Chapter 2

Chapter 2 The kids followed Uncle Warren through the green door. They climbed carpeted stairs to a door with a frosted-glass window. Uncle Warren unlocked it, and they walked into a spacious, dimly lit office. A wooden crate nearly as tall as Dink sat on the floor.

Dink looked around the room. A desk and some chairs were arranged on an Oriental rug. A fish tank bubbled quietly near the desk. Against one wall stood a bookcase. Dink peeked through another door and saw a computer on a desk, a file cabinet, and some bookshelves. "My assistant works in there," Uncle Warren said. "He took the afternoon off. It's his daughter's birthday, and they've gone to the zoo." "You have a zoo?" Josh asked. "Yes, right here in Manhattan we have the Central Park Zoo," Uncle Warren said. "It's pretty small, but there's also the Bronx Zoo, which is enormous!" Uncle Warren flipped up three switches on the wall. Suddenly, a ceiling fan began whirring around. Music came from hidden speakers. Overhead lights beamed down on them. "This is a cool office!" Dink said. "Thank you," his uncle said. He pointed to the fish tank. "Who'd like to eed my little friends?" "I would!" Ruth Rose said. Uncle Warren handed her a container of fish food and showed her how much food to sprinkle

on the water. "Look at this!" Josh said, lifting a shiny silver dagger off the desk. The blade was curved, and the handle was shaped like a soaring hawk. "Careful," Uncle Warren said. "It's sharp! I use it as a letter opener." "Is it real silver?" Josh asked. Uncle Warren nodded. "It was made in Spain more than three hundred years ago." "I can see my reflection in it!" Josh said. Uncle Warren laughed. "That's because my assistant polishes it every morning." Josh wiped the letter opener on his T-shirt and placed it back on the desk. "Now, let's see what we have here," Uncle Warren said. He draped his suit jacket over a chair, then dragged a toolbox from a closet. He selected a small crowbar from among the tools. Fitting the sharp end of the bar under the crate's lid, he pried the top off. Inside were mounds of white packing "peanuts." Uncle Warren reached through the peanuts and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper.

He stripped away the paper to reveal a layer of plastic bubble wrap. He carefully removed the plastic and held up a gold cup. "Cool!" said Josh. Uncle Warren grinned at the kids. "Lovely, isn't it?" he said. "This is a drinking cup made by the Incan people in the fifteen hundreds. Imagine, almost five hundred years ago! Have you studied the Incas in school?" The kids shook their heads. "Well, the Incas lived in Peru, in South America. The Porter Museum is going to display some of their pottery and gold sculpture." Leaning over the side of the crate, Uncle Warren dug deeper into the peanuts. "Aha, I think this is the jaguar!"

Grunting, he lifted out a much bigger package. It was as long as Dink's arm and nearly as big around as his waist. The heavy package made a solid thud as Uncle Warren set it on his desk. "Why's it so heavy?" Josh asked. "Gold is a heavy metal," Uncle Warren explained. "The Incas admired jaguars for their strength and cunning. This one is made of solid gold. It holds a fabulous emerald in its front paws." "Can we see it?" asked Ruth Rose. "Yes, but not until tomorrow," he said. "A Dr. Pitts will be here at nine o'clock. He works for the Society of Incan Treasures. Dr. Pitts will inspect every piece as it comes out of its wrapping." "Why?" Josh asked. "To make sure everything has arrived safely," Uncle Warren said. "These pieces are priceless treasures!" Uncle Warren put the jaguar back in the crate. "Sleep well!" he said. Then he reached into the toolbox and handed Josh a hammer. "Let's re-wrap the cup and put it back, then nail the crate shut again till tomorrow."

After they'd finished, Uncle Warren said, "Now let's lock up and walk to my apartment. We'll leave your backpacks with Roger, then I'll treat you to a New York dinner!" "Who's Roger?" Ruth Rose asked. "He's the doorman at my apartment building," Uncle Warren said. "He opens the door for tenants and whistles for taxis." "Can we eat at your friends' restaurant?" Josh asked. "Yes, but not tonight," Uncle Warren said. "I'm saving that for your last night in the city. What kind of food do you like?" "Pizza and ice cream!" Josh said. Dink laughed. "Josh will eat anything," he said. "I mean, do you want Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Indian, or Mexican food?" Dink's uncle asked. "Why don't you pick?" Dink said. "We love surprises!" Uncle Warren flipped down the wall switches. The lights, music, and ceiling fan all went off. The kids followed him out of the office. "Then a surprise you shall have!" he said, and pulled the door shut behind them.