“That’s right,” said Professor Cardoso. “I don’t believe any of these creatures are still alive. Our evidence points to this type of animal going extinct nine or ten thousand years ago. But your guide, Nigel, has his own theory.”

  “We should look for evidence,” Dr. Iris reminded the children. “But we can’t forget that we don’t know everything. Remember when we were learning about mermaids, we talked about a fish that was thought to have been extinct, but people found one alive quite recently.”

  Jessie nodded, but she couldn’t remember the fish’s name.

  “Ah, yes, the coelacanth,” Professor Cardoso said. “Unfortunately, we know even less about the ocean than we do about the rain forest. But, on the other hand, dozens of new species are found every year in the Amazon. I suppose there’s no harm in investigating what is the cause of all of these stories.”

  Henry turned back to the skeleton. “Why do you think these sloths went extinct?” he asked.

  “We don’t know for sure, but we think it’s because, sadly, humans hunted them into extinction,” the professor explained. “Unlike dinosaurs, giant ground sloths were alive at the same time as humans. And because humans hunted together, the sloths’ size was not enough to protect them. Overhunting has been the cause of many animals’ extinctions, especially megafauna.”

  “Mega-what?” asked Benny.

  “Megafauna,” the professor said, leading them around the rest of the hall. “Those were the very large animals.”

  “That’s terrible,” Violet said. “I don’t want any animals to disappear forever.”

  “Back then, people didn’t think about conservation,” said Dr. Iris. “Even today, there are many animals that may go extinct from too much hunting. As we discover new animals, we are losing others.”

  Professor Cardoso stopped at what looked like a skeleton of a giant armadillo. “It isn’t just animals either. Plants and habitats are in danger too. We lose more every year.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jessie said. “How can you lose part of the Amazon?”

  “I should say they are taken, not lost,” the professor said. “Some trees in the rain forest are very rare. There are laws protecting them, but there are illegal loggers who will take whatever trees they want. I’ve seen how Nigel acts when he runs across these loggers. He’ll try to chase them away all by himself.”

  “He sounds brave,” Henry said.

  “He’s brave about most things, but not everything.” Professor Cardoso chuckled. “I’ll tell you a little secret. I expect he’s going to show you the scar on his head. He shows it to everyone. That’s why he shaves his head. He’s going to tell you a jaguar tried to bite him, but I know the truth. The truth is that he cut himself with his own machete on accident. A tarantula fell onto his head and surprised him. He has a terrible fear of spiders, even after all these years working in the Amazon. He forgot he had such a big knife in his hand and nicked himself trying to shoo it away!”

  “Oh dear,” Dr. Iris said. “He could have really hurt himself.”

  “I don’t like spiders either,” Violet said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to them.”

  Professor Cardoso snapped his fingers. “That reminds me, I have a gift for each of you to bring on your adventure. Let’s go back to my office for a moment.”

  When they reached the professor’s office, he took four books from a stack on his desk. “The Amazon has thousands of species. These guidebooks will help you identify what you see. The one on birds is written by your guide, Nigel.”

  Professor Cardoso gave Henry a book on animals and fish. To Jessie, he gave a book about plants. Violet got the book about birds, and Benny received a book about insects.

  “I can’t wait to keep track of everything,” said Jessie. “Our grandfather will want to hear all about our trip.”

  “Speaking of James, he’d never forgive me if we missed your flight this evening,” said Dr. Iris. “And we’ve got some sightseeing to do before then!”

  The professor nodded. Then his eyebrow wrinkled once again. “Before you go. I do have a message for you to give to Nigel. You see, his son was supposed to contact me about an old story I used to tell, so he could make a recording of it. That boy of his could never get enough of scary stories, even when he was just a little boy. But I haven’t heard from him, and I don’t know why. I’m starting to get worried.”

  “Of course,” said Dr. Iris. Then her phone made a dinging sound. “Excuse me, I should check this.” She pulled the phone from her pocket. “It’s a text message from Nigel. That’s strange. The message says, ‘Hurry! Possible sighting!’”

