Page 94 of Aru Shah and the End of Time

“So I think that it’s—”

Another hot gust of air blew at them. Deep within the cave, she heard a bellowing sound. Like a gigantic pipe organ breaking apart.

Or…lungs drawing in air.

The ground trembled. Above them, the stalactites began to grow larger. Aru squinted. Not larger.Closer.

“Those aren’t stalactites,” said Mini.

Aru had a sneaking suspicion she already knew what Mini was going to say.

They wereteeth.

And whatever beast they had stumbled into was beginning to close its mouth.

#1 on Mini’s Top Ten Ways I Don’t Want to Die List: Death by Halitosis

Aru had lost count of how many times she’d thoughtWe’re going to die.

Granted, they’d always managed to wriggle their way out of dying before. But that didn’t make the thought any less terrifying. Thankfully, by now the two of them had had so much practice that they didn’t scream and cry like the last couple of times. This time they only screamed.

Beneath them, the tongue (gross) began to shake and quiver. Several stalactites—nope, thought Aru,giant teeth—crashed and fell, swallowing up the entrance.

“There has to be another exit!” shouted Aru.

“Try using the ball?”

Aru drew it out of her pocket and threw it on the ground, but nothing happened. Then again, nothingeverhappened with her stupid ball.

Mini opened and closed her compact. “My mirror isn’t working either! It’s just showing my face—” She frowned. “Is that another zit? Aru, do you see anything—?”

“Focus, Mini! Maybe we can prop its jaws open or something?”

“With what? We don’t have anything big enough. Besides, look.” Mini pulled back her sleeve and bent her arm.

“What the heck are you doing?”

“Flexing my muscles!”

“I don’t see anything?”

“Exactly!” said Mini, tugging her hair. She started pacing. “Okay, we’re in a body. Most likely—given the fish breath—it’s some kind of giant demonic whale. So. Let’s think about anatomy and stuff.”

“Cool, I’ll just pull out my pocket anatomy book! Oh, wait! I don’thaveone!”

“Do whales have uvulas?”

“How am I supposed to know if it’s a girl whale?”

“It’s the dangly punching-bag–looking thing in the back of your throat,” said Mini. “It makes you gag. If we could throw something at the whale’s, then it would have to throw us up!”

That was not a bad idea. Except it had a giant flaw. “You want to ride out on whale vomit?”

“I just want to rideout.”

“Good point.”

The girls raced toward the back of the throat. Here, the stench was even worse. Aru’s chin-length hair stuck to her face. Her shirt was soaked through with wet whale breath.