Guardians of Ga'Hoole 10 - The Coming of Hoole

course, ignored that. “Are you male or female?”
    Now the Pygmy’s beak dropped open. “I am utterly flabbergasted.”
    “Flabbergasted.” Hoole hopped up and down on the branch in delight. “I love that word! I just love that word. Say it again. Please, again.”
    “FLABBERGASTED! It means shocked beyond…beyond…”
    At this, Hoole flew straight up in to the air and turned a neat little somersault and landed again.
    “Are you from Beyond the Beyond? My uncle Grank talks about Beyond the Beyond all the time.”
    “Beyond be lief !”
    “Oh, so that’s where you’re from—Beyond Belief. I’ve never heard of that place.”
    “It’s not a place. It is a state of mind! I am a male.”
    “Me, too! I haven’t met a female yet. I was sort of hoping you’d be one. You know, just because I have never met one, but don’t worry, you’re fine.”
    “Oh, I am soo relieved, because frankly there is very little I can do about it.”
    “Yeah, I know, I know.” Hoole nodded his head quickly and with what he considered great authority. “I know all about that male-female thing. Uncle Grank told me and so did Brother Berwyck.” He paused. “Uncle Grank is…uh…raising me, ‘cause I might be an orphan or something but I don’t believe it. Anyhow, Brother Berwyck is my friend, a Boreal Owl, but he left a few days ago.”
    “I think I might have passed him blowing out while I was blowing in.”
    “Oh, I hope he’s all right.”
    “He looked fine to me. Very strong flier.”
    “You want to come back to my hollow and meet Uncle Grank and Theo?”
    Phineas looked at the young Spotted Owl. It was certainly no use trying to rest here. What did he have to lose? He might get some food and he was too tired to hunt right now himself. “Sure.”
    “Oh, great!” And Hoole jumped up into the air again and did a somersault finishing with a half twist just before he landed. When he did land, he winked at Phineas. “I’m working on that one. I am aiming for a double twist.”
    Phineas made a sound, something between a sigh and a groan.
    “Uncle Grank, Uncle Grank, Theo! Come out. Come out!” Hoole and Phineas alighted on the branch just outside the hollow. Grank stepped out from the hollow, and Theo flew up from the forge. “This is Phineas. He’s a disorganized male Pygmy Owl from Beyond Belief and he’s full-grown. And don’t call him weensy. But small is all right to say…and…and oh, I nearly forgot—he said this wonderful new word. He taught it to me: flabbergasted. I just love that word. Say it, Uncle Grank…flabber…just say it. I know it sounds long—flabber…”
    “Flabbergasted!” roared Grank. “For Glaux’s sake, slow down, Hoole.” Grank blinked and shook his head. In so many ways, this little prince was so much like his father, King H’rath. The unbound enthusiasms, the pure joy and delight in owlkind, in life!
    “Well, can we keep him?”
    “Keep him!” Grank, Theo, and Phineas all hooted in unison.
    “Hoole,” Grank said sharply. “He is a living thing, an owl. We do not keep living things. We welcome him. Welcome, young Phineas.”
    “Thank you, sir,” Phineas said solemnly, and spun his head toward Hoole. “I am not an object for your passing fancies, I am not an amusement.” Hoole wilfed a bit asowls do when they are suddenly intimidated. There was certainly nothing amusing about the little owl right now.
    “Yes, yes. Sorry. I understand,” Hoole said. “But will you stay for a while? I’ll share my vole with you. It was too big to eat all at once. So I just tore off the head for a snack.” Hoole hopped up to a notch hole where they stored food and dragged out the headless vole. “It’s all yours!”
    My Glaux, thought Grank. If the kingdom is restored and there is ever a court again in the N’yrthghar, how shall I ever prepare this lad for courtly behavior?

CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Snow Rose Meets Elka
    Y gryk and Pleek had landed on the smallest of a cluster of three islands called the Tridents. It was here that Ygryk would perform an ancient charm that would temporarily disguise her for one night and one day as an owl—a Great Horned, the same species as her mate. The run from the Tridents to the Bitter Sea was short, especially with this sudden change of wind, which now came from the south, boosting their speed considerably. Pleek had seen his mate do this transformation just twice before and it always amazed him. The gleaming black feathers grew dull