Swarm, The by Whitman John

Author:Whitman, John [Whitman, John]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

A beetle jumped onto his hand and started to scramble

up his sleeve. Another one landed right on the end of his

nose, its wings stil outstretched.

“Help!” Zak screamed. He threw off his bedcovers,

sending a shower of beetles scattering around his room.

Zak could hear the hard shels of the beetles clacking

against the floor, and he felt their scratching claws pluck

at his skin. He slapped at his arms and chest beneath his

shirt.

The door to Zak’s room slid open. Tash and Hoole

stood in the doorway.

“Beetles!” Zak shouted. “They’re everywhere!” He saw a

beetle scuttle across the floor and stepped on it-

forgetting he wasn’t wearing shoes. There was a crack!

as its shel was crushed, and then Zak felt squishy stuff

spread across the bottom of his foot.

Tash didn’t know whether to laugh or scream in horror.

Tash didn’t know whether to laugh or scream in horror.

The wriggling bugs reminded her of the horrible image of

the murdered Imperial, but the sight of Zak dancing

around his cabin scratching at his clothes was hilarious.

“Zak, I thought we weren’t supposed to kil any drog

beetles!”

“Tel them that!” he cried, plucking the last beetle from

the inside of his shirt colar. He tossed it against the wal.

The beetle thudded against the wal and fel to the cabin

floor. Stunned, it turned first one way, then the other. By

the time it started to scurry away, Zak had crushed it

with the end of his skimboard.

When al the beetles were dead, Zak gave one

enormous, disgusted shudder and sat down.

“That was not prime,” he breathed.

“How did they get in here?” Tash wondered, carefuly

avoiding dead beetle bodies as she stepped into the

room.

“More importantly,” Hoole added, “why did they come in

here? These creatures have no reason to crawl onboard

here? These creatures have no reason to crawl onboard

the ship.” He considered. “Curious. First thing tomorrow

morning, we wil go see Vroon. Perhaps he can tel us

something. In the meantime, as long as you are in no real

danger, I suggest we al get some rest.”

No real danger, Zak thought. Try teling yourself that

when you’ve got little creepy-crawlies under your

blanket.

Tash helped Zak sweep the remains of the drog beetles

from his cabin and change his bed covers. But once he

was back in bed again, Zak couldn’t sleep.

“I should have told everyone that first day,” he said out

loud. “I should have told them I’d broken the law and

kiled a shreev. It was an accident. It’s just like with the

engines. I should have told them.” He scratched his head

furiously-it stil felt like there were bugs crawling through

it. “But how do I tel everyone now? I’d have to admit

that I tried to cover it up!”

Zak finaly fel asleep, his dreams alternating between

images of the swarming beetles and the disappointed face

of Uncle Hoole once he found out about the shreev. Zak

of Uncle Hoole once he found out about the shreev. Zak

didn’t know which was worse.

Zak slept in late the next day. By the time he stumbled

out of bed, rubbing his cheeks to wake up, Tash and

Hoole were dressed and ready.

“Hurry, please,” Uncle Hoole insisted. “I would like to

speak with Vroon about these insects, and then depart as

soon as possible.

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