sit there!” said Aric. His voice was awfully loud for such a little thing. It boomed inside Richard’s head. “Let us get going—I am busy. I have six other planets to save. Move it or lose it! Hup-hup-hup!”
“Wait a minute,” said Richard. “Where are we going? Who are we fighting? What about school? I’m going to be late!”
“Hey—it is your planet,” said Aric. “And you have been chosen to help me save it. But if you do not mind the Dranes taking over, hunky-dory.” He started to climb back into Richard’s cereal bowl.
“Who are the Dranes?” Richard wonderedif they were tiny and pink, like Aric.
“Space trash,” said Aric. “Mean. Very mean. When the Dranes see a planet they like, they move in. Before the natives know it, their minds are mush. And the Dranes are in control. Forever!”
“And these, uh, Dranes. They’re here?” asked Richard.
“Yes, they are here. Or to be precise, one is here. But one is more than enough. Dranes divide every four days. In a few weeks Earth will be knee-deep in them. Not a pretty sight.”
“What does this Drane look like?” asked Richard.
“Well, Dranes can look like anything they want to. The one here has blond hair, blue eyes, and a smile no one can resist. He is in your class. He just showed up two days ago.”
“Dorf? Dorf is an alien?” Richard was so excited he jumped out of his chair. He couldn’t wait to tell Henry.
“My job is to get rid of the Drane before he divides,” said Aric. Then, for a moment, he looked a little confused. “You have suitable weapons, of course.”
“Weapons? All I’ve got is a water gun!” Somehow Richard knew that wouldn’t be enough to stop a Drane.
Aric sat down on the table. “Maybe it is because I am not used to being soaked in milk,” he said. “But I cannot remember—”
“You can’t remember what?” asked Richard.
“The weapon to use against the Drane.” Aric looked confused again.
“You mean you didn’t bring weapons with you on your spaceship?”
“I have no ship,” said the little alien.
“Then how did you get here?”
“I was freeze-dried and beamed from Ganoob in a cereal box. Fast and cheap,” said Aric.
“Well, have them beam the right weapons down,” said Richard.
“No, no—you do not understand,” said Aric. “The weapon is here, on your planet. That is why I did not bring it. It is something found in many Earthling homes. Only, now—” He scratched his little pink head. “I cannot remember what it is!”
“Richard!” called Mrs. Bickerstaff. “School bus is here.”
Richard scooped up his books and his lunchbox. “Look,” he said: “I’m just a kid. And I have to go to school. You’re the space warrior. You figure out what to do.”
To Richard’s surprise, Aric jumped onto his shoulder. “I am coming with you,” he said. “Perhaps I will regain my memory when I see the Drane. Let us go forth!”
Richard plucked Aric off his shoulder. He tucked him gently into his shirt pocket. “ ’Bye, Mom,” he called. “I’m off to save the world.”
“Have fun, sweetie,” answered Mrs. Bickerstaff.
2 .
Richard slid into his seat just as math was starting. He was under strict orders from Aric to act normal. “Do not let anyone know about me,” he had told Richard on the way to school. “If the Drane finds out I am here, you can kiss this planet good-bye.” So now Richard couldn’t stare at Dorf, even though he wanted to. Instead he had to pretend that the only thing on his mind was the question Mrs. Marks was asking.
As usual, it was a hard one.
“Who knows how many ways we can makechange for a dollar?” she asked. She looked around the room slowly. Then she stared straight at Richard. His heart sank. “Richard?” she asked.
Richard knew you could get four quarters or ten dimes or a hundred pennies from a dollar. But that was too easy. This was a trick question with a trick answer. Only he didn’t know the answer.
“Any ideas,
“Wait a minute,” said Richard. “Where are we going? Who are we fighting? What about school? I’m going to be late!”
“Hey—it is your planet,” said Aric. “And you have been chosen to help me save it. But if you do not mind the Dranes taking over, hunky-dory.” He started to climb back into Richard’s cereal bowl.
“Who are the Dranes?” Richard wonderedif they were tiny and pink, like Aric.
“Space trash,” said Aric. “Mean. Very mean. When the Dranes see a planet they like, they move in. Before the natives know it, their minds are mush. And the Dranes are in control. Forever!”
“And these, uh, Dranes. They’re here?” asked Richard.
“Yes, they are here. Or to be precise, one is here. But one is more than enough. Dranes divide every four days. In a few weeks Earth will be knee-deep in them. Not a pretty sight.”
“What does this Drane look like?” asked Richard.
“Well, Dranes can look like anything they want to. The one here has blond hair, blue eyes, and a smile no one can resist. He is in your class. He just showed up two days ago.”
“Dorf? Dorf is an alien?” Richard was so excited he jumped out of his chair. He couldn’t wait to tell Henry.
“My job is to get rid of the Drane before he divides,” said Aric. Then, for a moment, he looked a little confused. “You have suitable weapons, of course.”
“Weapons? All I’ve got is a water gun!” Somehow Richard knew that wouldn’t be enough to stop a Drane.
Aric sat down on the table. “Maybe it is because I am not used to being soaked in milk,” he said. “But I cannot remember—”
“You can’t remember what?” asked Richard.
“The weapon to use against the Drane.” Aric looked confused again.
“You mean you didn’t bring weapons with you on your spaceship?”
“I have no ship,” said the little alien.
“Then how did you get here?”
“I was freeze-dried and beamed from Ganoob in a cereal box. Fast and cheap,” said Aric.
“Well, have them beam the right weapons down,” said Richard.
“No, no—you do not understand,” said Aric. “The weapon is here, on your planet. That is why I did not bring it. It is something found in many Earthling homes. Only, now—” He scratched his little pink head. “I cannot remember what it is!”
“Richard!” called Mrs. Bickerstaff. “School bus is here.”
Richard scooped up his books and his lunchbox. “Look,” he said: “I’m just a kid. And I have to go to school. You’re the space warrior. You figure out what to do.”
To Richard’s surprise, Aric jumped onto his shoulder. “I am coming with you,” he said. “Perhaps I will regain my memory when I see the Drane. Let us go forth!”
Richard plucked Aric off his shoulder. He tucked him gently into his shirt pocket. “ ’Bye, Mom,” he called. “I’m off to save the world.”
“Have fun, sweetie,” answered Mrs. Bickerstaff.
2 .
Richard slid into his seat just as math was starting. He was under strict orders from Aric to act normal. “Do not let anyone know about me,” he had told Richard on the way to school. “If the Drane finds out I am here, you can kiss this planet good-bye.” So now Richard couldn’t stare at Dorf, even though he wanted to. Instead he had to pretend that the only thing on his mind was the question Mrs. Marks was asking.
As usual, it was a hard one.
“Who knows how many ways we can makechange for a dollar?” she asked. She looked around the room slowly. Then she stared straight at Richard. His heart sank. “Richard?” she asked.
Richard knew you could get four quarters or ten dimes or a hundred pennies from a dollar. But that was too easy. This was a trick question with a trick answer. Only he didn’t know the answer.
“Any ideas,
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