War on Whimsy Read Free Page A

Petronella had taken it upon herself to turn Earth into a giant garbage can. That’s when Georgio and Mully set up the Save the Little Earthlings Committee .
    â€œMaybe Georgio and Mully are trying to help another planet,” said Nicola. “Like they helped Earth. Have they talked about anything like that lately?”
    â€œThey’re always trying to help other planets. I zone out. I’m not really into current affairs.They go on about injustice. It’s so boring.” Shimlara suddenly looked embarrassed. “Although of course it wasn’t boring when they were trying to save Earth. That was different. That was really interesting.”
    â€œYour parents are good people,” said Katie to Shimlara. “They’re an inspiration!”
    Shimlara nodded miserably. “They even won this award for ‘Services to the Galaxy’ from the United Aunts.” She pointed out a big gold plaque hanging on the wall, engraved with Georgio and Mully’s names. “It’s a really big deal.”
    â€œWho are the United Aunts?” asked Nicola.
    â€œIt’s a universal organization of wise aunts,” explained Shimlara. “There are representative aunts from every planet. Their goal is to ‘encourage peace and love and good manners throughout the galaxy.’ ”
    â€œIt must be like the United Nations on Earth,” said Tyler. “Except, um, without the aunts.”
    â€œMom and Dad were so thrilled to get to shake hands with the aunts,” said Shimlara. “I should have been more excited for them. I was saying, ‘Who cares about some boring old aunts?’ And they were so excited for me just because I won third place in a spelling bee!”
    â€œMaybe your parents keep some paperwork about the different causes they’re involved with?” suggested Nicola, anxious to change the subject as Shimlara was looking so upset and guilty.
    Shimlara stood and they all looked up at her. When she was sitting down, Nicola forgot that Shimlara was as tall as a basketball player. It gave her a start. Yet on Globagaskar, Shimlara was the shortest girl in her class.
    â€œDad has a file he calls the Outrage File,” said Shimlara. “It’s filled with newspaper clippings. Mom won’t let him read it after ten PM because he gets himself into such a state he can’t sleep. I’ll get it. Maybe there will be some clues.”
    She left the room. Sean looked longingly at the gold hutch sitting in the middle of the table. It was a common Globagaskarian appliance called the Telepathy Chef. You used mental telepathy to order the food you wanted.
    â€œMaybe we could get the Telepathy Chef to make us some pizza,” said Sean.
    â€œIt might not be polite,” said Katie regretfully.
    â€œShimlara won’t mind,” said Sean.
    He closed his eyes. They all watched him lick his lips as he presumably thought hard about pizza. He opened his eyes and pressed the button on the Telepathy Hutch. Seconds later, a tray slid out.
    â€œThat doesn’t even look edible ,” said Greta.
    It was a dish of what appeared to be snowballs sprinkled with grass clippings.
    â€œWere you thinking about snow?” asked Nicola.
    â€œNo! I was thinking about how the best pizza we’d ever had was on the planet of Shobble, on that snowy mountain—” Sean stopped. “Okay, maybe I thought briefly about snow!”
    â€œWere you thinking about grass clippings, too?” said Tyler.
    â€œ No! I was thinking about a pizza I had one day after I mowed—”
    â€œThe lawn,” finished Katie.
    Sean banged his forehead against the table. “That machine is faulty .”
    Shimlara walked back in lugging an enormous file brimming with newspaper clippings.
    â€œOh, sorry, are you guys hungry?” she said. “What’s that supposed to be?”
    â€œPizza,” answered Nicola.
    Shimlara blinked once and