87 THE HOMECOMING

CHAPTER 87 THE HOMECOMING The airship's door hummed open, and our robot stepped outside. Everything was still and silent. But Roz knew hidden animals were watching, and she greeted them with a mighty roar. "Animals of the island, I have returned! I may look different, but I promise you, I am your old friend Roz!" Her words boomed across the island. But the only response was her own voice echoing back. The wild robot needed to be wilder. So she reached down and started smearing handfuls of mud across her body. Then she pressed clumps of weeds and flowers into her muddy coating until she looked more like her old wild self. Brightbill fluttered out from the airship and perched on Roz's shoulder. He shook his tail feathers and squawked, "It's true! This robot is my mother! Come see for yourselves!"

Silence. And then bushes began to rustle. Faces began poking out from the trees. Animals began scurrying and trotting and flying into the meadow. At first they moved cautiously, confused as to how this new robot could be their old friend. But they saw her wild appearance and they heard her wild voice and news began spreading across the island: Roz was back. A crowd of friendly creatures gathered around our robot. There was Brightbill's flock, and the beaver and deer families, and Fink the fox, and Swooper the owl. Bears came lumbering down from the hills, and fish jumped up from the ponds, and vultures circled above. Even the nocturnal creatures crawled out from their burrows, into daylight, to join the celebration. Oh, how good it feels to return from a long journey and find your friends and family waiting for you. But, reader, sometimes we return to find that things aren't exactly as we left them. As you know, the wilderness can be a harsh place, and while Roz was away it had claimed its share of her friends. The robot saw the raccoons Lumpkin and Bumpkin, but not Rumpkin. Nor did she see Broadfoot the moose or Digdown the groundhog. Other creatures were missing as well.

And so, like many of our homecomings, this one was bittersweet. Chitchat the squirrel came bounding through the grass, chattering on and on, as usual. "…I always knew you'd come back to us Roz but I never imagined you'd gain so much weight although I guess I've gained a little weight myself anyway you'll have to tell me all about your adventures when you get a chance I'm sorry for talking so much I'm just so excited to see you again…" Geese and beavers and deer and fish and squirrels and owls and bears and turtles and otters and raccoons and woodpeckers and opossums and moose and foxes and every kind of creature from every corner of the island were coming to welcome back their dear friends Roz and Brightbill. And watching it all, from the airship, was Dr. Molovo.