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Celia told him.
    â€œSo you’re a gym teacher now?” he muttered.
    â€œFine, do it your way, but when your arms turn into floppy noodles and you fall back into the alley and the angry goat herders tear you limb from limb, don’t whine to me about it.”
    â€œI won’t,” said Oliver.
    â€œGood,” said Celia.
    â€œWhatever,” said Oliver.

    Beverly scurried up the wall as Patrick raced ahead of the twins. The adults grabbed on and started climbing.
    Corey climbed up after the Navels with Dennis clucking and gripping his hair.
    â€œOw, stop scratching me!” Corey complained.
    Professor Rasmali-Greenberg lashed a rope around Ernest’s ankles and then made his way up the ropes himself, grunting and pouring sweat.
    â€œOoph, ooph,” grunted Ernest as the boys on the roof pulled his rope taut and hauled him up the wall upside down, banging and scraping him along the rough stone as they went.
    â€œStop them!” shouted Bonnie from below.
    Her thugs charged forward. The mob of goat herders charged at the same time, but the pirates and the goat herders stopped short when a heavy spear slammed into the ground between them.
    A group of full-grown Dinka warriors, each at least seven feet tall, stood next to the boys with the ropes.
    â€œCow herders?” Celia called down to her parents, who were climbing below her.
    â€œThe Dinka are also legendary warriors,” her mother added.
    â€œDo you think Mom knows these guys?” Oliver asked.
    â€œI dunno,” said Celia.
    â€œI hope they’re friendly,” whispered Oliver, squinting up at the large men towering above the alleyway.
    Down below, the goat herders and the pirates cursed at each other in a variety of languages, but no one dared to attack as long as the warriors with the spears stood poised above them.
    â€œJust keep climbing,” Celia urged her brother, because she did not want to think what would happen if these Dinka warriors turned out to be unfriendly.

7
WE’RE PRIVY TO THE PROPHECY

    â€œCOREY BRANDT!” THE Dinka boys had finished dragging Ernest up the wall and pulled the gag out of his mouth. They poked and prodded at him. “We are big fans! Big fans! Although you should have chosen Lauren at the end of
Sunset High.
”
    â€œHey,” the real Corey Brandt objected, pulling the chicken off his head. The boys looked back and forth between Ernest and Corey, puzzled. “I’m Corey Brandt!”
    The boys shrugged, shoved the gag back into Ernest’s mouth, and ran over to poke and prod and question the real Corey Brandt. He nodded and smiled and gave vague answers, glad to find his fans even in this remote corner of Djibouti.
    â€œExcuse me.” Dr. Navel approached one of the tall warriors, opening his arms wide to show that his intentions were friendly. The warrior took a step backward, wary of a hug from the strange explorer whose glasses were sliding off his nose. “I’m Dr. Ogden Navel and this is my wife, Dr. Claire Navel. We are the Explorers-in-Residence at the Explorers Club in New York City. This man”—he pointed at the professor—“is Professor Rasmali-Greenberg, club president. I want to thank you for your assistance.”
    â€œYes.” The warrior nodded, keeping his spear pointed at the alley below. “We know who you are.”
    â€œYou do?” Dr. Navel was puzzled. He looked to his wife.
    â€œDon’t ask me,” she said. “I don’t know them.”
    â€œWe know who
they
are.” One of the boys pointed at Oliver and Celia.
    â€œYou do?” Oliver asked.
    â€œYou are Oliver and Celia Navel,” said the boy. “And you are known throughout the world for your daring exploits.”
    â€œExploits?” Oliver shook his head.
    â€œDaring?” asked their parents.
    â€œIs this
Bizarro Bandits
?” Celia wondered.
    On
Bizarro Bandits
a team of pranksters sneak into