Tobias is feeling kind of left out,” I said. “You should talk to him later, remind him of how many times he’s helped us out.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jake agreed.
We walked a little farther in silence. It’s one of the nice things about the relationship Jake and I have. We can be quiet together and feel okay about it.
“This is really dangerous, isn’t it?” I asked him.
He nodded.
Suddenly I stopped walking. I don’t know why, but I had this need to tell him something. I took his hand and held it between both of mine. “Jake?” I said.
“Yes?”
It was on the tip of my tongue, but then it seemed ridiculous to say it. So instead I said, “Look, don’t ever get hurt, okay?”
He smiled
that
smile. “Me? I’m indestructible.”
The way he said it, I almost believed him. But then, as he went his way and I headed toward home, I glanced up at the sky.
Against the blaze of sunset I saw a flash of russet tail feathers. Tobias. Our friend, who had been trapped forever in a body not his own.
None of us was indestructible.
CHAPTER 15
H ey! Half a sandwich! It’s salami!>
Fortunately, one thing we always have plenty of in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic (also known as my barn) is seagulls.
We acquired the seagull DNA. Then the four of us, with Tobias watching from the high rafters, morphed into the new bodies.
I have been a bird before. An osprey, to be exact, one of the types of hawk.
But gulls are different in some ways. For one thing, they are scavengers, not predators. So as we took wing and flew in a rush of white from the open hayloft, I noticed different things, felt different things. My seagull mind was not searching for mice or scurrying animals. It was much more open-minded. My seagull intelligence looked for anything —
anything
—that could even possibly be food.
Fortunately, the gull brains were close enough to the other bird brains we’d all experienced that it was fairly easy to control them. We didn’t waste a lot of time getting started.
Although, once we did get started, everyone was constantly pointing out food.
Sometimes you just have to accept the animal’s basic mindset and go with it.
Jake said as we flapped and soared and flapped some more.
It’s easier being an osprey in some ways. Much less flapping.
Once we were out over the water, we could at least stop scanning for food. Mostly.
We flew low, just a few dozen feet above the water. Not like hawks, who can ride the thermals up to the bellies of the clouds.
But Tobias wasn’t much higher than we were now. There are no thermals over water and he was having to flap a lot to stay aloft.
We flew on, skimming the choppy surface of the water.
Rachel said. Sleek gray shapes sliced through the water, up, down, up, down, breaking the silvery barrier between sky and sea. It was a school of dolphins.
Rachel said. Marco said darkly.
cool,> Rachel said. Jake announced.
Tobias laughed.
It’s from Monrovia. You want to know what color the captain’s hair is?>
Jake grumbled.
Hawk eyes are totally amazing. As long as it’ssunny out, Tobias can read a book from, like, three blocks away.
It was hard, flying to catch up to the ship. It was moving fairly fast, and by the time we were
“That’s a good idea,” Jake agreed.
We walked a little farther in silence. It’s one of the nice things about the relationship Jake and I have. We can be quiet together and feel okay about it.
“This is really dangerous, isn’t it?” I asked him.
He nodded.
Suddenly I stopped walking. I don’t know why, but I had this need to tell him something. I took his hand and held it between both of mine. “Jake?” I said.
“Yes?”
It was on the tip of my tongue, but then it seemed ridiculous to say it. So instead I said, “Look, don’t ever get hurt, okay?”
He smiled
that
smile. “Me? I’m indestructible.”
The way he said it, I almost believed him. But then, as he went his way and I headed toward home, I glanced up at the sky.
Against the blaze of sunset I saw a flash of russet tail feathers. Tobias. Our friend, who had been trapped forever in a body not his own.
None of us was indestructible.
CHAPTER 15
H ey! Half a sandwich! It’s salami!>
Fortunately, one thing we always have plenty of in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic (also known as my barn) is seagulls.
We acquired the seagull DNA. Then the four of us, with Tobias watching from the high rafters, morphed into the new bodies.
I have been a bird before. An osprey, to be exact, one of the types of hawk.
But gulls are different in some ways. For one thing, they are scavengers, not predators. So as we took wing and flew in a rush of white from the open hayloft, I noticed different things, felt different things. My seagull mind was not searching for mice or scurrying animals. It was much more open-minded. My seagull intelligence looked for anything —
anything
—that could even possibly be food.
Fortunately, the gull brains were close enough to the other bird brains we’d all experienced that it was fairly easy to control them. We didn’t waste a lot of time getting started.
Although, once we did get started, everyone was constantly pointing out food.
Sometimes you just have to accept the animal’s basic mindset and go with it.
It’s easier being an osprey in some ways. Much less flapping.
Once we were out over the water, we could at least stop scanning for food. Mostly.
We flew low, just a few dozen feet above the water. Not like hawks, who can ride the thermals up to the bellies of the clouds.
But Tobias wasn’t much higher than we were now. There are no thermals over water and he was having to flap a lot to stay aloft.
We flew on, skimming the choppy surface of the water.
cool,> Rachel said.
It’s from Monrovia. You want to know what color the captain’s hair is?>
Hawk eyes are totally amazing. As long as it’ssunny out, Tobias can read a book from, like, three blocks away.
It was hard, flying to catch up to the ship. It was moving fairly fast, and by the time we were
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