Saving Earth Planet

By C. S. Adler

The Directors for a planet in another galaxy of our universe are concerned that Earth is destroying itself. They decide to send someone to educate Earthlings on how to preserve their environment, stop fighting each other and start loving each other. Young, impulsive YZ offers to go. The first Earth creature he meets happens to be a dog.
Being pure energy, YZ enters the dog's body expecting to guide it from within, but Stormcloud, head of the Directors, chastises him for entering a dog rather than a human. Worse yet, YZ must remain in the body until it dies. Though the dog gets involved in situations where YZ can steer him in helping people, YZ feels like a failure.

After Rex, the dog, dies, YZ has to keep trying to educate Earth creatures. He encounters a strong young man who turns out to be a bully, a girl who is instrumental in exposing a manufacturer who is polluting a stream, a Hispanic migrant, a Black man in search of a job, a Jewish boy and his friend. a Muslim boy, and finally an old man out to save the forest he loves from destruction. At last, YZ gets permission to return to his own planet. There he informs the Directors that Earth has enough good people to save it themselves. His next problem is to find a new purpose for his own life. His surprising choice should delight readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491795736

C. S. Adler

C. S. Adler is the author of 43 middle grade and young adult novels published by major publishers from 1979 to 2002. Her first novel, Magic of the Glits, won the Golden Kite Award. Later prizes for her stories include the William Allen White Award and the ASPCA Henry Berg Award. Her novels have been included on many states recommended book lists and have been published in other countries such as Japan, Germany, England, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, and Turkey. Before becoming a full time author, she was a middle school English teacher in upstate New York where she lived with her husband and three sons before they moved to Tucson, Arizona. She now spends most of the year in Tucson and summers in Cape Cod.

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SAVING EARTH PLANET

C.S. Adler

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SAVING EARTH PLANET

Copyright © 2016 C.S. Adler.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-9574-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-9573-6 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 04/25/2016

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

About the Author

CHAPTER

1

The Directors who oversee the various galaxies and planets of their universe wafted in for their annual meeting under the great black dome. Each one, a unique column of energy, settled into his or her place to wait for Stormcloud. When he took the podium and rapped for attention, the filmy figures of the Directors stopped exchanging greetings and news of their latest doings and fell silent.

Before us today is an emergency that must be dealt with immediately, Stormcloud said in his awe inspiring voice. The Directors raised their all seeing eyes to Stormcloud’s great grey eminence.

There is in a far off galaxy in our universe, a small planet similar to our own with oceans and mountains and desert and the green fuzz of vegetation covering much of the dry land. A middle aged sun gives it warmth and lights it within the surrounding darkness. On this small planet, called by its millions of inhabitants Earth, there live creatures of a fleshy substance who would appear like us if they were not solid, small, and fragile. They have short lives and limited brains. They fight and kill each other for no reason other than a difference of belief or a desire for each other’s goods or land. For equally foolish reasons, they destroy the very air, land and water they need to make life on their planet possible. If we do not help them, their planet will soon become a dead thing in the universe. It’s a shame and we must do something about it. Now, who will volunteer to go to this Earth planet and teach them the proper way to live?

Silence answered Stormcloud’s question, a silence that continued uneasily as the Directors shifted in their seats and seemed bent on making themselves less visible.

Shepherd man, what say you? Stormcloud asked into the silence.

A vaporous figure rose, his grey locks fairly hiding his face. "I am needed here, Stormcloud. Two more of us have chosen to expire, one saying a thousand years is long enough to be alive and another saying he finds no more purpose for which to live. I need to chose those who will parent replacements for them to keep our population stable for the good of our planet.’

Very well, Stormcloud said. Then you, Creaturer, will you go?

Not I, the short whirly mass that was Creaturer shot up to his full height which was barely more than the back of his chair. I have just begun to realize we can’t destroy the menacing bacteria without losing the ones that benefit our waters. I must find another way around our problem, and that will take time.

You then, Heartlifter, surely you can leave the artists to their own devices for long enough to travel to this wretched planet and teach them how to live?

But you know I am immobilized by my fear of travel, Stormcloud. I have never left our own place to sense others in the universe as so many of you have. I am sorry, but I am only of use here in this land.

Then are we to let this misguided planet destroy itself? Stormcloud shouted. We are supposed to be keepers of the universe. Are we to neglect our duty?

Why don’t you chose one of the students to go save this Earth planet? Creaturer said. They aren’t yet involved with anything we absolutely need here in our place.

Good idea, the Sheepherder said. The students are on their relaxation break out in the field right now. One of them might even volunteer to go.

Stormcloud wasn’t altogether happy with this suggestion. However, it seemed to take hold of the assembly of Directors as a sensible way to go, so frowning and grumbling in his usual fashion, he allowed himself to be led off to the green field outside the college. There the young folk studied all the arcane areas of knowledge that were necessary to life on the leading planet of their galaxy. Some students were lying on the grass absorbing books. Others were wandering around in twos and threes talking to each other. The youngest one seemed to be doing back flips around the rim of the field. He nearly knocked over a male and female who were embracing each other under a tree. Stormcloud called them all together with the roll of his immense voice. In an instant they were assembled before him like a patch of twisting vines, all except the back flip youngster who needed to be summoned twice.

In careful detail, Stormcloud repeated the message he’d given the Directors about the situation on Earth planet, concluding, … we need to educate them on how to live with love and good sense. Do we have any brave students here who would venture forth to try and save them?

He had hardly finished speaking when three hands went up. The first student nearest Stormcloud was tall with gleaming eyes and hair that fell in a black swirl of energy to his waist. I’ll go, he said. I could teach them what I have learned about diseases.

No, not him, Creaturer whispered in Stormcloud’s ear. He’s too valuable to risk. He has already found cures for maladies afflicting two of our nearer planets in our own galaxy. We need him here.

The second hand belonged to a female whose energy lines reflected light so well, it was hard to see whether she was beautiful or ugly. I’ll go, she said. I can teach them how to care for and tend their planet.

Not her, the Heartlifter said. She is currently helping me with ideas for the Magnificence hall and her ideas are original and beyond my own poor powers to envision.

Stormcloud’s eyes fell on the third student, the young backflipper. He was currently jumping back and forth over a rock half his size. He had a substantial look about him, almost as if he could be kin to the fleshy earth planet creatures Stormcloud thought.

What is your name, fellow? he asked.

The youngster clipped the top of the rock with his foot, fell and was struggling to rise when Creaturer answered for him, His name is YZ Creaturer whispered in Stormcloud’s ear. He’s very young and only an average student, not dedicated to any line of study. He’s friendly though. The older students like him. He makes them laugh.

What could he possibly teach the Earth planet people that would help them?

I don’t know, Creaturer said, but he might be of more use there than he is here to us.

Hmm, Stormcloud said, as YZ stood up smiling and came toward him. Your name, Stormcloud asked again.

YZ, sir. That’s my name, and I would like to go on an adventure. It would be great to save a planet. The thing is, I don’t, of course, know how.

But you are willing to try.

Yes, sir.

Very well then, Stormcloud said. "You are chosen. You will be outfitted for travel though the black matter of