Free Whales on Stilts! by M.T. Anderson Page A

out—”
    â€œWhat’s wrong, Lily?”
    â€œEverything could burn.”
    â€œWe have faith in your plan.”
    â€œI know,” said Lily in the smallest voice she had. “That’s what’s so frightening.”
    â€œLily,” said Jasper, “we’re going to do the best we can. Don’t fear. Not everything will burn.” There was silence on the line for a minute. Then he said, “For example, things that aren’t flammable. Rocks, Lily.”
    Lily didn’t say anything at her end of the phone. Jasper was altogether too sure of things.
    â€œI’ve got to go,” Jasper said. “I need to find these fellows before they emerge from the sea.”
    â€œAll right,” said Lily.
    â€œGood-o, then. Over and out?”
    â€œBe careful, Jasper.”
    â€œI will, Lily. You, too.”
    Lily hung up. She cleared the table of the breakfast dishes. Her father and mother weretalking in the other room. Suddenly the phone rang. Lily picked it up and said hello.
    â€œOh, hey there, hey there,” said a voice. “Is this little ... Gefelty’s little girl?”
    â€œThis is Lily,” said Lily.
    â€œGreat. Great! This is your dad’s boss, Larry. Is your dad there?”
    â€œSure,” said Lily, fumbling with the phone. “Sure. Sure! I’ll—I’ll get him, then. While I go into the other room—how are you?”
    â€œI’m good. Real good. How ’bout you?”
    â€œAnd where are you? Are you at work?”
    â€œYeah, in a manner of speaking. Today’s a big day for me. I have a lot of scrapple on my plate today. Hey—is your dad there?”
    â€œI’m just—I’m getting him.”
    â€œThat’s great, ’cause I need to talk to him.”
    Lily had an idea—a way to find out where Larry was. “Can he call you back?” she said. “Are you at the warehouse?”
    â€œNaw, naw. I’m not there right now. I’m in a yacht out in the harbor. Can I leave a message?Where is he? Is he in the little boys’ room? Because if so, could you just tell him to hurry up in there?”
    â€œHe’s—I can give him a message.”
    â€œTell him he doesn’t need to come into work today. He and the rest of the team have done a great job, and they can take the day off. You know what I’d do, for instance? Maybe go horseback riding. Or skating, if he has access to an indoor rink.”
    â€œOkay. Thanks. Oh, incidentally, can you see the warehouse from there?”
    â€œUh, yeah. Why you ask? Is there something wrong with it?”
    â€œNo, no. I’m just—I’m just asking.”
    â€œOkay. Look, you take care of yourself. Have a good day in school or whatever. You know what I always found? In math the answer is usually seven. Alrighty. Keep in touch. Bye.”
    Larry hung up.
    Lily ran into the living room. “Dad! Dad! Larry called and—”
    Her mother and father were gaping at the TV. “Larry called?” her dad asked. “Thank goodness. That means he’s safe.”
    â€œHe said you don’t have work today, and not to worry, and that your team did a good job.”
    â€œOf course we don’t have work today,” said her father, pointing at the TV screen. “The walls of the Abandoned Warehouse blew apart from the inside five minutes ago, revealing... I just can’t believe this—there’s a huge antenna and an army of walking whales!”
    On the screen the whales were in formation, their eyes blazing, crunching through rubble.
    Lily gasped. They were on the move.
    The attack had begun.

If you have ever been present at a vicious attack by elevated sea animals, you’ll know exactly what the people of Pelt felt like. I, for example, was unlucky enough to be working as a house-painter in Minneapolis that terrifying summer of the Manatee Offensive. That was awful. The sky was black