Stars.”
“Okay…”
“So help me pretend to be your dad. All you have to do is call me Dad.”
“Okay. I’ll call you Dad…”
“Thanks.”
“…provided you call me your little princess.”
“My little what ?!”
“It’s what my real dad calls me. I miss being called Princess. Please.”
“I’ll try.”
The Ice-Cream Man of the Gobi Desert
My first day of taikonaut training, we had to be at the launch site before dawn. I was really excited. Florida was really sleepy. It was so dark we couldn’t tell who else was there. There was just a bunch of yawning, stretching shadows. Even the Possibility Building didn’t look that solid, until the sun rolled up and peeled a strip of shadow off its back, as though it was a huge red banana. And then it tore up all the other shadows like tissue paper and there was everyone unwrapped on the tarmac, like surprises.
Hasan and his father were sitting in a golf buggy. “I enjoy riding in it so much,” said Eddie, “I decide to buy one for my dear Hasan.” Hasan was at the controls. He kept driving it round in little circles to amuse himself. “Enough,” said Eddie. “You make my head spin.”
Monsieur Martinet was wearing a T-shirt that said “Vote Martinet.” I think Samson One saw me looking atit, because he smiled at me and then rolled his eyes. I’ve seen other dads do this to my dad sometimes when we’re out shopping with Mom. It’s like a secret dad sign or something. For a second I felt truly dadly so I rolled my eyes right back at him.
Then Dr. Drax arrived. “Sorry to drag you all out so early,” she said. “Today is your first day as trainee taikonauts, and we’re going to begin with a nice, gentle exercise in team building, problem solving and decision making. Very easy. Follow me, please.”
Eddie offered her a lift in the back of his new golf buggy. She said, “How kind,” and they all trundled off round the far side of the building. The rest of us tried to keep up on foot.
When we caught up with them, Dr. Drax was pointing out into the desert. “Look,” she said. “The shadow of the Possibility.” The building’s shadow stretched out into the desert, long and straight like a road made of ink. “A road that is pointing to something. Something I’d like you all to go and find and bring back for me.”
“What kind of thing?” asked Samson Two.
“Oh, nothing much. A flag. Just an ordinary little flag. It should be easy enough to spot. There’s nothing else out there. All you have to do is follow the shadow.”
Everyone stared out into the desert. There really wasn’tanything out there. Except geology. Miles and miles and miles of wind erosion and salt deposits.
“Hasan would like to use his new golf buggy, if you don’t mind,” said Eddie.
Dr. Drax laughed and explained that this wouldn’t be possible. “It’s not a race. I want you all to stick together. And work as a team. I’ve got you a little present to help you along….” I thought she was going to cough up at least a jeep, and maybe some weaponry. But no. She handed Please-Call-Me-Monsieur Martinet something that looked like a massive firework. “This,” she said, “is a distress flare. If you set it off we will see it, no matter how far away you are. And we’ll come and get you right away. We don’t want you to come to any harm.”
“Thank you,” said Monsieur Martinet. “I will use it wisely.”
“Of course, if you do set this off, that will mean you have failed in your mission. And I’ll have to find myself a brand-new crew. So if you use the flare, you lose the rocket. All righty?”
I just could not wait to walk off into the desert. The others weren’t so keen. Samson One wanted to go and get protective clothing, water, sunblock, hats.
“And what if it takes longer than a day?” said Eddie.“Maybe we should get tents. And tinned food. And plates. Because when you eat on the beach, sand gets into your food. It must be even
“Okay…”
“So help me pretend to be your dad. All you have to do is call me Dad.”
“Okay. I’ll call you Dad…”
“Thanks.”
“…provided you call me your little princess.”
“My little what ?!”
“It’s what my real dad calls me. I miss being called Princess. Please.”
“I’ll try.”
The Ice-Cream Man of the Gobi Desert
My first day of taikonaut training, we had to be at the launch site before dawn. I was really excited. Florida was really sleepy. It was so dark we couldn’t tell who else was there. There was just a bunch of yawning, stretching shadows. Even the Possibility Building didn’t look that solid, until the sun rolled up and peeled a strip of shadow off its back, as though it was a huge red banana. And then it tore up all the other shadows like tissue paper and there was everyone unwrapped on the tarmac, like surprises.
Hasan and his father were sitting in a golf buggy. “I enjoy riding in it so much,” said Eddie, “I decide to buy one for my dear Hasan.” Hasan was at the controls. He kept driving it round in little circles to amuse himself. “Enough,” said Eddie. “You make my head spin.”
Monsieur Martinet was wearing a T-shirt that said “Vote Martinet.” I think Samson One saw me looking atit, because he smiled at me and then rolled his eyes. I’ve seen other dads do this to my dad sometimes when we’re out shopping with Mom. It’s like a secret dad sign or something. For a second I felt truly dadly so I rolled my eyes right back at him.
Then Dr. Drax arrived. “Sorry to drag you all out so early,” she said. “Today is your first day as trainee taikonauts, and we’re going to begin with a nice, gentle exercise in team building, problem solving and decision making. Very easy. Follow me, please.”
Eddie offered her a lift in the back of his new golf buggy. She said, “How kind,” and they all trundled off round the far side of the building. The rest of us tried to keep up on foot.
When we caught up with them, Dr. Drax was pointing out into the desert. “Look,” she said. “The shadow of the Possibility.” The building’s shadow stretched out into the desert, long and straight like a road made of ink. “A road that is pointing to something. Something I’d like you all to go and find and bring back for me.”
“What kind of thing?” asked Samson Two.
“Oh, nothing much. A flag. Just an ordinary little flag. It should be easy enough to spot. There’s nothing else out there. All you have to do is follow the shadow.”
Everyone stared out into the desert. There really wasn’tanything out there. Except geology. Miles and miles and miles of wind erosion and salt deposits.
“Hasan would like to use his new golf buggy, if you don’t mind,” said Eddie.
Dr. Drax laughed and explained that this wouldn’t be possible. “It’s not a race. I want you all to stick together. And work as a team. I’ve got you a little present to help you along….” I thought she was going to cough up at least a jeep, and maybe some weaponry. But no. She handed Please-Call-Me-Monsieur Martinet something that looked like a massive firework. “This,” she said, “is a distress flare. If you set it off we will see it, no matter how far away you are. And we’ll come and get you right away. We don’t want you to come to any harm.”
“Thank you,” said Monsieur Martinet. “I will use it wisely.”
“Of course, if you do set this off, that will mean you have failed in your mission. And I’ll have to find myself a brand-new crew. So if you use the flare, you lose the rocket. All righty?”
I just could not wait to walk off into the desert. The others weren’t so keen. Samson One wanted to go and get protective clothing, water, sunblock, hats.
“And what if it takes longer than a day?” said Eddie.“Maybe we should get tents. And tinned food. And plates. Because when you eat on the beach, sand gets into your food. It must be even
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