science requirements and that doubled as a fun family attraction.
"Well, now Bud Wright's Swim-with-a-Dolphin Aquatic Park is officially dead. It died two weeks ago, when my old male dolphin went belly up, and my new female dolphin, as you all know, turned out to be an orca. A damn killer whale. She's swimming around that big pool right now, sucking down about a ton of seafood every day."
Susan interrupted gently. "Can the commission do anything about this?"
Bud nodded. "Yes, darlin', it can. I need a new direction for the aquatic park. Nobody wants to swim with an orca. I can tell you that. They got a bad reputation that way. But! If we could get another orca, a male mate for this here female one, we could save the park. I know we could.
"People would pay to see a married fish couple like that. And I figure, the way nature works, they'd have a baby orca soon, and that'd be real big news."
Susan pointed to the others at the dais. "Bud, tell the commissioners exactly what you want."
"I want another orca. A male. The Japanese are ready to sell me one. He's a beauty, too. Even does a jumpin' trick, so they tell me. But the U.S. government is blocking the deal."
"Why, honey?"
Bud threw his hands into the air. "They say I'm violating some cruelty-to-animals law. Like me feeding a ton of food to an orca every day is a cruel thing to do. I wish someone would feed
me
free shrimp all day. When I'm down at the Stuckey's salad bar, I gotta pay for my own."
Bud held out his arms, pleading. "I am asking the County Commission to pass a resolution stating that Bud Wright is not cruel to animals. The dolphin that died was old and sick when I got him. It's not like you get American Kennel Club papers when you buy a dolphin, you know. I thought I was buying a young dolphin. Turns out he was on his way to the tuna fish factory already." He looked out into the audience. "Where's old Doc Cavendar?"
Dr. Cavendar stood up at his seat.
"Now, Dr. Cavendar here did an autopsy on that dolphin. And he's prepared to swear that it had never been abused one day in its long, full, happy life. Ain't that right, Doctor?"
Dr. Cavendar nodded darkly.
Susan looked left and right along the dais. "Well, there it is! If our own county coroner is willing to swear to it, who are we to disagree?"
The other commissioners nodded their assent, and Susan pounded the gavel with finality.
Kate wished her uncle George were there, so she could share a sarcastic remark with him. She had to settle for the boy with the big feet sitting next to her. She muttered, "There you have it. Democracy in action."
But he replied with total sincerity. "Yeah. Gosh, isn't it great?"
Kate stared at him briefly, hoping he was kidding. Then she rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.
I am alone here,
she thought.
I am as alone as Orchid the Orca.
***
Kate's class left when second period ended. The next stop on their schedule was a high-protein lunch in the basement, but the students were blocked by a noisy altercation in the hallway. One of the librarians was upbraiding another, loudly and angrily. Kate pushed up front to see.
Mrs. Hodges was waving a book in Miss Pogorzelski's face and yelling about "Mr. Whittaker's collection." Kate recognized the book as the one Whit had mishandled.
Kate stepped forward. "Wait a minute. She didn't do it!"
Mrs. Hodges drew back, clearly unused to such talk from one of the Mushroom Children. She studied Kate's face with severe attention, like she had recently seen it on a WANTED poster.
Just then Cornelia emerged from the County Commission Room with Whit at her side. She observed the standoff and snapped, "Mrs. Hodges! What on earth is going on here?"
Mrs. Hodges held up the antique book She cantilevered its spine, making it flap slowly, like a dead bird.
Cornelia flew into a rage. "Who did this to my father's book?"
Mrs. Hodges looked at Kate, so Cornelia did, too. Kate raised her arm and pointed at the true culprit. "It was your son, Whit.
"Well, now Bud Wright's Swim-with-a-Dolphin Aquatic Park is officially dead. It died two weeks ago, when my old male dolphin went belly up, and my new female dolphin, as you all know, turned out to be an orca. A damn killer whale. She's swimming around that big pool right now, sucking down about a ton of seafood every day."
Susan interrupted gently. "Can the commission do anything about this?"
Bud nodded. "Yes, darlin', it can. I need a new direction for the aquatic park. Nobody wants to swim with an orca. I can tell you that. They got a bad reputation that way. But! If we could get another orca, a male mate for this here female one, we could save the park. I know we could.
"People would pay to see a married fish couple like that. And I figure, the way nature works, they'd have a baby orca soon, and that'd be real big news."
Susan pointed to the others at the dais. "Bud, tell the commissioners exactly what you want."
"I want another orca. A male. The Japanese are ready to sell me one. He's a beauty, too. Even does a jumpin' trick, so they tell me. But the U.S. government is blocking the deal."
"Why, honey?"
Bud threw his hands into the air. "They say I'm violating some cruelty-to-animals law. Like me feeding a ton of food to an orca every day is a cruel thing to do. I wish someone would feed
me
free shrimp all day. When I'm down at the Stuckey's salad bar, I gotta pay for my own."
Bud held out his arms, pleading. "I am asking the County Commission to pass a resolution stating that Bud Wright is not cruel to animals. The dolphin that died was old and sick when I got him. It's not like you get American Kennel Club papers when you buy a dolphin, you know. I thought I was buying a young dolphin. Turns out he was on his way to the tuna fish factory already." He looked out into the audience. "Where's old Doc Cavendar?"
Dr. Cavendar stood up at his seat.
"Now, Dr. Cavendar here did an autopsy on that dolphin. And he's prepared to swear that it had never been abused one day in its long, full, happy life. Ain't that right, Doctor?"
Dr. Cavendar nodded darkly.
Susan looked left and right along the dais. "Well, there it is! If our own county coroner is willing to swear to it, who are we to disagree?"
The other commissioners nodded their assent, and Susan pounded the gavel with finality.
Kate wished her uncle George were there, so she could share a sarcastic remark with him. She had to settle for the boy with the big feet sitting next to her. She muttered, "There you have it. Democracy in action."
But he replied with total sincerity. "Yeah. Gosh, isn't it great?"
Kate stared at him briefly, hoping he was kidding. Then she rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.
I am alone here,
she thought.
I am as alone as Orchid the Orca.
***
Kate's class left when second period ended. The next stop on their schedule was a high-protein lunch in the basement, but the students were blocked by a noisy altercation in the hallway. One of the librarians was upbraiding another, loudly and angrily. Kate pushed up front to see.
Mrs. Hodges was waving a book in Miss Pogorzelski's face and yelling about "Mr. Whittaker's collection." Kate recognized the book as the one Whit had mishandled.
Kate stepped forward. "Wait a minute. She didn't do it!"
Mrs. Hodges drew back, clearly unused to such talk from one of the Mushroom Children. She studied Kate's face with severe attention, like she had recently seen it on a WANTED poster.
Just then Cornelia emerged from the County Commission Room with Whit at her side. She observed the standoff and snapped, "Mrs. Hodges! What on earth is going on here?"
Mrs. Hodges held up the antique book She cantilevered its spine, making it flap slowly, like a dead bird.
Cornelia flew into a rage. "Who did this to my father's book?"
Mrs. Hodges looked at Kate, so Cornelia did, too. Kate raised her arm and pointed at the true culprit. "It was your son, Whit.
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