9780008390662

An older gentleman holding a blue umbrella lets out a bloodcurdling scream.
“Dragon!” he cries. “I swear to you I just saw a baby dragon!”
“Sir,” says a keeper named Malik, “no worries. That’s actually a Gila
monster. His name is Gilligan.”
A paramedic raises his hand. “They have, like, venom, don’t they?”
“They say a healthy adult won’t die from it.” Malik shrugs. “Although they’ll
be in some serious pain.”
“Wonderful,” the paramedic mutters.
I glance over my shoulder to see Sara running toward Maya. I can’t hear her
words, but I can definitely see the worry in her eyes.
Xena’s ears tip forward. “They’re getting the cutters and the jaws of life.”
“Jaws?” I repeat. Don’t like the sound of that.
“Spreads metal. They’re probably getting close. C’mon. We need to get outa
the way.”
“I ain’t going anywhere.”
“I hear ya,” she says, and I can tell from the weary sound of her voice that
she’s had this conversation before. “But the best thing for Ivan right now is to
let the humans do their thing.”
I think about it. Figure she’s right. I give his fingers one last lick. They don’t
move.
Nothing. Nada.
We pick our way to the bottom of the debris pile. “Hang in there, Ivan!” I
call. “We love ya, buddy!”
I know it’s crazy, but I listen anyways, hoping for a sign, any sign, that he’s
still with us.