Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green by Helen Phillips

Author:Helen Phillips
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307974877
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2012-11-13T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

When we step into the concrete courtyard of the Selva Lodge, it seems absolutely amazing to me that there are normal people here in the normal world, kids splashing in the pool and adults drinking colorful drinks with miniature umbrellas. But we don’t stick around to enjoy the vacationy feeling. We scoot across the courtyard to our room, rushing to get there before anyone notices that we’re covered in jungle slime. Roo has green and black smears of mud up and down her legs and a smudge across her forehead, and Kyle and I aren’t much better.

“Do we just call over to La Lava and ask for Mom?” I say to Roo and Kyle once I’ve locked the door behind us. No matter what those two think, I’m going to take Dad’s instructions seriously. “I know she wrote the number down somewhere.”

Roo giggles and plunks down on her bed. Kyle stares at me.

“Is she serious?” he asks Roo, leaning back against the wall.

“Yeah,” Roo says.

“We promised Dad we’d find Mom right away!” I say. “I promised we’d be out of the country by tonight!” I don’t even care if Kyle hates me; I just want to do what Dad told us to do.

“Yeah,” Roo says, “but you were just saying that so he’d help us get out of the pit.”

“I was not!” I protest, furious. Roo knows I’m never dishonest like that.

“Yes you were,” Roo replies.

“No I wasn’t,” I say, realizing with a sinking feeling that there’s no way Roo and Kyle are going to follow my lead.

“Madeline,” Kyle says. It feels strange and somehow special to hear Kyle using my full name. “Sit down,” he orders, and, suddenly exhausted, I join Roo on the lower bunk. “Of course what your dad asked you to do makes sense. He’s worried about protecting you. But there are other lives to worry about too.”

“Oh yeah?” I say. “Last I checked you hadn’t received any freaky threats from anyone.”

“Not me,” Kyle says. “At least, probably not. But a species is in danger. And your dad is in danger.”

“See?” Roo yells in my ear. “We! Have! To! Do! Something!” She raises her hands high above her head and shakes them with every word.

Well, I’m sorry, I can’t really worry about birds—even almost-extinct birds—over my sister and my mom and myself.

But Dad. If Dad is in danger …

“How do you know Dad’s in danger?” I ask, though the second the words leave my mouth I realize it’s a dumb question.

Kyle doesn’t reply and Roo rolls her eyes.

“Okay,” I say. “Okay, so, La Lava is dangerous and Dad’s in danger. And we have no idea how long they’ll keep him or what they might do to him. Okay. So we can’t abandon him. But what can we do?”

Roo and Kyle look at each other.

“There is only one way to get the attention of an evil corporation,” Kyle says, and I think he’s trying to sound like a voice-over in a movie preview. “We must publicly out La Lava.

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