“I am available if you need assistance in building the float for the Star Festival,” Koze told Dr. Leaf.
“The parade, yes, the parade. Jet plans to build the float using empty storage boxes and used baskets from the farm. The girl is making collars for Wren, Lizzie, and the furry creatures. She has shells, sand, ribbons, and a little glass bridge for Oscar’s bowl, and heaven knows what she’s planned for the others. I don’t know why they think we need a float in the parade. The poor creatures will probably tremble for days after it’s over,” Dr. Leaf grumbled.
“Cotton needs a bow, maybe something glittery and colorful. I don’t think Romeo will wear a bow or a collar,” she volunteered, stuffing the starfish necklace into the neckline of her tee. She’d remembered how Wren and Romeo snapped at the starfish every time they saw it. Lizzie puffed up her red lizard throat every time the starfish was visible.
“Oscar really likes the new shells in his bowl.” She continued talking to and rewarding each member of Dr. Leaf’s menagerie before going to the shed to check on Midas.
“Do you think Midas will be well in time for the parade? It’s less than a week away,” she whispered to Koze and Dr. Leaf, nodding toward the shed where Midas lay.
“We’ll see. Now back to work. Thank you for your help, Koze.” Dr. Leaf stood, indicating it was time for Koze to leave.
~ ~ ~
Jet walked toward the compound with her every day after class, but he never invited her to walk with him past the forks at the edge of the Shadow Forest. He’d helped her learn how to identify the plants by name in the healing garden. He’d even taught her a few of the communication symbols on his wrist link. They were friends, but he didn’t share his secrets with her.
Once again, she attempted to follow him into the Dark Forest. She hid behind rocks, bushes, and the limbs of the great trees, hoping to avoid being seen or heard. When Jet stopped suddenly at the edge of the cliffs, she ducked behind a leafy bush. She wanted to move closer but decided safety was more important. He paused to check his surroundings and tossed aside some branches then disappeared from sight. Where did he go? Why? The Red Sun was low on the horizon of the Rogue Sea. It was almost suns down. She didn’t dare wait for Jet to reappear, but now she knew where he went to disappear and definitely planned to check out this place later.
~ ~ ~
The suns were rapidly sinking below the horizons when she rushed through the compound door. Zadie, Amber, Opal, and Star sat on cushions on the floor and stopped talking the minute she entered the room.
“You can keep talking unless you were saying something about me,” she teased, tossing her pad on the bed. They were all staring at her when she turned in their direction a second time.
“Wow! You were talking about me, weren’t you?”
“No, no.” Amber quickly came to their defense. Star, Opal, and Zadie nodded to confirm.
“We were discussing our talent gifts for the Star Festival,” Zadie commented.
“I thought your gifts were finished.” She pulled up a floor cushion and joined them.
“Well,” Amber began.
“We’ve changed our minds,” Opal added.
“We are talking about joining one of the craft groups.” Star nervously twisted one of her curls.
“Why? Your tiara, necklace, and earrings are beautiful, and you have dresses and shoes to match.”
“I’m applying to participate in a group event, too,” Zadie volunteered.
“What’s happening to all of you? Your gifts are fantastic. You are sure to fly up with the angels of elements, and Zadie is a shoo-in for the music realms.” She couldn’t imagine giving up because their talents were so unique and special. “You have worked all your lives for this chance.”
No one moved or said a word.
“Tell me what is going on,” she insisted.
“I’m not sure I want to try for the music program with the angels after all. Please don’t tell Jet. I don’t want him to worry.” Zadie’s voice quivered, and a tear glistened in the corner of her eye.
One by one, the girls rose, gave Zadie a hug, and signaled quiet by placing a forefinger over their lips.
~ ~ ~
The carts and baskets were freshly painted, padded for comfort, and ready to be joined together into a float for the upcoming parade. Jet had constructed and decorated each cart individually; golden stars and silvery moon hubs enhanced the wheels. The carefully lettered nameplate on each vehicle was courtesy of Halo. A bright yellow locomotive with the letters TLC painted in bold letters on each side was the lead vehicle of the parade. Romeo’s ornate bamboo cage teetered between four oversized inflated wheels and was the caboose, or last car.
