7 THE PASSING FLOCKS

CHAPTER 7 THE PASSING FLOCKS Birds often stopped by the island to rest their wings during flights across the ocean. They'd find a comfortable place to relax, and once they'd recovered their strength, they'd continue on their way. So when a flock of seagulls approached the island one afternoon, there was nothing strange about it. What was strange, however, was that the gulls flew right past the island without stopping to rest. It wasn't long before a flock of geese flew past the island without stopping. A little later, a flock of terns flew past. And then a flock of vultures flew past. As more flocks flew past, a sense of worry settled over the island creatures. And when a flock of ducks passed overhead, Brightbill and Glimmer took flight to see what was going on. They flew alongside the ducks, asking questions and listening to answers. Then the two geese came gliding back down to the edge of the pond, where a crowd was waiting.

Glimmer let out a heavy breath and shared the troubling news. "That poor seal was right," she began. "The poison tide is coming. The ducks said it will be here tomorrow. Nobody knows what it is. They only know that it's spreading south through the ocean, harming every living thing in its path. The reason why so many birds have been passing us by is that they're fleeing from the poison tide." Animals glared at the robot, and Fink growled, "You said we had nothing to worry about!" "It seems I was wrong," said Roz. "I am very sorry." "According to the ducks, there is someone who can help," said Brightbill. "They said there's an Ancient Shark who is wise and powerful. If we can contact her, we might be able to stop the poison tide. The Ancient Shark lives somewhere in the north, but nobody knows

exactly where to find her." Animal voices called out. "Who cares about an old shark?" "How will we survive the poison tide?" "What are we going to do?" "This is what we are going to do," said the robot. "We are going to help our friends. Seabirds, otters, fish, crabs, and all the other coastal creatures are in grave danger. They must be evacuated at once."