Free The Boy with 17 Senses by Sheila Grau Page A

heavy, but he dragged it back under the table where they’d been hiding.
    Bonip had followed him out, but then he spotted another salty stick on the floor and sat down to eat it.
That stupid wipper!
Jaq cursed. He left the bird behind the post and ran out to grab Bonip, dragging him back toward the safety of the table support.
    â€œWhat’s this?” the man giant said. “Another rat!
Fiona!
Get the foam fumigator!”
    â€œWhat?” Fiona called from behind the counter.
    â€œI saw a rat scurry over there.”
    â€œI’m on the phone, Uncle Gunther.”
    â€œJust tell me where you left the fumigator—the foamy one. Hurry!”
    â€œHold on, I’m on the phone.”
    â€œFiona! Find the foam fumigator!” the giant bellowed. “Hey, that’s alliteration, you know.”
    Fiona appeared behind the counter. “I know what alliteration is, Uncle Gunther.”
    â€œFiona, find the foam fumigator,” Gunther repeated. “Fee-fi-fo-fum. HA!”
    â€œYou can’t use that stuff again,” Fiona said. “It leaves a stinky film over everything. It’ll scare away the customers.”
    â€œSo do rats!” Gunther shouted. “Where is it?”
    â€œYou put it on the high shelf, remember? I can’t reach it.”
    â€œFine.” Gunther disappeared from Jaq’s view.
    Fiona came around the counter and got down on her hands and knees. She peered under tables and behind chairs. She was coming closer. Jaq pressed himself as flat as he could behind the pole, but she was going to find him. She would see the bright white bird and find him. He looked for a place to run, wondering if he could outrun a giant. Just as he was about to make a dash for the trash receptacle, a hand reached down and closed around him, squeezing him tight.

15

    VICTORY IS A GIANT PLASTIC CHICKEN FILLED WITH GLUG
    J aq felt himself raised up, up, up in the air until he was face-to-face with the girl giant. She examined him with eyes that seemed as big as his head. Jaq was sure that she was going to eat him. “You’re back! I knew you’d come back,” she said. He felt himself turned around in her grasp. “Wait—you’re not Plenthy.”
    â€œEeep,” Jaq squeaked.
    â€œYou’re younger,” she said. “And so skinny. Aww, you’re just a kid.”
    â€œEeep.”
    â€œFEE-FI-FO-FUM!” the man giant roared. “Fiona! I can’t find it!” Jaq felt the ground rumble as the man giant searched behind the long counter. Metal smashed against metal. Jaq shook like the number 25, which is a very cowardly number.
    Fiona looked at Jaq. “Where’s Plenthy? I was beginning to think I’d just imagined him.”
    â€œArp,” Jaq said. “Urp.”
    â€œHey, relax,” Fiona said. “I won’t hurt you. I’m just excited, I guess. When I told my mom I’d met a tiny little alien, she said I was making it up. Like I haven’t heard
that
before. And then Plenthy disappeared, and I thought,
Maybe I
am
crazy
. But you’re here now. I can show you to Mom, and then at least she’ll know I was telling the truth.”
    Jaq’s head shook no while his mouth said, “Nerp.”
    â€œYou’re shaking like a leaf.”
    â€œHome.”
    â€œYou want to go home?”
    Jaq nodded.
    â€œWell, all right, little fella, I’ll take you to your hidey-hole. Hey, you grabbed the plastic chicken. Do you want that?”
    Jaq nodded.
    â€œI don’t care if you take it. My step-uncle Gunther is the worst.” She wiped her eyes. “I hate him so much.”
    Jaq pointed to the half-eaten salty stick.
    â€œYou want some fries, too?”
    Jaq nodded.
    â€œHere, have some that haven’t been on the floor.”
    Jaq held his backpack open, and Fiona filled it with fries. Then she scooped up the plastic bird. Jaq was relieved that she hadn’t noticed