Eve of the Emperor Penguin Read Online Free Page A

up Mount Erebus train for days by climbing to gradually increasing heights.
    Oh, no,
thought Jack.
    The spinning of the helicopter blades had come to a stop.
    “Okay, happy campers,” said Nancy. “All clear! Before we drive up to the top, we’ll gather in the hut!”
    Nancy opened the helicopter door. Everyone took off their headphones, undid their seat belts, and followed her down the steps of the chopper. Jack was last as he struggled with putting the research book away, getting his glove back on, and then pulling his pack onto his back.
    “What took you so long?” Annie asked when he got out of the chopper.
    Jack just shook his head.
    “Have a safe trip back to the station, Pete!” called Nancy. “See you later!”
    Pete waved from the window. Then the chopper blades started rotating again. The chopper lifted off the ground and thundered away.

J ack didn’t feel like a happy camper anymore. Walking through the cold, thin air, he looked at the snowmobiles parked near the hut.
    “We don’t know how to drive snowmobiles!” Jack whispered to Annie. “We haven’t trained for anything, including altitude sickness!”
    “That’s okay. If we get in trouble, we can use the wand,” said Annie.
    “No, we can’t,” said Jack. “We can’t use the wand just for ourselves. Plus, we haven’t tried our hardest yet.”
    “This way, gang,” called Nancy. She was ushering everyone into the small orange building.
    Jack and Annie followed the group inside. The one-room hut had plastic chairs, a small heater, axes, jugs of water, and shelves with boxes of trail mix.
    “Have a seat and help yourself to some of the best water in the world,” Nancy said. “It comes from melted glacier ice.”
    Everyone sat on the plastic chairs. Lucy, Kim, Tony, and Ali poured water into tin cups and lowered their masks to drink. Jack was thirsty, but he shook his head
no
at Annie. He was afraid for them to show their faces.
    “Before we take off, I want to warn you again about the snowmobiles,” said Nancy. “No matter how much training you’ve had, you must be very careful. On your ride up to the crater, remember to drive sideways so if the snowmobile slips and rolls over, your leg won’t get crushed.”
    Everyone nodded.
    How do you drive sideways?
Jack wondered in a panic.
    “Don’t be afraid to go fast, and don’t lock up the brakes,” said Nancy. “Locking your brakes can spell disaster.”
    “And watch out for lava bombs,” said Ali, the biologist.
    “Lava bombs?” Jack piped. He quickly cleared his throat and deepened his voice. “Excuse me. Lava bombs?”
    “Lava that spits from the crater,” said Ali.
    “Spits?” repeated Jack.
    “Like oatmeal that bubbles and spatters out of the pot,” said Lucy, the space scientist.
    “Except these bombs aren’t made of oatmeal,” said Ali. “They’re blobs of fiery hot liquid rock. Some of them can be as big as a car. They burn deep holes in the ice and snow.”
    “If they hit you …,” said Tony, chuckling. “Well, just think about it.”
    Jack didn’t want to think about it.
    “Seriously, it’s pretty neat,” said Nancy. “For millions of years, hot gas and lava have carved deep, hidden places beneath the surface ice of these slopes—caverns and towers. No one knows all the secrets of Mount Erebus.”
    Nancy took a last sip of water and put her cup down. “Okay, guys, you have a few hours to do your experiments and get your stories. Then Pete will come back for us. Let’s go!”
    As Jack stood up to go, he almost fell over. The room was spinning. He closed his eyes, but that only made it worse. After the others had filed out the door, Jack sat back down on his chair.
I’ll just stay here for a second,
he thought, his heart pounding.
    “You okay?” said Annie, coming back into the hut.
    “I’m dizzy,” said Jack, trying to catch his breath. “I think I’ve got altitude sickness.”
    “I don’t feel so great, either,” said Annie. “Try