Peril at the Top of the World Read online

  “You know, Sue, you’re no fun as a blonde.”

  Four officers hustled Uncle Timothy out of the room. Inspector Gorky ordered the politsiya officers to handcuff and remove Zolin’s minions.

  “Thank you, Kidds,” said Gorky. “I apologize for ever placing you on my suspect list.”

  “In a fist, all fingers are equal,” said Storm. Don’t ask me what that means. I think it might’ve been another Russian proverb.

  “You were just doing your job,” said Mom.

  Gorky nodded and left with his troops. Minister Szymanowicz and the four cops in white gloves took the paintings back to the Hermitage Museum.

  Finally it was just us Kidds and Major Larissa Bukova left in the room.

  “So, you were like an undercover cop the whole time?” said Tommy.

  “Da. I work for Minister Szymanowicz, as does Inspector Gorky. At first, we all thought you six Kidds were greedy American art thieves. That you journeyed to Russia only so you could pillage and plunder our priceless treasures. But as I came to know you, I realized that not all Americans are bad. In fact, you six are very, very good.”

  “Major Bukova and I have been working together on this sting ever since Mom called yesterday,” said Dad.

  “For the safe return of our treasured artworks,” said Major Bukova, “I and the people of Russia will be forever grateful.”

  One by one, she gave us each a big bear hug.

  Tommy was the last in line.

  She gave him a kiss—on the cheek.

  CHAPTER 65

  Since Dad missed our first trip to the North Pole, we chartered a boat that had a helicopter and went back.

  We did our own Kidd family walk around the world.

  Then we ate a fun family dinner of raw fish and blubber mixed with mac ’n’ cheese. It tasted pretty much like how it sounds.

  After dinner, Dad finally told us where he’d found the Enlightened Ones’ secret treasure trove.

  But I’m leaving that part out.

  Because now it’s your turn.

  Do you know where Dad found all that stolen art?

  It’s not any place I would’ve guessed. (Those Enlightened Ones are extremely clever.)

  Oh, I almost forgot, Dad did give us one more clue that might help you on your quest. Here it is:

  (If you’re really stumped, I’ll stick the answer at the end of the book, on page 364. But if you have any plans to be a treasure hunter like us, you’d be hunting down the answer right now!)

  By the way, when Dad found the Enlightened Ones’ secret hiding place, guess what else he found besides all that art.

  That’s right. More clues.

  Apparently, the E-1s have looted so much treasure over the years, they have hiding places all around the globe!

  Which is fine by us. The Kidd Family Treasure Hunters are already planning more incredible adventures to awesome parts of the world that are waiting for us to explore them. (Hopefully, next time it won’t be so cold, and the menu won’t have blubber on it.)

  Also, Beck wants me to say that even though our job is pretty exciting, it’s about more than just finding old, expensive things. We get to see and do things that can maybe help others.

  Remember all that video we shot in the Arctic? Well, we edited it all together into a documentary and gave it to environmental groups that are working to save the Arctic from climate change. People are watching footage of the awesome landscape and animals that they would normally never get to see. The documentary is being seen all over the world!

  That’s pretty cool.

  Always remember this if you ever set out on a treasure hunt of your own: The earth is the greatest treasure of them all.

  JAMES PATTERSON received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, including Middle School and I Funny, and his books have sold more than 325 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson has created a new children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.’” He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson will be investing proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

  CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is a New York Times bestselling author who has collaborated with James Patterson on the I Funny, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series, as well as Jacky Ha-Ha, Word of Mouse, and Daniel X: Armageddon. He lives in New York City.

  JULIANA NEUFELD is an award-winning illustrator whose drawings can be found in books, on album covers, and in nooks and crannies throughout the Internet. She lives in Toronto.

  BOOKS BY JAMES PATTERSON FOR YOUNG READERS

  THE TREASURE HUNTERS NOVELS

  Treasure Hunters (with Chris Grabenstein and Mark Shulman, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  Treasure Hunters: Secret of the Forbidden City (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  THE MIDDLE SCHOOL NOVELS

  Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  Middle School: Get Me out of Here! (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  Middle School: Big Fat Liar (with Lisa Papademetriou, illustrated by Neil Swaab)

  Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  Middle School: Ultimate Showdown (with Julia Bergen, illustrated by Alec Longstreth)

  Middle School: Save Rafe! (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  Middle School: Dog’s Best Friend (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Jomike Tejido)

  THE I FUNNY NOVELS

  I Funny (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park)

  I Even Funnier (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park)

  I Totally Funniest (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park)

  I Funny TV (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park)

  THE HOUSE OF ROBOTS NOVELS

  House of Robots (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  House of Robots: Robots Go Wild! (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  THE DANIEL X NOVELS

  The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust)

  Demons and Druids (with Adam Sadler)

  Game Over (with Ned Rust)

  Armageddon (with Chris Grabenstein)

  Lights Out (with Chris Grabenstein)

  OTHER ILLUSTRATED NOVELS

  Jacky Ha-Ha (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Kerascoët)

  Word of Mouse (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Joe Sutphin)

  Public School Superhero (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Cory Thomas)

  Daniel X: Alien Hunter (graphic novel; with Leopoldo Gout)

  Daniel X: The Manga, Vols. 1–3 (with SeungHui Kye)

  For previews of upcoming books in these series and other information, visit treasurehuntersbooks.com, middleschoolbooks.com, and ifunnybooks.com.

  For more information about the author, visit jamespatterson.com.

