5 Save the Whale!

Chapter 5 Save the Whale! "We've got to get down there right now!" said Max, as Gunnar and Agnes came to peer over the cliff edge. He started for the trail. "Not that way! It'll take too long and we might not have enough time," said Gunnar. "Follow me. There's a shortcut." "Maybe this is why Wind Rider brought us here," Sofia muttered to Max. "To save the whale. C'mon!" Max tightened the straps on his backpack and hurried after her. Gunnar led them to a steep, rocky path that hugged a

trickling waterfall. As Max picked his way across the moss-covered rocks, the wind whipped wildly. He hung on to every shrub and tree he could find. "Take your time," called Agnes from behind. "The rocks can be slippery." When the path finally leveled out, Gunnar stopped. "Watch your step," he said. Then he leaped across a narrow gorge. Sofia followed, bounding as if she had springs for legs. "You want me to do what now?" said Max as he approached the gorge. The gap between the rocks was only a few feet wide, but he couldn't see the bottom. If he slipped, how far would he fall? "It's all right," said Agnes. "I'll show you how." She leaped across the gap with ease. Max swallowed hard and glanced at Sofia, who waited for him on the other side. "You've got this," she said, holding out her hand. "Do it for the whale!"

With that thought, Max blew out his breath. Then he took a few steps backward and raced toward the gorge. He jumped... and flew so far over it, he missed Sofia's outstretched hand and landed in a heap. "Oops." Sofia helped him up. "I knew you could do it," she said with a grin. "Let's go!" Farther down the trail, Gunnar reached for his walkie-talkie. "I'll call the other Puffin Patrollers," he said over his shoulder. "And the aquatic vet. We're going to need all the help we can get!" "Will they get here in time?" Sofia asked Agnes. Agnes studied the water below. "I hope so," she said.

"Look, the poor beluga's family is waiting." Sofia glanced toward the sea, where ten or twelve pale whales skimmed the surface of the water. They circled slowly, as if watching—and waiting. Her heart swelled. "Oh, we have to hurry!" she cried, breaking into a sprint. But when they finally reached the beach, Gunnar held up his hand. "Try not to scare the whale," he said. They tiptoed across the black sand. Max marveled at the creature stretched out before them. The creamy white whale lay on its belly. It was almost as long as a small car. Its sides were heaving, as if it were struggling to breathe. As they stepped closer, the whale eyed them warily and thumped its head up and down, as if trying to swim away. Then Max saw a crinkly mass pressed across the whale's round head. "That looks like a plastic bag," he cried.

Sofia gasped. "The bag is covering the whale's blowhole. If it can't breathe, it'll suffocate!" she said. "Maybe that's why it beached," said Agnes. "What do we do?" Sofia asked. She turned toward Gunnar, who lowered his walkie-talkie. "The Puffin Patrol says the vet is out on another call," he said, worry creasing his forehead. "It will take time for her to get here." We don't have time! thought Sofia. She set her jaw. "I'll do it. I'll get the bag." The words flew out of her mouth before she could think them through. "Are you sure?" asked Max. Sofia nodded and licked her lips. She stepped slowly toward the whale, who watched her with cautious eyes. It bobbed its head again and squealed, the bag tightening over its blowhole. Can I do it? Sofia wondered, her chest tight. Will the whale trust me enough to let me help?