Cassie points to the doorways. “These lead to the exhibits,” she explains.
You nod, but you can’t quite imagine opening one and popping in to say hello to a tiger or a grizzly bear.
“How do you guys feel about gorillas?” Cassie asks.
You think she’s kidding. But she hands Marco an apple, and before you know it, he’s actually touched this huge gorilla called Big Jim. He acquires his DNA.
This gives you all courage somehow. One of you came close to a wild creature and survived.
“I say we head for the big exhibits,” Marco says. “We need firepower.”
You start to head toward the big creatures. But you hear a whirring sound. A golf cart is headed your way. A security guard!
“Split up!” Cassie hisses. She takes off with Tobias and Rachel. Jake and Marco are already running.
You spin around and run back the way you came. You hear the golf cart behind you, and you fake left and go right. The corridors are a maze, but this helps you. Before too long, you’ve lost the guard.
Now what? You wish Cassie were here to tell you what is behind the doors. You open one cautiously.
At first, all you see are treetops. The door opens out onto a little ledge, concealed by leaves. It is high above the habitat of the animal, whatever that animal is. You peer down. Something moves at your level and you jump back in alarm.
A giraffe is almost eye-level with you. It turns velvety brown eyes at you and blinks long eyelashes.
“Hey there,” you say softly. You shake the tree branch a little. Somewhere you’ve read that giraffes feed on treetops. You don’t think they attack humans — you hope.
The giraffe takes a delicate step toward you. It passes by you, so close you can smell the dusky fur. You put out a tentative hand and touch its flank.
The giraffe stops moving. So this is it, this is the trance. So strange that you can put such a large, strong creature to sleep. You close your eyes and concentrate.
When you’re done, you pat the giraffe gently. “Thanks,” you say.
You slip back inside the corridor. That encounter went so well that it gives you confidence. You continue down a sloping ramp. When you come to the next door, you open it and slip inside.
You’re in a savannah. Dry trees, sand. Hot, but a dry heat. You don’t see the animal at first. You hear it.
ERRRR-UP! EURRR-UP! RRR-UP!
The cry raises the hair on the back of your neck. It is close to human. The animal is wavering on long front legs. The fur is sandy-colored and coarse. You don’t think you’ve ever seen an uglier animal.
“She should be down by now,” a voice says. Quickly, you crouch down behind some food bins as the door opens.
Two white-jacketed workers come in. “Takes a few minutes,” the other one says. “We better wait until she’s completely out.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t go near a hyena otherwise,” the other man says. He peers into the enclosure. “She’s down.”
“Okay, let’s go. The vet’s waiting. Oh, darn. I left the stretcher by the elevator.”
“Well, I’m not staying here alone.”
The two workers exit. You creep toward the sleeping hyena. Just as you approach, it opens one eye. The look is deadly, like a shark’s. As if your only worth is for food.
It’s too late to run back now. Instead, you gather your courage and brush your hand along the creature’s side.
The eye closes. Your touch, combined with the tranquilizers, has made the hyena pass out. You concentrate. As soon as you’re done, you run away. Fast.
When you close the door behind you, the white-jacketed workers are heading toward you with a stretcher.
“Hey!” one of them calls.
“Stop!” the other one says. They toss aside the stretcher.
They start to run toward you. You could wait and think of a story. But it seems easier just to run.
You sprint around a corner — straight into a security guard.
“Whoa,” he says. Two strong hands grip your arms. “Where are you going?”
The workers come up behind you. They’re both out of breath. “Tried to break into the hyena habitat,” one of them says, gasping.
The grip tightens. “So what’s your name, kid?”
You think about telling the truth. Well, not the whole truth. But at least saying that you know Cassie’s mom. The only trouble is, that might get Cassie in trouble. And it could bring too much attention to the others. So you say nothing.
He frowns. “We got reports of vandals in the park. Come along with me.”
He marches you down the corridor into a small waiting room. There are two policemen there.
Great. Just what you need.
“I know you were called about a disturbance by the snack bar,” the security guard says. “But No Name here was caught sneaking into the animal habitats.”
The taller policeman sighs. Obviously, he doesn’t want the burden of some kid. “Let’s move,” he says.
They keep you between them as they march you outside to a loading area behind the snack bar. A police van is parked there. On the side of the van are the words k-9 UNIT.
“Strange thing, for a kid to be sneaking into animal cages,” one of the policemen says.
“They aren’t cages,” the other one says. “They’re habitats.”
“Whatever. Sit here.” The taller policeman puts a hand on your shoulder and shoves you down on a bench. “And don’t think about moving. Princie and Gale won’t take it too kindly.”
Two German shepherds bound out of the police van and sit in front of you. One of the dogs bares its teeth.
“Stay,” the policemen says, and moves off to go talk on the van radio.
You’ve got to get away. In just a few hours, you’re supposed to meet the others at school to invade the Yeerk pool. Your only choice is a