  We believe a kid who reads is a kid who can succeed.

  We believe it’s every adult’s responsibility to get books into kids’ hands and into kids’ lives.

  We want to make reading fun for kids—th
rough stories and voices that speak to them and expand their world.

  We want to make books available to kids—through teacher scholarships, bookstore funding, school library support, and book donations.

  We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say:

  “PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.”

  Learn more about our initiatives at JimmyPatterson.org

  THE ANSWER!

  Okay, readers, after seven clues and a million guesses, here’s the location where Dad found the stolen goods stashed by the Enlightened Ones.

  Ready?

  Are you sure?

  I don’t want to spoil anything if you’re still thinking of figuring it out for yourself!

  Here it is…

  Good work, treasure hunters!

  NOTE FROM THE KIDDS

  Thanks so much for reading about our latest adventure!

  We figured you had a fun time working out where the secret stash of art was hidden, but we have an even cooler puzzle for you to solve!

  Us Kidds have been spending months tracking down clues—and we just might have finally discovered where the Enlightened Ones’ secret home base is located.

  Using the code on the following page, find the letters in the book that will spell out the location of the hideout.

  THE CODE

  Here is the code for finding each letter to spell out the secret location. Good luck!

  1. Chapter 33, paragraph 6, sentence 1, word 6, letter 3

  2. Chapter 9, paragraph 1, sentence 1, word 8, letter 4

  3. Chapter 61, paragraph 6, sentence 1, word 9, letter 1

  4. Chapter 22, paragraph 4, sentence 2, word 14, letter 5

  5. Chapter 2, paragraph 5, sentence 2, word 28, letter 3

  6. Chapter 27, paragraph 2, sentence 1, word 6, letter 4

  7. Chapter 50, paragraph 4, sentence 1, word 5, letter 1

  8. Chapter 13, paragraph 3, sentence 3, word 8, letter 2

  9. Chapter 42, paragraph 2, sentence 4, word 8, letter 2

  10. Chapter 26, paragraph 1, sentence 1, word 18, letter 4

  11. Chapter 16, paragraph 5, sentence 2, word 4, letter 5

  12. Chapter 59, paragraph 7, sentence 3, word 5, letter 1

  13. CHAPTER 35, paragraph 6, sentence 2, word 1, letter 1

  14. Chapter 48, paragraph 2, sentence 2, word 16, letter 8

  15. Chapter 11, paragraph 4, sentence 2, word 6, letter 3

  16. Chapter 57, paragraph 2, sentence 2, word 18, letter 2

  17. Chapter 3, paragraph 5, sentence 2, word 10, letter 1

  18. Chapter 64, paragraph 5, sentence 4, word 4, letter 1

  19. Chapter 29, paragraph 3, sentence 1, word 9, letter 1

  YOUR CLUE

  It’s time to think like a Kidd! Enter our contest to come up with your own secret base that’s related to museums like the ones featured in the Treasure Hunters series. Use your knowledge about that location to create a clue in 25 words or fewer, and you may win a $10,000 prize. Here’s an example:

  To enter the JAMES PATTERSON PRESENTS: THE TREASURE HUNTERS SECRET HIDEOUT CONTEST, you must fill out an entry form and submit the following information by October 4, 2016, at middleschoolbook.com/treasurehunt:

  • the correct response to the Enlightened Ones’ secret home base, using the code on pages 366–367 (remember, your decoded answer is not case-sensitive, but spelling counts!);

  AND

  • your own clue and answer describing a museum-related location that contains enough detail to be accurately solved, just like Storm’s!

  Our judges will choose the most creative and humorous entry to qualify for a treasure of $10,000!

  See the Contest’s Official Rules at middleschoolbook.com/treasurehunt.

  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Must be legal U.S. resident between the ages of 8 and 17 as of 7/3/16 to enter. Parent or guardian must enter on behalf of entrant. Contest begins 7/4/16 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends 10/4/16 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Visit middleschoolbook.com/treasurehunt for Official Rules and details. Sponsor: Hachette Book Group, Inc., 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104.

  Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.

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  CONTENTS

  COVER

  TITLE PAGE

  WELCOME

  MAP

  QUICK NOTE FROM BICK KIDD

  PART 1: THE TREASURE HOARDERS CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  PART 2: THE TREASURE SAVERS CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  CHAPTER 45

  CHAPTER 46

  CHAPTER 47

  CHAPTER 48

  CHAPTER 49

  CHAPTER 50

  CHAPTER 51

  CHAPTER 52

  CHAPTER 53

  CHAPTER 54

  CHAPTER 55

  CHAPTER 56

  CHAPTER 57

  CHAPTER 58

  CHAPTER 59

  CHAPTER 60

  CHAPTER 61

  CHAPTER 62

  CHAPTER 63

  CHAPTER 64

  EPILOGUE CHAPTER 65

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  BOOKS BY JAMES PATTERSON FOR YOUNG READERS

  THE ANSWER!

  NOTE FROM THE KIDDS

  THE CODE

  YOUR CLUE

  NEWSLETTERS

  COPYRIGHT

  Copyright

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright © 2016 by James Patterson

  Illustrations by Juliana Neufeld

  Comic by Emily Raymond; illustrations by Laura Park

  Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  JIMMY Patterson Books / Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

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  First ebook edition: July 2016

  JIMMY Patterson Books is an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The JIMMY Patterson name and logo are trademarks of JBP Business, LLC.

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  ISBN 978-0-316-36167-5

  E3-20160603-JV-PC