Two Sinister PlotsAs Pete searched for the source of the shuffling sound, the bear that had been driven from his house roamed a rundown part of Jericho several miles away. Dark circles rimmed the eyes of the ghostly grizzly, which appeared thin and flea-bitten. Its scalp looked like it had been seared with a blowtorch.
“Woe is me,” the bear groaned. “The enemy just gave me the worst haircut in the world. He sent me out here with no sunscreen. Oh, for a few winks of beauty sleep.”
A black cloud overshadowed the bear’s head and zapped its bald spot with a lightning bolt. “Forget the beauty sleep, you loser fiend. You’re not allowed to rest in peace.”
“Ah, my wicked old automated performance evaluator,” the bear grunted. “I thought you’d gone for good.”
“No, I left for bad. That’s what I
