Amos and the Alien by Gary Paulsen Page B

might want to come over here.”
    “What is it? Did you find the meteorite?” Dunc rode over and stopped behind him. He sat back on his bike and watched Amos pull himself up off the ground. “We don’t have time for games, Amos. Pretty soon reporters and scientists are going to be crawling all over the place.”
    Amos brushed the dirt off his jeans. “Do me a favor. Ride your bike from here to that tree over there.”
    “I told you, we don’t have time to goof around.”
    “Just do me this one small favor, and then I’ll look for your dumb meteorite the rest of the day.”
    Dunc gave him the same look his mother did when he told her he was sure he hadseen an international terrorist having lunch at Burger Land. “Okay, Amos, if it’ll make you happy.”
    Dunc pushed off. He only made it three feet. The front tire of his bike bounced back, and he came off and landed in the dirt with his bike on top of him. He stood up and stared.
    There was nothing there.
    Cautiously he stepped forward, one hand feeling in the air. His fingers touched something. He put both hands on it. “It’s like a clear wall.” Dunc pounded on it. “I think it’s made out of some kind of see-through plastic.” He felt his way around it. “Look, Amos. It goes in a circle. I wonder what it is.”
    “It’s a spaceship.”
    “Don’t be silly, Amos. Why would you think it’s a spaceship?”
    “Him.”
    Dunc turned. A tall, at least eight-foot-tall, thin creature with a huge round head, no hair, and large oval eyes was staring at him. The creature was rocking Amos in his arms like a baby.
    When Dunc moved, it stepped back and shifted Amos to its side with one large bonyhand. It started making excited squeaking noises and waving a long, shiny, pink arm, motioning for Dunc to go away.
    Dunc took a step back. “I think he wants me to leave, Amos.”
    “Are you crazy? Who cares what he wants? Get me down from here!”
    Dunc studied the alien. “I’ll see if I can make a trade.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a stick of gum. “Here, boy. Are you hungry?”
    The alien pointed a long, skinny finger at him. Dunc raised his arm to protect himself.
    Nothing happened.
    He was fine, but the gum was gone. The alien had it.
    Dunc whistled. “How’d he do that?”
    Amos watched the creature put the gum, paper and all, into his mouth. “He likes it. Quick, give him another piece.”
    Dunc pulled out another stick. This time, he unwrapped it. The alien pointed his finger at the gum. It disappeared for a second and then reappeared in the alien’s hand.
    “Did you see that, Amos?”
    “Amos?” Dunc blinked.
    Amos was fading before his eyes.

• 4
    Dunc sat staring at the spot where the alien had been standing just thirty minutes before. Now there was nothing. Both Amos and the alien had disappeared. “This can’t be happening.”
    “What can’t be happening?”
    Dunc turned. Amos was standing behind him. “Where have you been?”
    “In there.” Amos pointed at the force field. “Girrk took me on a quick tour of his spaceship.”
    “Girrk?”
    “That’s his name.”
    “He told you his name?”
    “Yeah. He has this machine in there. Youput it on your head, and it makes what he says come out in our language.”
    Dunc sat down. “This is incredible.”
    “Poor guy. He really doesn’t want to be here. He’s got a wife and kid waiting for him back home. He had to make an emergency landing last night. What you thought was a meteorite shower was really Girrk making a crash landing.”
    “How bad off is his spaceship?”
    “He thinks he can fix it in a few days if he can find the right parts. I hope you’re not too upset about your meteorite turning out to be Girrk.”
    “Are you kidding? This is better than an old meteorite! Once we get Girrk to the authorities, we’ll be internationally famous. There won’t be a person on earth who doesn’t know our names.”
    “We can’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    “Girrk