Stinker's Return by Pamela F. Service

Author:Pamela F. Service [Service, Pamela F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

Something Very Earth

Jonathan sprang to his feet, and Karen squatted down so Stinker could jump into the backpack. People were screaming and pointing, and one of the children with dinosaur balloons was charging their way.

“Neat! A real skunk. Let’s see!”

The boy’s balloon popped on the handle of the stroller. The baby screamed, and Stinker took off like a black-and-white rocket.

“Guns! They’ve got guns like on TV!”

“No, Stinker! It’s a balloon. Wait!” Karen thought back as she and Jonathan ran after him.

The sight of the galloping skunk set more people screaming, and by the time they’d reached the trees and bushes around the next building, they thought they could hear a police siren as well.

“Why didn’t I come back in a different body?” Stinker’s thoughts wailed from somewhere deep in the bushes. “Something that could command a little respect around here. Something like that triceratops of yours.”

“No way I’d carry that in a backpack,” Jonathan said. “Though I bet even a triceratops couldn’t get us in as much trouble as a greedy skunk. Now, come out and get in this pack.”

“Humph. I ought to give them all a good spray for scaring me like that.”

“That’s the last thing we need,” Karen said. “Then they’d come with real guns.” She turned around and saw a police officer trotting up to them. “They already have. Get inside!”

She stuffed the pack deep into the bushes. Branches rustled, and the pack jumped about. In one swoop she yanked it out and flung it onto her back.

“Hey, kids,” the police officer said behind them. “If there really is a skunk around here, you’d better stay clear. It might be rabid.”

“Oh. Right,” Jonathan said. “We just wanted to see it. You know, scientific interest and all.”

“It was probably just a cat anyway,” Karen added as they hurried away.

The next museum was square and modern looking, but they were in such a hurry to get out of sight they didn’t notice much of anything until they were inside. A large, tattered American flag was hanging on the wall. Jonathan glanced at the label and said, “Don’t even think about taking this, Stinker. It’s the original Star-Spangled Banner.”

Stinker was going to make snide comments about collecting old rags, but when he picked up the thoughts of the other two he decided against it. “Let’s check out something else.”

They did. For hours.

“How about this statue of George Washington in a toga?”

“Too big.”

“This dollhouse made for President Cleveland’s kids is pretty neat.”

“I“ve been on planets where the real houses are that size.”

“I don’t suppose the High Twak would want the gown worn by Mrs. Lincoln at their inaugural ball?”

“You guessed it.”

For a while, thinking back on all the gadgets in the Twakish collection, Stinker was tempted by a model steam engine, a sewing machine, and a clock with mechanical figures from American history. But finally he gave up those ideas.

“Anyone who’s got that many gadgets is bound to have things that are almost the same,” Stinker griped, as they headed out of yet another exhibit gallery.

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