Our bikes crashed to the ground as Daniel and I leaped off them. We bent over Carlo, calling his name.

"Ohhhh, wow." Carlo let out a low moan. He clutched his right leg. "Carlo!" I yelled breathlessly. "What is it? What happened? Are you okay?"

Carlo bent his leg carefully and winced. "My knee really hurts. I twisted it when I fell off my bike."

I looked up and saw his bike, on its side under a tree.

"How did it happen?" Daniel asked weakly. My brother hates the sight of blood. "Some of the older kids wanted to race me," Carlo groaned. "I didn't really want

to race them—but they dared me."

He sat up, still rubbing his knee. "Man, I was flying! Then, well, I hit some gravel—and skidded into a tree. Those kids all thought it was a riot. They just rode off and left me."

"Daniel, help me get him up," I instructed. We put our arms around Carlo and guided him over to the curb.

Then we just sat there, staring at Carlo's mangled bicycle. The handlebars looked like a giant metal pretzel.

"You know what?" Carlo finally said. "I didn't even see that stupid tree until I was right on top of it."

Daniel poked me. I knew he was thinking what I was thinking. The Grool strikes again.

We had to get the Grool back. "Carlo, where is the Grool?" I asked.

"Right there in my bike basket." He pointed.

I reached over the tangled handlebars and felt around the basket with my hand. And felt again.

Nothing in the basket. Completely empty.

"Carlo, give me a break," I complained. "There's no Grool in there. Where is it?" My voice got high and shrill. I could feel the panic sweeping over me.

"Huh? It's got to be in there!" Carlo declared. "That's where I stuck it. I was going to take it right home."

"Oh, sure, Carlo," I snapped. "Like you weren't going to bring it to the playground and show it off?"

Carlo hung his head. "Well, maybe for a couple of minutes."

"Great! Just great!" I fumed. "Because of you, the Grool is missing."

Daniel leaned close to me, his face pale with fear. "We've got to find the Grool, Kat," he whispered. "Remember what the encyclopedia said. If you don't find it in a day, you'll die!"

"I remember," I replied with a shudder. "But how are we ever going to find it now? Where can it be?"