  “It looks like there’s an audio message attached,” said Jessie.

  Dr. Iris pushed play on the recording. For a moment it was quiet. There was only a low rumbling on the other end of the line. Then the noise grew from a rumble to a growl.

  Suddenly the growl turned to a roar. It was so loud Dr. Iris dropped her phone onto the desk in surprise.

  The sound of running footsteps came from the phone’s speaker. Then the recording ended.

  STORIES FROM THE FOREST

  Violet shuddered. “Do you think that was the mapinguary?”

  Henry picked up the phone from the desk and handed it back to Dr. Iris. “Professor Cardoso, did you recognize that sound?” he asked. “Is it an animal you know of in the Amazon?”

  “Play it again, please,” he said.

  After Dr. Iris played it a second time, Professor Cardoso shook his head. “It’s very poor quality. The noise could be anything, even a loud engine. I can’t pinpoint a particular animal from that.”

  “I’ll text Nigel back and ask him where he got it. He must know we need more information about a possible piece of evidence like this.” Dr. Iris sent the message. The phone dinged again almost right away. She looked at it and sighed. “He didn’t answer the question. He just says, ‘Get here today.’ I suppose we can leave for Manaus early if it will help with the investigation, but I’ll need to make some phone calls.”

  The children explored the museum while Dr. Iris made the arrangements. After they had toured all the rooms, they went back to look at the giant sloth skeleton one more time.

  “This is scarier than the other creatures we’ve learned about,” Violet said. She moved around to the back of the skeleton so she didn’t have to look at its long claws.

  “Don’t worry, Violet,” Jessie said. “We’d hear something like this crashing through the forest.”

  “That’s right!” Benny said. He stomped around in a circle with his arms outstretched. “It would make a lot of noise.”

  “We don’t even know if the mapinguary is real or if giant sloths still exist,” Henry reminded them.

  Benny stopped moving. “But that man who is in the Amazon, Mr. Livingstone, thinks it’s real,” he said.

  “I’m sure if Nigel is a real scientist, he knows he can’t say it’s real unless he can prove it,” Jessie said. “Remember what Dr. Iris taught us.”

  “Always follow the evidence,” said Violet.

  Dr. Iris and Professor Cardoso came into the room. “And that is just what we will do,” she said. “But first, we have a plane to catch.”

  It was a rush to get through the airport and onto the plane to Manaus, but the children climbed aboard just as the doors were closing.

  Once they were settled, Jessie pulled out her guidebook on plants. “It was nice of the professor to give these to us,” she said.

  “Very nice,” Dr. Iris agreed. “I’m glad he thought of it. The Amazon is fascinating even without the stories about the mapinguary.”

  “Do you think that was a real recording of the creature?” Henry asked her.

  “I don’t know. One audio file doesn’t prove anything, especially since we don’t know where it was recorded. But there are many stories about the mapinguary where we are going. Unlike São Paulo, Manaus is a city close to the rain forest. We may be able to start getting some real clues very soon.”

  As soon as the plane landed and the children stepped off the stairs onto the tarmac, the heat hit them. Jessie used her guidebook to fan her face. “I don’t think we’re going to need the heavier clothes we brought.”

  “Believe it or not, it can get cold at night in the rain forest,” Dr. Iris said. “I was very thorough with our packing list. We will have just what we need for our excursion. Now, once we collect our luggage, we’ll find a taxi to take us to our boat.”

  “We get to take a boat?” said Benny. “Yay!”

  Dr. Iris nodded. “There are very few roads in the Amazon,” she explained. “In fact, it would have been difficult to get to this city by road. Roads through the jungle are difficult to maintain. Plants here grow so fast they’d cover up the road in no time.”

  Outside the airport, Dr. Iris hailed a taxi, and the driver helped them load their luggage. Henry sat in front with the driver. The man spoke English well, and he was very interested in why they were visiting Manaus.

