Attack of the Alien Mole Invaders! by Tony Abbott Read Free Book Online Page B

began, “these green sprouts here are called the eyes. And these wires convert the acid in the potato to electricity. I cleaned everything, so it should work now.”
    Mike inserted the final wire and flipped the switch on the transistor radio. The tiny round speaker sputtered. Little blue lines of electricity seemed to flash from the wires. The brown lump with green sprouty eyes wobbled on the table.
    â€œIt’s gonna do it,” Mike cried out. “Everyone, prepare to hear radio!” The speaker hummed. It squealed.
    Eeeee! Everyone smacked their hands over their ears and winced at the high-pitched squeaking!
    Mike twisted the radio dials. “It’s coming!”
    Just then, Mrs. Carbonese shuffled over. She held a little camera in front of her face. “Everybody—smile!”
    FLASH!
    The burst of light from the flash seemed to shoot right at the potato, and for an instant the wires glowed white, then red, then blue!
    Mike blinked at the bright flash.
    â€œMy eyes! My eyes! Hey, watch that camera, lady! You trying to blind me?”
    Everyone went quiet.
    Mrs. Carbonese’s face dropped.
    Her camera dropped.
    She pointed a sharp quivering finger at Mike, nearly sticking it up his nose. “This boy said rude words to me!” Then she fumbled for her police whistle and blew hard.
    Woooooooo!
    Everyone turned to Mike and frowned.
    Mike turned to his potato and frowned.

3
    The Power to Control the Mind!
    â€œI t wasn’t me,” cried Mike, pointing to his table. “It was him. The potato, the radio, Potadio!”
    â€œDon’t yodel at me, rude boy,” cried Mrs. Carbonese. Then she picked up her camera and clacked off down the aisle in her high-heeled shoes.
    Mr. Bell frowned deeply at Mike and moved on to another table with Rock Storm.
    Mike turned to his friends. “Really, guys, it was him. The potato said that.”
    Liz shook her head and sighed. “Sure, Mike.”
    â€œHe talked to me before, too,” Mike went on. “When I was washing him in the bathroom.”
    â€œRight,” said Sean with a laugh. “And what did he say? ‘Don’t eat me.’?”
    Mike blinked at Sean. “Actually, he did.”
    Jeff nodded. “Well, if I were a vegetable and somebody was washing me, that’s probably what I would say. ‘Don’t eat me.’ You know?”
    Liz made a face. “This is too weird for me. We’re talking about a potato, okay? They don’t talk. They can’t think. They’re just lumpy food.”
    â€œOf course I’m in a grumpy mood,” Mrs. Carbonese snapped back over her shoulder. “That rude boy said bad words to me.” She stared at Mike as if she were going to blow her whistle again, then she clacked off between the tables.
    Liz looked at her friends and tapped her ears. “Mrs. C. is sort of hard-of-hearing.”
    â€œNow, let’s get going, people!” Rock Storm boomed into the microphone. “I’ve got a call-in show in half an hour. Wouldn’t want the world to miss that!”
    Principal Bell, Miss Lieberman, and Mrs. Carbonese went up on the stage with the announcer.
    â€œIt’s time for the big prize to be awarded,” Rock Storm said. “And I think we all agree that one project here today is quite an achievement.”
    Mike glanced at the big catapult towering over all the other projects. He saw Sean smile at his sister, breathe on his fingernails, and buff them on his shirt. They’re going to win, thought Mike.
    His little Potadio didn’t look so great anymore. He ran a finger across a gash in the potato’s skin. “I wonder if it hurt when he got that.”
    Liz turned. “Don’t get weird on me, Mike. It’s a vegetable, not a pal. But, listen, with my ears all stuffed up, I can’t hear the awards. Let’s get closer.” She walked over to the stage.
    Mike just kept looking down at the