"What?" Mayor Hubbletree and Pirate Pedro looked stunned.
Mr. Freaky blew his noses.
"You found Pedro's treasure? Are you sure it's buried at Monster Academy?"
Ben nodded. He and the others quickly explained how they'd tracked down the treasure.
Pedro looked excited. "You aren't just trying to fool an old pirate, are you?"
"No, sir," Mog said. "We found your treasure, but . . ." He looked down.
"We wondered . . . well . . . we wondered . . ."
"If you'd donate it to our school!" Winnie finished for him.
"Of course, I'll donate the treasure to the school," Pedro replied.
"I'm an old skeleton now. And I'd be proud to help Monster Academy."
Mr. Freaky's noses twitched with delight.
"Wonderful!" he cried. "With this treasure we'll be able to make the repairs!"
"Great work, young monsters," Mayor Hubbletree declared.
"Now take us to the treasure!"
"Er . . ." Winnie checked the magic compass.
"We don't know exactly where it is, but we know we're close."
Gaby glanced at the tree and then back at the school building.
"It's got to be inside the school."
"You mean under the school," Ben said.
"It might not be easy to dig up the school building."
"Now wait a minute, students.
Nobody is going to dig up Monster Academy!" Mr. Freaky said.
"Hmm." Mayor Hubbletree rubbed his chin.
"Actually, Freaky, I have a wonderful idea.
We can just knock down your school and dig until we find the treasure."
Mr. Freaky turned pale. "Knock down the school?"
"It's the easiest and fastest way.
Besides," the mayor added with a laugh, "your school is already falling apart."
"You can't destroy our school," Mog said.
"Of course I can," Mayor Hubbletree said.
"People Place owns this land, in case you monsters have all forgotten.
That makes the treasure mine.
But because I'm such a nice guy, I'll share it with you.
After we flatten Monster Academy, I'll use some of the treasure to build you a nice, new school."
"But we like this school!" Gaby blurted out.
"And it'll take years to build a new Monster Academy."
"Nonsense," the mayor said.
"You'll like your new school much better than this dump.
We'll get rid of that nasty cafeteria and the library full of cobwebs." He shivered.
"Not to mention the leaky roof, peeling paint, and broken windows."
He pulled out his phone and began tapping.
"There! It's all arranged. I've contacted People Place Wrecking.
The bulldozers will be here at sunrise."
All the monsters gasped. "Sunrise?"
"Oh no!" Mr. Freaky wailed. "This is terrible!"
But Mayor Hubbletree was beaming.
"I'd better get some sleep.
I want to be here at the crack of dawn when the bulldozers start rolling. Good night, everyone."
With that, a limousine pulled up in front of the building and whisked the mayor away.
The monsters stood on the steps in stunned silence for a moment.
"I wish the office ogre were here right now," Mr. Freaky moaned.
"Or Miss Bungle. She always knows what to do."
He glanced quickly at the students.
"I'll be in my office, thinking, if you need me."
He headed for the building entrance.
"I'll call your parents to let them know you're staying at Monster Academy tonight for a special project."
"This is awful," Mog said. "What are we going to do?"
Suddenly Pedro brightened.
"I know! I'll gather my old pirate band!"
He drew his sword and waved it.
"We'll battle those bulldozers as if they were enemy ships.
Don't worry, students! I'll be back at dawn with my crew to save the day!"
Pedro hurried off into the darkness.
"Whew!" Mog said. "That's a relief. The pirates are going to save Monster Academy."
Winnie bit her lip.
"I don't know, Mog. Pedro doesn't know anything about our school.
Or the humans in People Place."
"Yeah," Gaby added.
"And what if Mayor Hubbletree keeps the treasure for himself?"
"I don't think he'd do that," Ben said.
"But we can't count on the grown-ups to save our school.
There's only one thing to do—find the treasure ourselves, before sunrise!"
"Yes!" the others cried. They all ran into the school.
"Based on the shadows in the painting, I think the treasure is buried on the east side of the building," Gaby said.
"That's what the golden compass says too!" Winnie said. "Let's go!"
The compass led them down a dark hallway.
"This way," Winnie said, pointing to the right. "We take this turn and—"
Boom! She slammed hard into a wall.