orca.”
“But that’s impossible!” Mac said.
“What’s an orca?” asked Benny.
“It’s a killer whale,” Mac said. “They’re huge—bigger than the great white shark. We don’t have a tank big enough—“
Ms. Carver just smiled more and more broadly the whole time Mac was talking. Finally she interrupted him. “Don’t worry, I’m not talking about an animal. I’m talking about a roller coaster.”
“A roller coaster?” Mac said.
“Yes,” Ms. Carver said. “It will be black and white, to look like an orca. I can see the posters now: ‘Try Orca—It’s a Whale of a Ride!’”
“That sounds great,” said Henry.
“We love roller coasters,” Jessie agreed.
Mac looked as if he didn’t like the idea. “But this park has always been about animals, not carnival rides.”
“We’ve got to change with the times, Mac,” Ms. Carver told him.
“How are you planning to pay for this new ride when we can’t even fix up the animals’ tanks?” Mac asked.
“That’s the whole point,” Ms. Carver said. “The Orca will bring in more visitors, and that will raise money to fix up the rest of the park.”
“But first you’ll need money to build the ride,” Mac pointed out. “How are you going to raise that?”
“I have my ways,” Ms. Carver said mysteriously. “ I’ll worry about the money and you just worry about the animals.” And with that, she walked away.
“That’s exactly what I am worried about,” Mac said softly to himself. Mac turned to the kids. “It’s feeding time—want to help?”
“Sure,” said Henry.
Jessie ran to put her backpack in Mac’s office so it wouldn’t get wet. Mac picked up several buckets of raw fish and handed one to each of the Aldens.
The children followed Mac to the shark tank. For a change, Benny led the way, eager to see the sharks. As they walked, Henry said to Jessie, “How do you think Ms. Carver is planning to raise the money?”
“That’s just what I was wondering,” Jessie said. “Do you think it has anything to do with stolen diamonds?”
The children stopped talking as they arrived at the shark tank. Like the day before, they tossed handfuls of fish into the water. Suddenly they heard a loud thump coming from the great white’s tank.
“Oh, no,” Mac said, putting down his bucket and running over there.
“What was that?” Henry asked as he and the other children followed Mac.
Mac was standing by the tank, watching the great white shark swim. He looked worried.
“What happened?” asked Jessie.
“I was afraid this was going to happen,” Mac said. “Remember I told you great whites don’t do well in aquariums? They are extremely sensitive to electrical charges. The metal parts of the tank give off an electrical charge, and that can affect a shark’s swimming. Other great whites in captivity have had this problem, too—they start bumping into the walls.”
“What’s going to happen?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know,” Mac said. “I think the only answer is to return this shark to the ocean. But you heard how Ms. Carver feels about it.” Mac sighed. “Come on, let’s rinse and put away the buckets.”
The Aldens walked with Mac to the supply shed, where he unlocked the door with his card key. When everything was put away, Henry asked if there was anything else they could do.
“No, thanks,” Mac said. “I’ve got some thinking to do.” He looked very depressed, and the children decided they should go.
“I just have to get my backpack out of your office and then we’ll go,” Jessie told Mac.
Mac walked with Jessie to his office while the others stood by the tank, watching the sharks.
Mac tossed his card key onto his desk. “I’ll see you later,” he said, walking quickly out of the office, as Jessie hoisted her backpack onto her back.
Poor Mac , Jessie thought. She glanced at the card key on the desk. At least we know he isn’t the one who lost his card key at Wilson’s .
But as she
“But that’s impossible!” Mac said.
“What’s an orca?” asked Benny.
“It’s a killer whale,” Mac said. “They’re huge—bigger than the great white shark. We don’t have a tank big enough—“
Ms. Carver just smiled more and more broadly the whole time Mac was talking. Finally she interrupted him. “Don’t worry, I’m not talking about an animal. I’m talking about a roller coaster.”
“A roller coaster?” Mac said.
“Yes,” Ms. Carver said. “It will be black and white, to look like an orca. I can see the posters now: ‘Try Orca—It’s a Whale of a Ride!’”
“That sounds great,” said Henry.
“We love roller coasters,” Jessie agreed.
Mac looked as if he didn’t like the idea. “But this park has always been about animals, not carnival rides.”
“We’ve got to change with the times, Mac,” Ms. Carver told him.
“How are you planning to pay for this new ride when we can’t even fix up the animals’ tanks?” Mac asked.
“That’s the whole point,” Ms. Carver said. “The Orca will bring in more visitors, and that will raise money to fix up the rest of the park.”
“But first you’ll need money to build the ride,” Mac pointed out. “How are you going to raise that?”
“I have my ways,” Ms. Carver said mysteriously. “ I’ll worry about the money and you just worry about the animals.” And with that, she walked away.
“That’s exactly what I am worried about,” Mac said softly to himself. Mac turned to the kids. “It’s feeding time—want to help?”
“Sure,” said Henry.
Jessie ran to put her backpack in Mac’s office so it wouldn’t get wet. Mac picked up several buckets of raw fish and handed one to each of the Aldens.
The children followed Mac to the shark tank. For a change, Benny led the way, eager to see the sharks. As they walked, Henry said to Jessie, “How do you think Ms. Carver is planning to raise the money?”
“That’s just what I was wondering,” Jessie said. “Do you think it has anything to do with stolen diamonds?”
The children stopped talking as they arrived at the shark tank. Like the day before, they tossed handfuls of fish into the water. Suddenly they heard a loud thump coming from the great white’s tank.
“Oh, no,” Mac said, putting down his bucket and running over there.
“What was that?” Henry asked as he and the other children followed Mac.
Mac was standing by the tank, watching the great white shark swim. He looked worried.
“What happened?” asked Jessie.
“I was afraid this was going to happen,” Mac said. “Remember I told you great whites don’t do well in aquariums? They are extremely sensitive to electrical charges. The metal parts of the tank give off an electrical charge, and that can affect a shark’s swimming. Other great whites in captivity have had this problem, too—they start bumping into the walls.”
“What’s going to happen?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know,” Mac said. “I think the only answer is to return this shark to the ocean. But you heard how Ms. Carver feels about it.” Mac sighed. “Come on, let’s rinse and put away the buckets.”
The Aldens walked with Mac to the supply shed, where he unlocked the door with his card key. When everything was put away, Henry asked if there was anything else they could do.
“No, thanks,” Mac said. “I’ve got some thinking to do.” He looked very depressed, and the children decided they should go.
“I just have to get my backpack out of your office and then we’ll go,” Jessie told Mac.
Mac walked with Jessie to his office while the others stood by the tank, watching the sharks.
Mac tossed his card key onto his desk. “I’ll see you later,” he said, walking quickly out of the office, as Jessie hoisted her backpack onto her back.
Poor Mac , Jessie thought. She glanced at the card key on the desk. At least we know he isn’t the one who lost his card key at Wilson’s .
But as she
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