other. Shiloh plunged to the meadow.

“Oh, my gosh!” Benjamin forgot his mother could hear him on the phone.

“Honey, what’s going on?”

“A raccoon just clobbered the buzzard he was flying on and jumped on another!”

Carol laughed. “Are you feeling okay?”

Malcolm pressed his claw into this bird’s neck and whispered in his ear, “To the top of that barn, and don’t make a sound.”

“My master will kill you! No one can touch–”

Malcolm squeezed his throat. “Not…one…word!” The buzzard gulped.

Clementine ran up. “Look! Look!”

“Keep your voice down! King Benjamin is talking to his mother again,” Roscoe warned.

“Sweetie, I took Aunt Louise out to Grandpa Gus’s this afternoon so he could watch over her, and I was going to leave tonight but they insisted I stay since it’s getting late. Can you handle my being gone–”

“Absolutely!” His mom laughed again. “You’ll be back in the morning, right?”