10 THE 13-STORY MONKEY HOUSE

CHAPTER 10 THE 13-STORY MONKEY HOUSE "Well, what do you think?" I said. "It's great!" said Terry. "It's the best story we've done all year!" "It's the only story we've done all year," I reminded him. "Come on, let's write the next one." We were just about to get started when the doorbell rang. "Hey, Terry," called Bill. "Got another package for you."

"Oh great!" said Terry. "It must be my replacement sea-monkeys!" "Replacements?" I said. "Yeah," said Terry. "I rang the sea-monkey company and told them what happened. They said they'd send some more eggs. They were very sorry." "They were sorry?" I said. "You'll be the one who's sorry if you get another sea monster!" But Terry wasn't listening to me. He was already on his way to the front door. I waited for a while but Terry didn't return. I figured he must have gone straight to the lab to make his new sea-monkeys. So I went down to see and, sure enough, there he was.

"I've done it!" he said, holding a jar up to the light. "These are definitely sea-monkeys!" "Congratulations," I said. "Are you happy now?" Terry shrugged. "Nah, not really," he said. "Sea- monkeys aren't that interesting after all." "Never mind," I said. "Let's get back to work." Soon we were back at our table, about to start work on the next story, when we heard a loud crash.

"What was that?" said Terry. "I don't know," I said. "But it sounds like it came from the lab." We both jumped up and rushed to the elevator. As the doors to the laboratory slid open we were greeted with a scene of total chaos. There were monkeys everywhere and they were wrecking everything!

They were swinging and leaping and chasing each other all over the laboratory. The noise was deafening.

"Oh no!" said Terry. "I hope my sea-monkeys are all right!" "They are your sea-monkeys!" I yelled, pointing to the empty jar on the floor. "Except they're not sea- monkeys— they're monkey monkeys! That stupid company has sent you the wrong sort of eggs again!" "But I hate monkeys!" said Terry. "Not as much as I do." I said, "They're getting into the elevator!" said Terry. "Oh great!" I said. "Now they're going to wreck the rest of the treehouse!"