  Henry explained about their travels and about Dr. Iris’s television show. “We’re here to investigate the mapinguary,” he said finally. “Have you heard of it?”

  At the name of the creature, the driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the car screeched to a stop.

  “Look over there,” the man said, pointing out the window. The taxi had stopped on the edge of a plaza. Along one side, a mural filled a wall of a building. In front of the mural stood an array of statues.

  “There, at the end,” the man said. “There is a statue of the mapinguary.”

  “Can we get out and look at it?” Jessie asked.

  The taxi driver nodded, and Dr. Iris opened her door. “Yes, let’s see what people believe it looks like.”

  The children walked across the plaza toward the statue. As they got closer, Violet thought it looked even scarier than the skeleton they had seen. “It’s like a big gorilla standing up on its back legs,” she said. “Except it has really long claws!”

  Benny pointed at the creature’s forehead, where there was a single eye. “Why does it only have one eye? That’s creepy.”

  “Very creepy,” Violet agreed. “And what is that awful thing on its stomach?”

  The statue had an oval opening right below its chest. There were sharp, jagged teeth lining the opening.

  “I think that is supposed to be a mouth,” Jessie said.

  “That’s horrible!” Violet cried. “I’d rather find a giant sloth than this thing. It really is a monster!”

  Jessie turned to Dr. Iris. “Does any real creature have just one eye?” she asked. “I can’t think of one.”

  “That is a very good question,” Dr. Iris said. “There is only one tiny sea creature that I know of with only one eye. It’s called a copepod. Most creatures have something called bilateral symmetry.”

  “What does that mean?” said Benny.

  “It means they have one line that divides them into two mirror images.” She moved over to a mural that had a giant butterfly on it, next to the statue. “Like this butterfly. If you drew a line from its head to its tail, the two halves would be the same. It would be very strange to see an animal with a single eye in the center of its head.”

  “But people have said they’ve seen a monster like this,” Benny said. “Why would they make it up?”

  “I’ve heard of a one-eyed monster in stories,” Henry said. “It’s called a cyclops. People believed that creature was real for a long time.”

  “Maybe they created it to scare people,” said Jessie. “We are afraid of things that are strange. And something with one eye and a mouth on its stomach is definitely strange!”

  Back in the taxi, Henry asked the driver, “Do you know anyone who has ever seen the mapinguary?”

  “No, but people tell many stories about it,” the man said. “Some people say it is the protector of the forest. If someone cuts down trees they shouldn’t or traps an animal, they say the mapinguary will get revenge.” Then the driver laughed. “My mother used to tell me not to go outside at night because the mapinguary might get me. It worked to keep me inside!”

  The man started the car back up, and they were back on their way.

  Jessie took out her notepad. The driver’s story about the mapinguary seemed like another important thing to remember.

  They drove down streets lined with buildings painted in pink and yellow and blue. Street vendors on the sidewalks called out to passersby, selling food and souvenirs from their stands and carts.

  “This is a busy place,” Violet said.

  “Manaus is the largest city in the Amazon region, and for people traveling up the river, it’s often the best place to start their trips,” the taxi driver said as he let them off at a large dock area. He pointed to the right. “Most of the passenger boats are that way. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding yours. They all have names painted on them. Have a good trip, but don’t let any mapinguaries get you!” He smiled and waved as he drove away.

  The docks were crowded with boats, most of them with two or three decks.

  “What kind of boats are these?” Violet asked. “They look like houseboats, except bigger.”

  “They are called riverboats,” Dr. Iris explained. “Since it takes a long time to get places on the river, it’s easier if you go on a boat you can live on. There are very few places to stay on the shore. We need to find a riverboat called the Toucan. The captain’s name is Paolo Souza.”

  They read the names on each boat as they walked. “I don’t see it,” Dr. Iris said when they were almost at the end.

  “Here it is,” Violet said.

  She stopped in front of a small, wooden riverboat tucked between two larger boats. It leaned to one side, and part of the railing around the lower deck was missing. Barrels had been stacked to block the gap. The name of the boat, Toucan, was painted on it in faded letters.

