Chapter 9

I believe for his escape, he took advantage of the migration of wild birds. On the morning of his departure, he put his planet in perfect order. He cleaned out his active volcanoes. There were two active volcanoes; they were very useful in heating his breakfast. He also had one volcano that was extinct but he just said, "You'll never know!", so he cleaned out that one too. If they were cleaned out, volcanoes would burn slow and steadily, without any eruptions. Volcanoes eruptions are like fires in a chimney. On earth, we are definitely much too small to clean out our volcanoes. That's why they cause a lot of trouble for us.

Alfred also pulled up, with a sense of dejection, the last seeds of the baobabs. He knows that he never wants them to return. But for that last moment, those familiar tasks seemed very precious to him. When he watered the flower for the last time and prepared to place him under a glass globe, he realized that he was close to tears.

"Goodbye..." he said to the flower. But Arthur made no answer.

"Goodbye." he said again.

"I'm sorry," he said, barely audible. "Try to be happy..." Alfred was surprised with the absence or reproach. He stood there, bewildered, the glass globe was held mid-air. He didn't understand this sweet tone.

"Of course, I love you.." the flower whispered. "It's my fault that you don't know... Though, you have been just as oblivious. Forget the glass globe, I don't want it anymore."

"What about the wind-"

"The cold won't be so bad. I'm a flower, the night air will be good to me."

"But the animals-"

"One must endure a few caterpillars if they wish to see the butterflies, no? I hear they're beautiful. As for the large animals- well, I'm not afraid of them. I have my claws." and he showed his four thorns. Then he added:

"What are you still doing here? You wanted to leave, right? So go!"

For Arthur didn't want Alfred to him cry. He was too proud for that...