Gigantopus from Planet X! by Tony Abbott Page B

didn’t scare you, Holly, dear!”
    â€œNo …” Holly rubbed her neck. “If not being able to breathe, watching your life flash before your eyes, and seeing a big bright light didn’t scare me …”
    Mr. Vickers smiled at her. “That’s the spirit!”
    Holly gulped. “Another second without air and I really would have been a spirit.” She got to her feet and read the words painted on the truck’s door. Acme Beast and Creature Delivery.
    Next to the truck were two men in workmen’s overalls. One held a clipboard and chewed on a pencil. The other, a chubby man, leaned against the back of the truck.
    While Mr. Vickers went over to examine the octopus, the man with the clipboard stepped forward. “I’m delivering one …” He read his clipboard. “Slither-Matic Deluxe Octo-Prop.”
    â€œEight legs!” blurted his chubby partner, still leaning against the truck. “It gives a hug like grandma and you need four humans just to shake hands with it! Ha!”
    â€œHumans?” said Holly to herself. “I wonder why he said that …”
    â€œHey, missy, you gonna sign?” The man tapped his clipboard in Holly’s face.
    Holly pulled back. “Uh, sorry, I don’t have anything to write with.”
    â€œHere ya go.” The man yanked the pencil from his teeth and offered it to Holly.
    Splat. Something green and slimy dripped off the end of the pencil. “Gum,” the man said.
    The other Acme man, who was still leaning against the back of the truck, began to laugh. His wide stomach shook like a bowlful of jellyfish. “Gum!” he snorted. “Dat’s a good one!”
    Holly swallowed hard and signed.
    Suddenly, a soft voice spoke from the front of the truck. “Boys, help me down, won’t you?”
    Everyone turned to see the passenger door of the truck open and a leg slide out. A leg with a boot on it. A high, black boot.
    The two delivery men hustled over.
    A moment later, a woman stood next to the truck. She was tall, with lots of wavy red hair, bright red lipstick, and a green suit.
    â€œGosh!” murmured Jeff.
    Sean nodded. “She smells like the perfume counter at Mallwarts!”
    Mike nodded. “Lady, are you an actress?”
    â€œAWWWK!” the woman exploded, nearly spitting. She covered her mouth and giggled politely. “Er, no, not an … actress! He-he!”
    Then the woman’s expression changed. She stared at Holly. Really, she stared at Holly’s shoulder. She stepped closer. “Is that a piece of … crab shell … on your shoulder?”
    â€œHuh?” Holly looked at her shoulder. “Oh, no, this is from Clawgantua, the Clawed Avenger.”
    The woman eyed Holly’s shoulder. Then she said, “I’d like to meet this Clawed Avenger.”
    â€œHe’s one of my dad’s movie props,” Holly said.
    â€œOh,” said the woman. She seemed disappointed. “Never mind, then.” She looked around and smiled sweetly at everyone. “I am Mary Smith! I will show you how to control your excellent new Slither-Matic Deluxe Octo-Prop. Here is the remote control unit.”
    She took a black box from a little pouch on her belt. “These eight buttons control the eight tentacles, and this red one stops the prop.”
    Mike and Jeff helped Mr. Vickers and the Acme men slide the giant octopus to the ground.
    The woman named Mary Smith then gave Mr. Vickers the box. “If you run into any problems, I’ll be staying at the lake.” She pointed to the north end of Grover’s Mill.
    â€œLake Lake?” said Liz. “But there’s no place to stay at Lake Lake.”
    â€œYou should stay at the Baits Motel,” said Jeff. “It’s really neat. It’s shaped like a fish.”
    â€œA fish!” The woman smacked her lips. “Mmm!” Then she turned to the delivery men. “Take