9
Great Flaming Stars and Salamanders!
Zeb tried to concentrate at school, but his head felt so crowded with sadness, fear, confusion and excitement that it was as though one of his mum’s chaotic recipes had replaced his brain as the contents of his skull. All day long Mr Hemingdrake’s words spun and twirled around him like excited sparrows.
When the day ended what seemed like several decades later, Mr Hemingdrake pulled Zeb aside to speak to him in private.
“Zeb, you haven’t been yourself all day.”
“What do you mean, Mr Hemingdrake?”
“Well, for one thing, when I asked the class what kind of animal the gorilla is, you answered ‘dairy’. The correct answer is ‘primate’ by the way. Is something wrong?”
“Yes. No. Maybe. I think…I have to show you something.” Zeb reached into his backpac