Dr. Leaf continually paced the length of the float train. “Humph. Lizzy’s cage is too big. She’ll hide under something, and nobody will see her. Wren’s nest is too little to be noticed. Why does she need a cart anyway? Who’s riding in the big purple cart? Do you really believe Romeo will ride in a parade? You’ve done a lot of work for nothing. A parade for TLC’s occupants is utterly useless. Not that you didn’t do a good job, mind you. Do you plan to drive that contraption?” he asked Jet.
“You can drive it,” Jet tapped.
“Me? Drive in a parade?” Dr. Leaf thumped his fist against his chest so hard his glasses slid to the end of his nose.
“Crazy. All of you. Koze, too. Me? You want me to drive in a parade. It’s utter nonsense.” He walked around the carts again, eyeing the yellow engine suspiciously.
He inspected the first cart with Midas’ name printed in big golden letters. Cotton’s box sported a fluffy pink cushion to match her bow and pink tiara, adornments courtesy of the triplets. Lizzy’s cart displayed a big white lily as a seat, and she would wear a thin ribbon collar of blazing white stones. There was even a sand beach with a small piece of driftwood and shells, provided by Halo and the triplets, to anchor Oscar’s fishbowl.
Despite his scowl and pessimistic attitude, Dr. Leaf inspected the train again, reviewed the parade route, and agreed to do a trial ride. Halo gave Jet a quick high five as they watched Dr. Leaf air-lift the engine, the carts going airborne in unison behind him. She tried to hide her grin when Dr. Leaf waved at them. They were going to have a parade entry.
~ ~ ~
Art students marked off the parade route with colorful banners to keep spectators from getting in the way of floats, marching bands, dance and flag troupes, and open vehicles. Vendors set up their stands along the parade route displaying jewelry, art objects, clothing, and colorful souvenirs. White Feathers’ logo tee-tops were popular, especially ones with team names and emblems representing the various study groups.
Inviting aromas wafted from refreshment stands under big striped umbrellas and café seating under the trees. Honey berry cakes, berry fudge, and ice cream were available as well as drinks and berry ices.
Jet arrived at TLC early on the morning of parade day to connect the engine to the cars and caboose of their float. He checked every link for possible faults, and when he was satisfied it was safe, he started loading the animals in their special cars.
Today, Jet added the large car with Midas’ name written in bold golden letters on a black background. Midas wagged his tail and hopped into the car, wearing his new collar with his name etched on the shiny plate. He sniffed every corner then pawed the cushioned floor until he found the right place to sit. He would ride directly behind the engine and Dr. Leaf.
When everything was ready, Dr. Leaf cautiously climbed into the engineer’s seat and put on the engineer’s hat Halo had left for him. Jet was surprised when Dr. Leaf invited him to sit in the seat next to him. It was an honor he didn’t expect, and he was thrilled.
“Is Halo coming?” he tapped.
“I thought she was with you.” Dr. Leaf formed the words carefully and hoping Jet really could read lips.
“I haven’t seen her all morning. I guess she’s going to meet us at the parade lineup. She wouldn’t miss seeing all the creatures in their finery for anything, especially Midas.” Jet tapped.
~ ~ ~
Halo knew Jet would be busy with final parade preparations all morning, so she sneaked out of the room while Zadie was still asleep. She hurried down the path and turned into the forks leading to Jet’s secret place. With luck, she could check out the place and get back in time for the parade.
As soon as she passed the hedges of Shadow Forest, she began searching for the patch of branches covering the spot where Jet disappeared. Tall rock walls towered above the sparse thorny bushes at the base of the cliffs. Star Point markers posted along the edge of the cliffs defined the White Feather safe zone. She searched for cracks, traces of digging, any clue of how and where Jet went every day. She found nothing.
She was about to give up the search when the glint of a shiny object near a black rock caught her eye... The suns were beginning their ascent over the waters. She needed to hurry so Jet wouldn’t worry. She should have told Dr. Leaf she’d be late. She sure didn’t want him to alert Jet, or, worse, to ask Miss Ruth where she was. She took a few cautious steps toward the rock and the shiny object before crashing through the soft dirt.
She lay sprawled on the dirt floor of a dark, damp cavern. Narrow rays of light sifted through the mossy covering over the hole above her. She caught her breath, moved enough to know nothing was broken or hurt, and cautiously crawled around the dark cavern floor. A rope ladder hung halfway down from a small opening in the top of the cave.
