6 Strong Mussels!

Chapter 6 STRONG MUSCLES! Andrew and Judy gathered loose pieces of rock and piled them up in a narrow space between the coral walls. It wasn't long before Andrew felt something poke his ankle. Andrew turned to see a big pile of shells at his foot. They looked like black clams. meep… "Found 'em!" came a squeak from behind the pile. Thudd was pushing it! "Thudd!" cried Andrew. Andrew picked Thudd up and put him back in his pocket. "What have you got there?" he asked.

meep… "Mussels!" said Thudd. "Mussel animal make strong, strong glue. If Egg- Mobile touch mussel glue, Egg-Mobile stick!" "Wowzers schnauzers!" said Andrew. "Glue that works underwater. I wish I had thought of that!" meep… "Put mussels on top of piled-up rocks," said Thudd. "Mussels spread glue. If Egg-Mobile bump into rocks, Egg-Mobile get stuck!" Andrew picked up the mussels and placed them on the rock pile. Long, sticky threads oozed from the mussels and onto the stones. But a few of the mussels didn't seem interested in spreading their glue. Andrew gathered them up. "I think these guys are sleeping," he said. He put them into one of his pockets. Andrew and Judy tucked themselves back into the crack in the coral wall and waited. They didn't have to wait long.

FLOOOM! CRACK! AWK! screamed Burpp. "Mayday! Mayday!" "What is goin' on in there, Burpp?" asked Soggy Bob. Awk! "The Egg-Mobile hit some rocks, Boss," said Burpp. "They weren't here before. It's got to be those Dubble brats." "Stop flappin' yer beak and get movin'!" yelled Soggy Bob.

Awk! "Can't do it, Boss!" said Burpp. "The Egg-Mobile is stuck!" "Dagnabit!" said Soggy Bob. "Use them Egg- Mobile claws!" Awk! "The claws are stuck, too, Boss!" said Burpp. "Holy moly!" said Andrew. "That mussel glue has really strong muscles!" Judy rolled her eyes. "Grrrrr!" growled Soggy Bob. "Keep on tryin'! Ah can't come in there and getcha. Mah underwater suit is in the wash." Andrew paddled to the edge of the crack, where there was more light. He pulled the old compass out of his pocket and examined it. Its round face looked like a clock. The outside rim was marked with N, E, S, and W for north, east, south, and west. There was an arrow in the middle. No matter how Andrew turned the compass, the arrow always pointed in the same direction.

meep… "Arrow of compass always point north," said Thudd. "Arrow of compass is little magnet. Earth is giant magnet cuz it got big, spinning iron lump in middle. Earth magnet pull little compass magnet." "The compass can help us circle back through the reef," said Andrew. Andrew turned the compass so that the arrow pointed to the N. "We came from the west," said Andrew. "And we were going east. We need to go south, then west again. That way we can sneak up behind Soggy Bob and get the Water Bug." "And we'd better hurry," said Judy, "before that dumb parrot gets loose and finds us." meep… "Look!" said Thudd, pointing to a dark hole in the rock wall.

Inside was a fish with a purple head and a beak like a bird's. It was stuck inside a gooey bubble. meep… "Parrotfish," said Thudd. "It's stuck in slime!" said Andrew. "Let's get it out," said Judy. "Noop! Noop! Noop!" said Thudd. "Parrotfish make mucus-goo sleeping bag. Mucus goo hide smell of parrotfish. Lotsa fish hunt by smell. Not find parrotfish. Sleeping bag taste bad, too." "We'll let the little guy snooze," said Andrew.