Arthur groaned and put his head in his hands. We aren't going to solve anything like this, he thought. He cleared his throat, and began to talk. He and the planeteers had had a hard time getting the dectuplets and Olwen to stop yelling at the settlers, and getting them back to the mesa. They settlers were speechless, and afraid, too, he thought. Now they would probably never listen to them.
"Um, maybe you shouldn't be saying all these things, you guys. They aren't helping any."
Ma.Xamila smiled.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it? However, it's the truth, and you have to face it. What I just said was all true."
"I don't care if it was true or not. I just want these creatures off my planet! NOW!"said Olwen.
"We'll get them off your planet. The problem is my cousin aren't really helping."he turned to them. "You guys should have just stayed on Earth, and let me handle all of this. You're no help at all. Just trouble."
"Really. And how do you plan to convince these people to go back to Earth. All we know is that they will go back, whether they like it or not. And the second they get there, they are going to start to clean up, even if we have to pay them to get them to do it! Of course, that's all people care about. Just money."
"You guys just don't know too much about people."
"We know enough."
"What I mean is you don't know how to communicate with them. People, most people, anyway, don't like the truth, precisely because of that. Because it's very harsh. Most of them, it seems like to run away from their problems."
"Just like they're doing right now."
"Forget it, forget it."
"What are we going to do now?"asked Kwami.
"Listen, you guys stay right here, don't you move, while the planet-dudes and I, we go see if we can talk some sense into those settlers. Not by yelling at them."
"We don't want to stay here. We're tired of staying here. We want to go with you."said Ma.Xacinta.
"You're not going anywhere. Not after the mess you just caused down in the valley."
"We didn't cause a mess. It was the settlers ruining the valley. Wasn't it, Olwen?"
"Yes, they are the ones ruining the valley, and I do have a feeling that what they said was true. When you consider what they're doing to Isis, and the reasons why they left Earth."
"We'll get them back to Earth. You just have to let me handle things my way."Arthur told her.
"Your way better work. And quickly, too."
"I assure you, it will be much, much more effective than their way. I promise. Come on, guys. And you, you stay here. Feed the cat, or something. Give yourselves a tour of the place. You don't visit a new planet everyday."
Arthur and the planeteers went down into the valley. The settlers were uneasy when they saw them. They were probably thinking they were going to treat them the same way those young women did. They had been most unpleasant, but they did not stand in the middle of the village, and tell them they were murderers, they were heartless, or anything like that. They did, however, tell them they had to go back to Earth.
"It's our home."Arthur was telling them. "And we can't leave, because if you don't go back, um, well, something terrible will happen. The spirit of the planet Isis, I know it sounds ridiculous, I know, I know, but she will cause climate changes on Earth that will be very bad for the ecosystem there. Not to mention everything here. The storm and everything. She is not exactly overjoyed at your being here. She wants you all off her planet. And she means it."
"But we can't go back. There are too many shortages, and not to mention the pollution."
"We must do something about it."Mati told them. "We cannot lose hope."
"These is no hope."
"We at least have to try."insisted Linka. "Please."
The settlers looked at each other.
"What about those other girls that were with you?"
"You mean my cousins? The ones with the red hair? They're on top of the mesa right now. Please forgive them about what happened earlier. They didn't...well, they did mean what they said. They just..., don't know too much about people. They have a hard time communicating, and they just care about the Earth, about the animals and plants that live there too much. They can't bear to see other creatures dying."
"The mesa, they will die!"
"No, no, no. That's a difficult explanation, which we are not worrying about right now. Right now what's important is that everybody gets in the spaceship, and we leave. The sooner the better."
"This is the only chance we have to escape shortages."
"People, do use your common sense. This solution isn't really a solution at all, because, you see, it's only like a stopgap. See, what's going to happen when there are shortages here, not to mention that this planet will not be able to support a lot of humans. And isn't it, don't you think kind of selfish of you here, to escape the shortages, when other people are still suffering on Earth? Maybe after this planet is worked out you'll move to another one, and then another one, and another one, and another one, and another one after that. You don't want to do that. Besides, do you really want to spend all of your lives imprisoned in this valley. Not being able to climb the mountains, or anything, because this planet doesn't have enough oxygen, and the sun is too hot?"
"What else can we do?"
"The dectuplets were right."Wheeler spoke up. "You people really just don't get it! Do you? Can't you just say yes, we will go, get into the spaceship and go? Think how easy that would be! It would solve so much."
Arthur thought of something, and wondered if he dared. He knew that if things didn't work out the way he wanted, there would be even more and more trouble than now. He took a deep breath.
"Look, we go back to Earth now, and try to work things out, and if things don't work out, or don't start to improve, however, you have to be making an effort, then if things don't work out, then everybody comes back to Isis, and start all over again. How about that. We have nothing to lose. Do we?"
The settlers thought about that.
"No."said one of them reluctantly.
"I'll even throw in some extra money."he said.
"Count me in."said one of the younger ones.
Well, they're right, thought Arthur. They're right about the money part, anyway, he thought. They will do anything for money.
All the settlers got into the spaceship. The decuplets, planeteers, and Arthur were also getting ready to go back to Earth.
"We'll be there before they will?"asked Gi.
"Yes."Arthur told her.
"Oh, no."said Wheeler, remembering the trip from Earth to Isis.
"Wheeler, you should probably make the trip in the bathroom, close to the toilet, anyway. I don't want any accidents in here. You barely had enough time to get there the last time."
"Oh, he just won't eat anything this time."Linka said, locking the cabinet to the where the snacks were.
"Yes, that's a good idea. And, everybody, you wouldn't believe what. As soon as we get to Earth, we have to start preparing everything for the Planeteer Movement, all right? That way as soon as the settler get back to Earth, we can start. These settler will be the first ones to join, of course."
"How much money are we paying them?"
"I don't know. I think we'll worry about that later. Quite a bit, though. Oh, right, they have to meet certain standards, you know. Like, if I didn't recycle anything this month, or my electric bill is the same, or something, then I don't get as much money, or I get kicked out. That way, we make sure we're not being cheated."
"Good thinking. I was just about to ask about that."said Wheeler.
"Well, you don't have to worry about it, anymore."
As soon as they got to Earth, they started working on the Planeteer Movement, as that was what they had agreed to call it. Kwami suggested that they not only run all these branches, but also advertise, and sell merchandise.
"That way we raise some more awareness. If people see the shirt, and all that. And I think we should have a logo, or symbol, or motto, or something."
"That's right, Kwami."cried Gi.
"It should be a globe, and 'The Power is Yours!'."said Ma.Xoaquina.
"We'll also start on Earth Day. Or maybe Arbor Day? No, Earth Day is closer. And see, it's only a day after the settlers will get here!"said Arthur