The Mystery of Silas Finklebean Read Online Free Page A

scared to bet’cause you know you’re going to lose?” sneered Adam.
    “Of course he isn’t,” said Howie. “He’s just thinking about what stupid costume he’s going to make you wear when we win, right, Freddy?”
    Freddy got a stubborn look on his face. “Right, Howie.” He shook hands with Adam and then yelped as Adam smashed his fingers together in his grip.
    “Boy, I can’t wait for this contest to happen, Funky. You’re going to look really cool in a Patty Cakes uniform taking the garbage out. And without you there to help out, that ratty place you call a restaurant will go out of business.”
    Freddy’s eyes popped. “Hey, wait a minute.” Then he suddenly noticed that lots of people in line were listening intently.

    “You already shook on it,” said Adam quickly. “If you try to back out now, everybody will know that you’re nothing but stinking, yellow-bellied chicken scum.”
    Howie yelled, “Well, he’s not backing out because we’re going to beat your tiny brain out.”
    “So long, Funky,” crowed Adam, ignoring Howie’s taunt. “We’ll get you measured for the Patty Cakes uniform real soon.”
    Harold waved feebly to Freddy and Howie and left too.
    As they walked off, the crowd around them disappeared. But then Nancy came flouncing by in a pair of fake leopard-skin pants, brown galoshes, and a pink scarf that went down to her knees.
    “Hey, I heard about your little bet with Adam,” she said.
    “Did you come here to back us up?” said Howie eagerly.
    “No, I came here to tell you you’re going to look pretty stupid in a Patty Cakes uniform.” She blew an imaginary kiss at Freddy. “There’s a sucker born every minute.” And she flounced off.
    Freddy yelled after her. “Hey, the circus doesn’t come to town for another month, Nanny Boo-Boo, so you might want to put your clown suit away.” He’d called her Nanny Boo-Boo when he was little, and still did to make her mad.
    She turned back around and said in a baby voice, “Aw, are Fweddy-weddy and Howie-cowie so scaredy-waredy of looking stupid-wupid?”
    A bunch of nearby students started howling with laughter.
    Freddy turned beet red. “Just wait, Nanny Boo-Boo, I will too win and then we’ll see who looks stupid.” He added under his breath, “I’ve got just the thing to take care of you.” But when he looked over at Howie he didn’t look very confident.
    “What’s the matter?” asked Howie.
    “What’s the matter? What’s the matter! If I lose I have to work at the stupid Patty Cakes and do everything that lunkhead tells me to. For crying out loud, Howie, why’d you say I’d do it?”
    “Since when do you listen to me? Besides, you said you weren’t afraid of Adam in a competition of brains.”
    “He’s not the brain I’m worried about. It’s Harold.”
    “But Harold’s not as smart as you.”
    “We’re actually pretty evenly matched. But don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” Freddy checked his watch. “Omigosh, we have to hurry or I’ll be late for work at the Burger Castle. And after that we have to sneak into Stewie Spanker’s office.”
    “But, Freddy, we were pretty lucky they didn’t see us last time. How are we going to do that without them spotting us?”
    Freddy smiled knowingly. “I have just the thing, Howie. Come on, let’s go.”

CHAPTER 6
    NO SPY FRY
    Freddy and Howie went to the secret lab under the barn where the Fries were getting ready to go to work. Freddy quickly told them everything they had learned about Silas Finklebean.
    “Sounds like an interesting fellow,” said Theodore. “So the plan tonight is for us to go to the Spankers’ lair in time to hear the details of their plot against you.”
    “But we were almost caught last time,” said Ziggy.
    “That won’t be a problem this time,” said Ziggy.
    He pulled out his father’s Invisibrella and opened it above his head, instantly disappearing.
    “AAGGHH!” screamed Wally. “Freddy’s gone, he’s