her to follow.
They climbed down the bluff. Isabelle’s kelp booties gripped the flat black stones that covered the beach. At the water’s edge she and Sage knelt beside a tide pool thick with barnacles. Little white feathers fanned the water as the barnacles fed. Or maybe they were talking to each other. Maybe they were one big family.
“There it is,” Sage said.
Sure enough, Isabelle’s little barnacle sat on its rock, right in the center of the tide pool, also fanning the water. Isabelle smiled. “It’s the perfect place,” she said, surprised by Sage’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”
He lowered his head and mumbled, “No big deal.”
A roar filled the air. “Finally,” Sage said, leaping to his feet. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” The seal hauled himself out of the shallows and a full-blown argument ensued, with Sage hollering and shaking his fists, and the seal roaring and whacking Sage with his flippers.
Isabelle took a long, last look at her barnacle. “I hope you’ll be happy here,” she whispered. She felt proud and victorious, having saved something from Mama Lu’s stomping feet. Too bad she hadn’t been able to save the others.
Two of us escaped. Take that, Mama Lu!
Something hit the back of Isabelle’s arm.
A marmot sat on a log, a stone’s throw away. It wiggled its black nose and blinked. “Hey,” Isabelle said, rubbing her arm. Another marmot popped out from behind the log and joinedits friend. They greeted one another by touching noses. Then they balanced on their hind legs and stared at Isabelle.
“Go on. Shoo.”
They didn’t shoo. One picked up a rock and threw it at her.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her shoulder. “Stop doing that.” Was she standing near one of their holes? No. But still, they stared. “What do you want?”
The two marmots jumped off the log and scampered up the beach to where a giant tree had fallen. They climbed up the fallen tree’s trunk and chirped, a softer, friendlier sound than the whistle. They stared at her, chirped, stared, chirped—clearly telling her something. Sage was busy with the saddle, so with a shrug, Isabelle approached the tree, shielding her face with her hands in case they took aim again.
Dozens of empty broken crates lay hidden behind the fallen tree. Each had a label that read: HANDLE WITH CARE. CONTAINS LIVE LABORATORY ANIMALS. SPECIES: YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOT.
The marmots ran along the trunk, then lay on their bellies and hung their heads over a branch. A furry marmot bottom poked out from under the branch. The creature’s little legs kicked frantically but to no avail—it was stuck. The two marmots chirped softly to their trapped friend.
“Poor little thing,” Isabelle said as the legs continued to kick. “I’ll help you.” She crouched next to the wiggling bottom and pulled at the branch with all her might until it snapped off. Branch in hand, she tumbled backwards.
The marmot waddled out and scratched its head with its leg. Except for a small cut above its right eye, it looked unhurt.
Isabelle was about to sit up when the freed marmot climbed onto her chest and sat itself down as if it meant to stay awhile. It leaned forward and peered into her eyes. Isabelle held her breath. Was it going to bite her nose with its buck teeth? It leaned closer but rather than biting her, it pressed its wet nose against hers. She giggled as its fur brushed her face. It nosed her again. Then the freed marmot greeted its friends. They touched noses, chirped, and scurried around one another. It was the happiest dance Isabelle had ever seen.
“Isabelle!” Sage called. “Time to go!”
She scrambled to her feet and ran back down the beach.
“Where were you?”
“I was over there,” she said, pointing to the distant tree.
Sage frowned and pointed at her feet. “And what are you doing with that?”
The rescued marmot had followed Isabelle down the beach and had wedged itself between her kelp booties.
“It was stuck. I helped
They climbed down the bluff. Isabelle’s kelp booties gripped the flat black stones that covered the beach. At the water’s edge she and Sage knelt beside a tide pool thick with barnacles. Little white feathers fanned the water as the barnacles fed. Or maybe they were talking to each other. Maybe they were one big family.
“There it is,” Sage said.
Sure enough, Isabelle’s little barnacle sat on its rock, right in the center of the tide pool, also fanning the water. Isabelle smiled. “It’s the perfect place,” she said, surprised by Sage’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”
He lowered his head and mumbled, “No big deal.”
A roar filled the air. “Finally,” Sage said, leaping to his feet. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” The seal hauled himself out of the shallows and a full-blown argument ensued, with Sage hollering and shaking his fists, and the seal roaring and whacking Sage with his flippers.
Isabelle took a long, last look at her barnacle. “I hope you’ll be happy here,” she whispered. She felt proud and victorious, having saved something from Mama Lu’s stomping feet. Too bad she hadn’t been able to save the others.
Two of us escaped. Take that, Mama Lu!
Something hit the back of Isabelle’s arm.
A marmot sat on a log, a stone’s throw away. It wiggled its black nose and blinked. “Hey,” Isabelle said, rubbing her arm. Another marmot popped out from behind the log and joinedits friend. They greeted one another by touching noses. Then they balanced on their hind legs and stared at Isabelle.
“Go on. Shoo.”
They didn’t shoo. One picked up a rock and threw it at her.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her shoulder. “Stop doing that.” Was she standing near one of their holes? No. But still, they stared. “What do you want?”
The two marmots jumped off the log and scampered up the beach to where a giant tree had fallen. They climbed up the fallen tree’s trunk and chirped, a softer, friendlier sound than the whistle. They stared at her, chirped, stared, chirped—clearly telling her something. Sage was busy with the saddle, so with a shrug, Isabelle approached the tree, shielding her face with her hands in case they took aim again.
Dozens of empty broken crates lay hidden behind the fallen tree. Each had a label that read: HANDLE WITH CARE. CONTAINS LIVE LABORATORY ANIMALS. SPECIES: YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOT.
The marmots ran along the trunk, then lay on their bellies and hung their heads over a branch. A furry marmot bottom poked out from under the branch. The creature’s little legs kicked frantically but to no avail—it was stuck. The two marmots chirped softly to their trapped friend.
“Poor little thing,” Isabelle said as the legs continued to kick. “I’ll help you.” She crouched next to the wiggling bottom and pulled at the branch with all her might until it snapped off. Branch in hand, she tumbled backwards.
The marmot waddled out and scratched its head with its leg. Except for a small cut above its right eye, it looked unhurt.
Isabelle was about to sit up when the freed marmot climbed onto her chest and sat itself down as if it meant to stay awhile. It leaned forward and peered into her eyes. Isabelle held her breath. Was it going to bite her nose with its buck teeth? It leaned closer but rather than biting her, it pressed its wet nose against hers. She giggled as its fur brushed her face. It nosed her again. Then the freed marmot greeted its friends. They touched noses, chirped, and scurried around one another. It was the happiest dance Isabelle had ever seen.
“Isabelle!” Sage called. “Time to go!”
She scrambled to her feet and ran back down the beach.
“Where were you?”
“I was over there,” she said, pointing to the distant tree.
Sage frowned and pointed at her feet. “And what are you doing with that?”
The rescued marmot had followed Isabelle down the beach and had wedged itself between her kelp booties.
“It was stuck. I helped
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