9 The Turtle King

Chapter 9 THE TURTLE KING "Over here, team!" Jack shouted. He rose to his feet as Annie and the soldiers raced around the rocks. "I found the last tortoise," he said. "It was hiding under a ledge." "Excellent! Good work!" said Cruz. "Pinto and I can carry it to the chopper. But we have to hurry! We're running out of time!" "Okay. But go easy," said Jack. "I'm guessing it's at least one hundred fifty years old. The shell is softer than you'd think. It's made of honeycomb structures. Very strong, but not rigid." "Understood," said Pinto. He and Cruz gripped the big, round shell. Then, very carefully, they lifted the giant tortoise off the ground.

"Ah!" said Jack. "He's a male. His belly curves inward." "So he's a king," Annie murmured to Jack. "I know," said Jack. "A great king." "Let's grab some grass for his crate," said Annie. "Go slow and low," Jack instructed the soldiers. "We'll gather some natural bedding. Meet you at the chopper." Annie and Jack pulled handfuls of tall grass from the scrubby ground. They hurried through the smoke to the helicopter, opened a side door, and climbed into the cargo area. Jack and Annie spread the grass on the bottom of a crate. "A bed fit for a king!" said Annie. "Yep. He deserves the best," said Jack. The soldiers carried the giant tortoise to the cargo section. They lifted the creature and carefully placed him in the crate. Then they strapped him inside to keep him safe for the flight. Pinto made a call from the helicopter phone. Cruz wrote notes on a clipboard. While the soldiers were busy, Jack and Annie looked at the tortoise.

The turtle king peered back at them. His head bobbed up and down. "That movement means he's relaxed," said Annie. "I know," said Jack. "He trusts us." The tortoise lowered his head, resting it on the soft grass in his crate. He closed his eyes. "I know what he's thinking," said Jack. "Really? You do?" said Annie. "He's thinking, I'll take a little nap until this part is over," said Jack. "Then I'll be in a safe place. I'll sit in the sun. And they'll give me something good to eat." Annie laughed. "You know him pretty well," she said. "Hurry!" shouted Cruz. "Climb inside! The lava's almost here!" The soldier closed the door to the cargo section. Jack and Annie scrambled into their seats and put their helmets on. "Okay! All set!" said Pinto, hanging up the phone. "We have permission to fly him to the Tortoise Center." The rotor blades started to spin.

With a loud roaring and chopping sound, the helicopter lifted off Blue Hill. It carried them all away from the river of molten lava. The helicopter flew over the broad slope of the volcano. It flew over rugged flatlands with patches of green. It flew along the coastline and over the lagoon. Finally the helicopter hovered above the grounds of the Giant Tortoise Center. Jack saw the tourists below. They were sitting in the grass, eating boxed lunches. As the helicopter started to land, they held on to their hats and scurried out of the way, leaving their lunches behind. The chopper blades finally slowed to a stop. The soldiers, Jack, and Annie jumped out. Carmen rushed forward to greet them. "We saved the last one!" Annie said. "He's in the back!" Carmen burst into tears. She hugged Annie and Jack. "Thank you!" she said, wiping her eyes. "Thank you so much." Pinto opened the cargo section.

By now, the tourists were clamoring around the helicopter. They craned their necks to see the giant tortoise inside. "No photos of him," Annie reminded them. "And please keep your voices down," said Jack. The soldiers lifted the heavy creature out of the crate. They lowered him to the ground. Everyone clapped. Jack held up his hand and tapped his finger on his lips. The tourists quickly stopped making noise. The tortoise stretched out his neck. He slowly moved his head from side to side. Again, his mouth formed the shape of a crooked smile.

Some tourists laughed quietly. The red-haired woman started to cry. Her daughter wept, too. "Carmen told us what you were doing!" the red- haired woman said to Jack and Annie. "We've all been so worried!" "Great job, great job," the large man said in a soft voice. "You guys rock," said the teenage girl, sniffling. "How did you land the chopper on a volcano?" the old man asked Cruz. "How much lava was there?" asked the woman in the sun hat.