  Henry looked at the boat doubtfully. “How far is this boat supposed to take us?”

  VISITORS

  This is not what I had in mind when I told Nigel to organize a boat for us,” Dr. Iris said. “Hello!” she called out.

  A yipping sound answered from the top of the boat.

  “That sounds like a little dog,” said Benny.

  “Maybe the captain has a pet. Hello!” Dr. Iris called again. A man in a bright-orange shirt and a straw hat appeared on the top deck.

  “I’m Iris Perez,” Dr. Iris called up to him. “We’re here to meet Nigel Livingstone. Are you Captain Souza?”

  “I am! Come aboard.” The man came down the steps to greet them.

  Once they were on board, Dr. Iris introduced everyone. Then she asked, “Where is Nigel?”

  “He didn’t tell you?” the captain said. “Nigel has gone upriver in a pair of small boats with his guide. They are going to check out a report of a mapinguary sighting. Then he’s going on to the camp, so you’ll meet up with him there. Are you ready to go?”

  “Now? I thought we’d leave in the morning,” Dr. Iris said. “I wanted to check over all the supplies Nigel was supposed to get for us.”

  The captain frowned. “I’m afraid that won’t work. He told me you’d be ready to go as soon as you arrived in Manaus. I need to get upriver today.”

  “Oh dear. Did he leave the supplies with you? I don’t think everything would fit on whatever small boats he has.”

  Captain Souza nodded. “He had a bunch of things loaded up yesterday. You can go take a look if you want. They’re in Cabin Two. But I’d like to get started to keep on schedule.”

  Dr. Iris hesitated for a moment. Like Jessie, Dr. Iris liked to have everything in order before setting out. Jessie could tell she was not happy about all of the changes in plan.

  “All right, we’ll have to trust that he got everything on my list,” Dr. Iris said. “After all, he’s the expert. We can leave.”

  The captain laughed. “I’m not sure I’d call Nigel an expert, but from the amount of gear he loaded up, you should have more than enough supplies.”

  “He’s written a guidebook about the birds of the Amazon,” Jessie said. “Doesn’t that make him an expert?”

  “I don’t know about any book,” Captain Souza said. “He’s a very confident fellow. I’ll say that for him. Now, let’s get all your luggage aboard.”

  Captain Souza helped the Aldens carry their suitcases up the boarding ramp. “You can have Cabin One and Three to sleep in tonight,” he said. “But first, can I have a hand untying the ropes from the dock? I’ve only got two other crew members aboard, and one is down in the galley working on dinner. The other is sleeping before he takes the night watch.”

  “Sure,” Henry said.

  “We’ll be glad to help,” Jessie added.

  The captain went back up to the pilothouse, calling down to them with instructions. Henry and Jessie untied the boat and then stood at the railing as the boat pulled away from the dock. Soon the boat was around a bend, and the city had disappeared from view.

  “Let’s check out those supplies,” Dr. Iris said.

  Cabin Two had a jumble of equipment and supplies piled on the bunks and floor. In some places the boxes were stacked to the ceiling.

  “This is a lot of stuff,” Benny said.

  “It looks like someone was in a hurry to get all of it in here,” added Henry. “They didn’t even try to organize it.”

  Violet picked up a package that held some plastic paddles and a net. “I think this is a table tennis set.”

  Dr. Iris scratched her head. “I certainly didn’t put that on the list.”

  “Maybe the creature likes to play games!” said Benny.

  Henry picked up a tipped-over box from the floor. “Wow, this one is full of night vision googles.” He took a pair out and put them on.

  Benny laughed. “You look like a giant bug!”

  “That wasn’t on my list either,” Dr. Iris said. “I wasn’t intending on walking around in the rain forest at night.”

  Jessie could tell Dr. Iris was getting concerned. “Why don’t we organize the supplies,” Jessie suggested. “That way we will know which ones were on the list and which are extra.”