Cars 2 by Irene Trimble Page B

RADIATOR SPRINGS–HOME OF LIGHTNING MCQUEEN AND SIR TOW MATER.
    Mobs of tourists had shown up to see the final race of the World Grand Prix. All the racers who’d never gotten to finish the race in London were there, too, including Francesco Bernoulli. But all the attention was on Mater.
    â€œSo were you really a spy?” one of the tourists asked Sir Tow Mater.
    â€œTell us everything!” another said.
    Mater told them about taking a spy jet to Paris.
    â€œDid that really happen?” a car in the crowd asked. “A spy jet? Come on.”
    Just then they heard Siddeley, the spy jet, overhead.
    Siddeley made a perfectly smooth landing right next to the Cozy Cone Motel at the edge of town.
    â€œYou’re right. It does sound a little farfetched,” the sleek jet joked dryly.
    â€œSid!” Mater shouted. He saw Finn and Holley exit the plane. “What are y’all doing here?”
    â€œWe hear that there’s a special competition here today,” Holley said.
    Luigi rolled up. “So you got my email!” he said as the whole Radiator Springs gang gathered around.
    Mater suddenly noticed the dent in Holley’s side. It was the dent she’d gotten when she saved Mater from Grem and Acer. Mater hadn’t noticed it earlier.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Mater said gently. “My buddy Ramone can fix that dent for you in no time.”
    Holley smiled. “Oh, no, I’m keeping that dent,” she said. “It’s way too valuable.”
    â€œA valuable dent?” Luigi said to Guido. “She’s as crazy as Mater.”
    Holley and Mater shared a laugh. Maybe spies could have friends after all.
    Lightning rolled up and asked why his engine hadn’t exploded when the WGP camera beam hit it.
    â€œWe couldn’t figure that one out, either,” Finn said as he looked around at Mater’s hometown.
    â€œOur investigation proved that Allinol was a fake,” Holley explained. “It wasn’t really an alternative fuel at all. And Axlerod engineered it so that when it got hit by the beam, it would explode.”
    Lightning turned to Fillmore. “Wait a second. Fillmore, you said my fuel was safe.”
    Everyone turned to Fillmore. “If you’re implying I switched out that rotgut excuse for alternative fuel with my all-natural, organic biofuel just because I never trusted Axlerod, you’re dead wrong. It was him,” Fillmore announced. He was looking right at Sarge.
    Sarge just shrugged. “Once ‘big oil,’ always ‘big oil’…man.”
    â€œTree hugger,” Fillmore fired back.
    Sheriff’s voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker. “The Radiator Springs Grand Prix is about to start!”
    As the racers moved to the starting line, Francesco caught up with Lightning and Sally.
    â€œFrancesco!” Lightning greeted him. “I’d like you to meet Sally.”
    â€œSignorina Sally,” Francesco said, and bowed, enoying the introduction. “It is official. Lightning McQueen is the luckiest car in the world—which he will have to be to have a chance against Francesco today.”
    Francesco noticed a sticker on Lightning’s rear bumper and asked, “What is that?”
    Francesco got closer. “‘Ka- ciao , Francesco,’” he said, reading the bumper sticker. “I get it. Ciao. Ka-ciao . Is your cute little thing you say. Very clever. Not as clever as Francesco when he say it first.”
    As Lightning and Sally turned to leave, Sally said, “Okay, so he’s not that great.”
    Lightning just smiled.
    As the racers pulled into position, Finn and Holley were getting ready to leave. They heard the sound of engines zooming through the desert as they headed toward their jet.
    â€œYou’re leaving already?” Mater asked them.
    â€œWe’ve got another mission,” Finn told him. “Just stopped by to pick something up on the