There was enough sunlight to see stacks of wooden frames wrapped in canvas filling a niche in the rock wall, a makeshift desk cluttered with paintbrushes and multicolored jars neatly stacked in the space on a shelf. There were shells piled in conical stacks according to size spaced around the room. She followed the sound of water splashing and jumped when her hand touched a slimy moss-covered wall. A small gap in the wall led downhill over what appeared to be a rock-covered path. She eased through the gap, breathed deep, and moved one step at a time down the path. Her foot landed on a slippery rock, and she fell bottom first into a pool of shallow water.
Sunlight filtered through tiny cracks in the mossy ceiling to reveal a body of calm, clear water surrounded by a black-sand beach. Hundreds of glittering shells sparkled along the shore. She recognized the shells. No wonder the triplets didn’t want Zadie to know where they got the shells. Jet must be helping them. This place was barely inside the Star Point, or maybe it wasn’t. She couldn’t wait to get out. She fled back to the entrance room of the cave, grabbed the rope ladder, climbed out, and ran out of Shadow Forest as fast as she could.
~ ~ ~
Halo arrived at the parade route lineup a few minutes before Dr. Leaf steered the TLC train into its starting position. The creatures preened and primped in their new carts. Jet waved from his spot beside Dr. Leaf who was wearing the engineer cap and nodding to the crowd. Midas sat up in his box and greeted her with a happy bark. She ran over to give him an ear rub and speak to Dr. Leaf and Jet.
She saw Angel Vesta in the lead shiny silver ABC driven by Koze. She was dressed in a gown of white feathers with a matching ornament fastened around her hair. Koze sat proudly at the control wheel wearing his red suit with matching gloves and boots. Today he wore a red fedora with a single white feather. Yellow-uniformed robots carrying a banner with White Feathers Academy boldly lettered on the front and back sides marched in front of the Angel Vesta’s lead ABC.
A band began playing a snappy march to officially start the Star Festival Parade. Both sides of the street were crowded with students, professors, teachers, and housemothers waving and cheering each entry. The TLC float was the final entry, signaling the end of the parade.
The orchestra float pulled into its position directly in front of the TLC float. Zadie stood on a podium beside her water drum. Today, the drum was filled with lavender-colored water to match her costume, a lilac skin-suit that fit her slender, petite body perfectly. She wore her long black hair in a single braid entwined with rainbow-colored ribbons and hanging over one shoulder.
The maestro, Professor Note lifted his baton and a trio of trumpets heralded the start of a march. The quad-drummers tapped the edges of their drums in perfect unison as Zadie lifted her padded sticks for the opening solo.
Jet stared proudly at his sister and the drum he’d created for her. He wanted to hear her play, even if it was only once. Then he noticed the purple water in the drum base was only half-full. Zadie brought the padded sticks down to the middle of the shell and froze at the whiney sound they produced. The maestro abruptly brought the baton down, stopping the music. He frantically pointed to the water oozing out of the base and onto the street. Without the water in the base, the top-heavy drum started to topple over. Jet jumped off the TLC engine, ran to the float, and climbed on to help Zadie steady the drum.
Dr. Leaf panicked and lost control of the engine, causing it to lunge toward the screaming crowds lining one side of the street. Halo managed to grab the rope for the conductor’s bell to warn spectators of the runaway float. The animals hid in their carts, growling, chirping, and whining.
Midas barked, jumped out of his cart, and pushed the engine away from the crowd, using the bulk of his big body. Dr. Leaf stomped on the brake, bringing the train to a screeching halt.
Jet helped hold the drum steady until some of the orchestra members jumped on the podium and helped him take it off the float and put it on the grass beside the street.
The Maestro instructed the orchestra to play a calmer, more serene selection to help calm the crowd as the float moved forward without Zadie and her drum.
Halo hurried from one cart to another, calming, petting, and talking to the creatures and praising Midas for a job well done. Even Dr. Leaf was happy to see his patients ready and brave enough to try again. He motioned for her to sit beside him, and together they waved to the crowd as they continued down the parade route.
TLC’s first parade was a success and winner of the first-place award.
Emergency robots helped Jet take Zadie’s water drum to the maintenance building for repair.
Zadie was too upset to watch the rest of the parade. Her friends Amber, Opal, and Star were busy with jewelry displays in a vendor stand, and Halo was riding the TLC float. She went back to their room alone. Attached to the pillow on her bed was a note.
This is a warning. Next time, your water drum will be destroyed.
She crumpled the note, tossed it into the trash, lay on her bed, and cried.