Richard?” asked Mrs. Marks.
“Four?”
“Only four?”
“Five,” he said quickly. He would have to bluff.
“Who thinks there are more?” asked Mrs. Marks.
“There must be at least ten,” called Henry. He was good at trick questions. “What about a mixture of nickels, dimes, and pennies? Or nickels, quarters, and half-dollars?”
Half-dollars! thought Richard. I forgot those.
Then Dorf raised his hand. He had a big smile on his face. It showed off his perfect white teeth.
“Yes, Dorf?” said Mrs. Marks.
“There are two hundred ninety-two ways to change a dollar bill,” said Dorf.
All the kids in the class stared at Dorf. How had he come up with that number?
“Good guess!” exclaimed Mrs. Marks.
“It’s not a guess,” said Dorf. “I figured it out last summer. On my computer.”
“Well, you’re very clever indeed,” said Mrs. Marks. “Because that is the right answer. Can anyone explain why?” Her eyes moved up and down the rows. Richard tried to look invisible.
“You have pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars,” continued Dorf. “One hundred thirty-six coins in all. But you can mix them in all kinds of ways. Like five pennies, two dimes, five nickels, and a half-dollar. Or forty-five pennies, a nickel, and two quarters. There are hundreds of ways to do it. Two hundred ninety-two ways, to be exact,” he finished smoothly.
Mrs. Marks didn’t smile a lot. But she smiled now. And everyone in the class nodded, as if Dorf had just said something important and wonderful.
“He has begun to control their minds,” said Aric. Richard jumped. For a moment he had forgotten about the alien in his pocket. Now he felt a thrill of alarm at Aric’s words. What should he do?
“I told you before,” said Aric’s voice. “Just act normal. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Richard silently, sensing that Aric could hear his thoughts. He felt hot and nervous. But at least math was over. He walked over to Henry’s seat with his lunch box. They always traded sandwiches after math. Richard’s mother made him tuna on whole wheat, which he hated. Henry’s mother made him peanut butter and jelly, which
he
hated. So they traded. But when Richard got to Henry, Henry was already eating a sandwich. It looked like tuna fish. Dorf was sitting next to Henry. He was eating a sandwich, too. It looked like peanut butter and jelly.
“Hey!” said Richard. “Don’t you want to trade?”
“Already have,” said Henry, with his mouth full. “I traded with Dorf.” His eyes, when heturned to Richard, looked funny. Almost as if they weren’t focused right.
“But we always trade,” said Richard.
“Here, Richard. Have half of mine,” said Dorf. He offered his peanut butter and jelly with a smile.
“Do not look at his teeth.” Aric’s voice popped into Richard’s mind. “They send out dangerous Drane rays that will bring you under his control. Look only into his eyes. They cannot harm you.”
Richard took a deep breath and turned to Henry. “I hate tuna fish,” he said. “And we always trade. How could you give my sandwich away?”
“It’s not your sandwich. Anyway, Dorf got to me first,” said Henry.
Richard sputtered with anger. “He’s a—” Before he could say “Drane monster,” Henry broke in.
“He’s a great guy,” said Henry. His mouth was still full of tuna fish. “He’s got his own VCR and all the Mad Max tapes. And he’s going to let me watch them on Saturday.”
“Why don’t you come too?” said Dorf. “Awhole bunch of kids from the class are coming. It’ll be fun.”
“I hate Mad Max!” said Richard, though this wasn’t true. Then he saw that Henry was staring straight at Dorf. Right at Dorf’s perfect smile. “And besides, I’m already busy,” he finished weakly.
Then he sat down at his desk and looked blankly at his tuna sandwich. Earth is in BIG trouble, thought Richard Bickerstaff.
3 .
All day Richard kept waiting for Aric to
“Four?”
“Only four?”
“Five,” he said quickly. He would have to bluff.
“Who thinks there are more?” asked Mrs. Marks.
“There must be at least ten,” called Henry. He was good at trick questions. “What about a mixture of nickels, dimes, and pennies? Or nickels, quarters, and half-dollars?”
Half-dollars! thought Richard. I forgot those.
Then Dorf raised his hand. He had a big smile on his face. It showed off his perfect white teeth.
“Yes, Dorf?” said Mrs. Marks.
“There are two hundred ninety-two ways to change a dollar bill,” said Dorf.
All the kids in the class stared at Dorf. How had he come up with that number?
“Good guess!” exclaimed Mrs. Marks.
“It’s not a guess,” said Dorf. “I figured it out last summer. On my computer.”
“Well, you’re very clever indeed,” said Mrs. Marks. “Because that is the right answer. Can anyone explain why?” Her eyes moved up and down the rows. Richard tried to look invisible.
“You have pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars,” continued Dorf. “One hundred thirty-six coins in all. But you can mix them in all kinds of ways. Like five pennies, two dimes, five nickels, and a half-dollar. Or forty-five pennies, a nickel, and two quarters. There are hundreds of ways to do it. Two hundred ninety-two ways, to be exact,” he finished smoothly.
Mrs. Marks didn’t smile a lot. But she smiled now. And everyone in the class nodded, as if Dorf had just said something important and wonderful.
“He has begun to control their minds,” said Aric. Richard jumped. For a moment he had forgotten about the alien in his pocket. Now he felt a thrill of alarm at Aric’s words. What should he do?
“I told you before,” said Aric’s voice. “Just act normal. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Richard silently, sensing that Aric could hear his thoughts. He felt hot and nervous. But at least math was over. He walked over to Henry’s seat with his lunch box. They always traded sandwiches after math. Richard’s mother made him tuna on whole wheat, which he hated. Henry’s mother made him peanut butter and jelly, which
he
hated. So they traded. But when Richard got to Henry, Henry was already eating a sandwich. It looked like tuna fish. Dorf was sitting next to Henry. He was eating a sandwich, too. It looked like peanut butter and jelly.
“Hey!” said Richard. “Don’t you want to trade?”
“Already have,” said Henry, with his mouth full. “I traded with Dorf.” His eyes, when heturned to Richard, looked funny. Almost as if they weren’t focused right.
“But we always trade,” said Richard.
“Here, Richard. Have half of mine,” said Dorf. He offered his peanut butter and jelly with a smile.
“Do not look at his teeth.” Aric’s voice popped into Richard’s mind. “They send out dangerous Drane rays that will bring you under his control. Look only into his eyes. They cannot harm you.”
Richard took a deep breath and turned to Henry. “I hate tuna fish,” he said. “And we always trade. How could you give my sandwich away?”
“It’s not your sandwich. Anyway, Dorf got to me first,” said Henry.
Richard sputtered with anger. “He’s a—” Before he could say “Drane monster,” Henry broke in.
“He’s a great guy,” said Henry. His mouth was still full of tuna fish. “He’s got his own VCR and all the Mad Max tapes. And he’s going to let me watch them on Saturday.”
“Why don’t you come too?” said Dorf. “Awhole bunch of kids from the class are coming. It’ll be fun.”
“I hate Mad Max!” said Richard, though this wasn’t true. Then he saw that Henry was staring straight at Dorf. Right at Dorf’s perfect smile. “And besides, I’m already busy,” he finished weakly.
Then he sat down at his desk and looked blankly at his tuna sandwich. Earth is in BIG trouble, thought Richard Bickerstaff.
3 .
All day Richard kept waiting for Aric to
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