CHAPTER SIX

“This morning,” the professor told them, as he hurried through the corridors of the school’s sub-basement, Elliot and Uchenna straining to keep up, with Jersey’s head poking out of Uchenna’s backpack, “I was contacted by an old friend. His name is Mitxel Mendizabal.” It sounded like MEE-chel men-DIZ-uh-bahl. “Mitxel is a member of the Unicorn Rescue Society living in Bizkaia, in the Basque Country.”

“Bizkaia,” said Elliot. “That’s where the Basque people won the freedom to live under the foruak, their traditional laws, from the king of Spain.”

The professor missed a step, and half turning to Elliot, said, “You have already made much progress in the book I gave you!”

“Yeah, but why did you leave it on my doorstep? And how did you know where I live?” Elliot asked.

Professor Fauna waved his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me,” Elliot objected.

But Uchenna was suddenly feeling cheated. “Why did you give Elliot the book, and not me?”

The professor said, “Do you make a habit of memorizing entire books in a single day?”

“No, but—”

“Besides, I have something else for you. It is in my airplane. Now, vámonos!”

“You have a plane?” Elliot practically shouted as the professor climbed a small staircase to a door marked EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY. DO NOT OPEN. ALARM WILL SOUND.

“Of course! I keep it in the faculty parking lot for just such occasions.” He pushed the door open. No alarm went off.

They emerged into the bright light of the fall afternoon. The parking lot was crowded with the cars of teachers and custodians, lunch ladies and secretaries.

And then they spotted it. Occupying the three parking spaces between Principal Kowalski’s sea-foam green hatchback and Miss Vole’s motorcycle was an airplane. It wasn’t a big plane—it had a single propeller on its nose and a cabin that looked about half the size of Professor Fauna’s office. The top of the plane was pale blue, and its underbelly was white, and both top and bottom were scarred with years of rust and dents.

The professor unlocked the plane’s door, then boosted Elliot and Uchenna up into the cockpit, pulling himself in behind them.

“Buckle up, children,” he warned. “The takeoff can be somewhat bumpy.”

“This plane can fly across the Atlantic Ocean?” Uchenna asked.

“Of course! She is very reliable. I call her the Phoenix. As you may know, the phoenix is a mythical creature that dies in a burst of fire and then rises again from its own ashes. This plane is very much like that. Many times has it crashed. But always I can get it working again!”

“I don’t want to do this,” Elliot said. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this.”

But Professor Fauna had already started up the plane. He locked the doors.

“Buckle up!” the professor cried over the roar of the propeller. Elliot and Uchenna grabbed the seat belts. Jersey scampered from Uchenna’s bag onto her lap. She gripped him to her chest.

The plane lurched forward. Elliot dug his fingers into the armrests of his seat. Professor Fauna guided the plane to the driveway of the faculty parking lot. He began to pick up speed. Faster and faster they went, the little Phoenix rumbling on its three wheels. They were rapidly approaching the end of the driveway, which led out onto a busy street.

“Good gracious, good gracious, good gracious,” Elliot whimpered. Uchenna grabbed his hand.

Just before reaching the intersection, the professor yanked back on the control stick. The plane’s nose rose, and the Phoenix shot up in the air, narrowly avoiding the traffic whizzing by below. The force of the lift-off pressed them all against the backs of their seats, and pushed Jersey flat against Uchenna. They were climbing.

Suddenly, Elliot realized he had been screaming. He closed his mouth. Uchenna was also making a great deal of noise. But she wasn’t screaming. She was whooping.

“THIS IS AMAZING!” she shouted.

The plane banked, and they could see the school, the trees, their houses, and even the smokestacks of the Schmoke Industries factory far below.

“WOOO-HOOOO!” Uchenna cried.

Elliot put his head between his knees.