Fossils are sometimes named after the person who finds them. He wants glory.”
“Like the Adams mammoth.” I had to throw in some of my mammoth knowledge, so Kyle knew I was serious. “He’ll call it the Clark mammoth.”
“Right,” Kyle said.
“Are you into mammoths?” I asked, before realizing that was the nerdiest thing ever. I hoped he said no. Not that Dad was a dork or anything—not that
I
was a dork, either.
“They’re pretty cool, I guess. Finding a whole one would be pretty wild.” He looked over at me and tilted his head.
“Tell me about your hand,” I said before he could ask me a question. “What happened? It wasn’t really a shark attack, was it?”
Kyle was silent. He twirled the darts in his good hand. “It’s nothing.” He looked away. “Just a car accident. I don’t want to talk about it.” He turned his back on me and tossed a dart at the board. It bounced off and landed on the arm of the sofa.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No problem. I still managed to kick your butt in Ping-Pong.”
“I knew you were letting me win,” I said.
Karen appeared in the doorway. “Hey, you two. Having fun?” She smiled wearily. Her eyes were glassy. “Time for bed.”
“Mom,” Kyle said, “it’s early.”
“Time to go to your room and at least pretend you are sleeping while you read or play a computer game,” she said.
“All right.” Kyle sighed and started to put the darts away. “For you, Doctor Gardner.” He kissed his mom on the cheek.
“Maya, your dad asked that I tell you to settle in also. He’s speaking with Randal, lining up the schedule for the dig tomorrow. He said tomorrow you could try and contact your mom on the computer if you wanted.”
“Great. See you tomorrow, Kyle.”
The month was just beginning, and I hoped Kyle was right—that there would be plenty of time to make discoveries.
When I woke up the next morning, my body felt as stiff as the Tin Man’s in
The Wizard of Oz.
Overnight, the cold had seeped in and chilled my bones. I creaked out of bed. I wanted to hurry and wish Dad good luck on his first big day. Luckily, the room I shared with Karen had its own bathroom, and within seconds I was standing under a hot shower.
I had given up on tagging along—I couldn’t figure how to stow away on a dogsled. By the time I got to the lab, it was buzzing with activity. Dad was running around, organizing gear and directing West and Justice on what to pack next on the sleds. The dig area was accessible only by dogsleds or snowmobiles. Two huge sleds waited outside, each with a line of dogs yapping next to it. They looked much skinnier than the huskies I had seen on television. Justice loaded up some boxes on the back of one of the sleds. He raised a hand and waved to me, and I waved back.
“What can I do to help?” I asked Dad.
“No need,” he said, winking at me. “We’re almost ready to go.”
“Are you sure? I can get the lab ready for when you get back. Research, prep work—just write me a list,” I said, pushing forward through a pile of gear.
“No, thanks. Have some fun. Explore the station,” Dad said.
“But I want to help. Are you sure there isn’t something I can do?” I asked, but Dad had already walked away, his attention on the task at hand. There was nothing I could do but observe the scientists packing up their gear.
Dad, Karen, and Justice were on one sled, and West, Ivan, and Randal were on the other. Katsu was staying behind, which I found a little odd. Why come all this way and not go to the dig site? I would’ve gladly taken his spot.
The dig site was about ten miles away from camp, and the group didn’t expect to return until late in the afternoon. As the sleds slid away from the station, I found myself crossing my fingers and hoping really hard that Dad would find the mammoth that he had spent his whole life seeking. But if he wasn’t going to put me to work, then I was on my own.
Kyle had
“Like the Adams mammoth.” I had to throw in some of my mammoth knowledge, so Kyle knew I was serious. “He’ll call it the Clark mammoth.”
“Right,” Kyle said.
“Are you into mammoths?” I asked, before realizing that was the nerdiest thing ever. I hoped he said no. Not that Dad was a dork or anything—not that
I
was a dork, either.
“They’re pretty cool, I guess. Finding a whole one would be pretty wild.” He looked over at me and tilted his head.
“Tell me about your hand,” I said before he could ask me a question. “What happened? It wasn’t really a shark attack, was it?”
Kyle was silent. He twirled the darts in his good hand. “It’s nothing.” He looked away. “Just a car accident. I don’t want to talk about it.” He turned his back on me and tossed a dart at the board. It bounced off and landed on the arm of the sofa.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No problem. I still managed to kick your butt in Ping-Pong.”
“I knew you were letting me win,” I said.
Karen appeared in the doorway. “Hey, you two. Having fun?” She smiled wearily. Her eyes were glassy. “Time for bed.”
“Mom,” Kyle said, “it’s early.”
“Time to go to your room and at least pretend you are sleeping while you read or play a computer game,” she said.
“All right.” Kyle sighed and started to put the darts away. “For you, Doctor Gardner.” He kissed his mom on the cheek.
“Maya, your dad asked that I tell you to settle in also. He’s speaking with Randal, lining up the schedule for the dig tomorrow. He said tomorrow you could try and contact your mom on the computer if you wanted.”
“Great. See you tomorrow, Kyle.”
The month was just beginning, and I hoped Kyle was right—that there would be plenty of time to make discoveries.
When I woke up the next morning, my body felt as stiff as the Tin Man’s in
The Wizard of Oz.
Overnight, the cold had seeped in and chilled my bones. I creaked out of bed. I wanted to hurry and wish Dad good luck on his first big day. Luckily, the room I shared with Karen had its own bathroom, and within seconds I was standing under a hot shower.
I had given up on tagging along—I couldn’t figure how to stow away on a dogsled. By the time I got to the lab, it was buzzing with activity. Dad was running around, organizing gear and directing West and Justice on what to pack next on the sleds. The dig area was accessible only by dogsleds or snowmobiles. Two huge sleds waited outside, each with a line of dogs yapping next to it. They looked much skinnier than the huskies I had seen on television. Justice loaded up some boxes on the back of one of the sleds. He raised a hand and waved to me, and I waved back.
“What can I do to help?” I asked Dad.
“No need,” he said, winking at me. “We’re almost ready to go.”
“Are you sure? I can get the lab ready for when you get back. Research, prep work—just write me a list,” I said, pushing forward through a pile of gear.
“No, thanks. Have some fun. Explore the station,” Dad said.
“But I want to help. Are you sure there isn’t something I can do?” I asked, but Dad had already walked away, his attention on the task at hand. There was nothing I could do but observe the scientists packing up their gear.
Dad, Karen, and Justice were on one sled, and West, Ivan, and Randal were on the other. Katsu was staying behind, which I found a little odd. Why come all this way and not go to the dig site? I would’ve gladly taken his spot.
The dig site was about ten miles away from camp, and the group didn’t expect to return until late in the afternoon. As the sleds slid away from the station, I found myself crossing my fingers and hoping really hard that Dad would find the mammoth that he had spent his whole life seeking. But if he wasn’t going to put me to work, then I was on my own.
Kyle had
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