Scott Bischke > Quotes

“Wow, so much to learn!" said Volant the eagle. "Fish-eating bats, pale bats, bats with little ears, bats with long noses, bats with noses that look like leaves… Next thing you know, you’re going to tell me there are bats that drink blood like vampires!”

“There are those, indeed, as well,” said Sully the Leaf-nosed bat.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“As they moved to push off the boat, a loud squawk sounded near at hand. The people pulled up short in time see the outline of a seagull fly past, the bird chattering wildly. Before anyone could speak, another bird took flight from the palapa. This bird, far larger than the first, passed overhead as a dark apparition. The big bird made no sound, save the gentle whoosh from its massive wings.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“Once she’d lifted the bat out of the cage, the younger woman turned slowly, lifted her hands high, then said, “Time to go home, little one” as she opened her hands.

The bat hesitated for a moment, as if unclear it was free to go, then it fluttered away. The people watched by headlamp as the bat circled them twice, before disappearing into the sky.

All the while, the older man with the camera had been positioning himself to record the moment. His photo caught the young scientist silhouetted on one side of the image, the dark outline of the island on the other side, just as the bat took flight into the orange sunrise glowing across the water.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“On joining the aquarium community we all agreed to put aside our carnivorous ways to live off Professor Brown’s fish food. Every one of us agreed!

If we start to eat each other, what kind of life would that be?”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“I’ve always wanted to go to Australia," said Volant the eagle. "Just think of it: kangaroos and koala bears, wallabies and wombats!”

“Cool enough,” returned Gabby the seagull. “But I’ve always wanted to see a platypus. Sort of a beaver with a duckbill?! How can that possibly be?”

“Nothing surprises me much anymore,” said Volant. “Seems like almost anything is possible.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“Oh my God!” exclaimed Jessie the turtle, who alone immediately saw what the good doctor would say next.

“And I am sad to say, my friends," concluded Doc Hansom the goatfish, "if the caulking seal breaks before the professor returns, the aquarium will likely drain and we will all die.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Reluctantly the four people backed away from the fence, the young man shouting to the young woman and cupping his hand to his ear as if holding a phone. The young woman shook her head yes, then turned to walk back up the coast, holding the small girl’s hand, the uniformed man close behind.

When the young woman looked back over her shoulder one last time, the small girl broke away, sprinting out onto the beach. The young woman raced out and caught the small girl, but not before she had scattered a flock of seagulls into the sky.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“What about what Doc said?" asked Big Moe. "If we turn up the temperature it might hurt some of the fishes."

"Collateral damage," said Sarin. "Nothing more. I tell you what, Big Moe, we'll turn it up slowly and the fish won't even notice.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Thank goodness,” said Gabby after all the bats had landed. Then the seagull crept to the edge of the perch where he and Volant rested, and leaned far out and over, ducking and twisting his head to peer below the branches and almost tumbling into space. Straightening back up, Gabby exclaimed, “Talk about a head rush—the bats are all perched upside down!”
― Scott Bischke

“The people said there might be disease in the cave," said Gabby the seagull. "They seemed really worried. They kept talking about how people can give the bats something called COVID and how bad that would be because even if the bats don’t get sick they can pass it on to other animals or right back to people later. And also they talked about a fungus and white noses and feeble bats and bats flying off-kilter and about how bat colonies around the world have been wiped out.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“Doesn't matter what I think or how I feel," said Doc Hansom. "Just go look at the thermometer mounted on the aquarium glass. That will give you your answer."

Hansom went back to his inspections, leaving Tommy Tang to wonder why he had not thought of such a simple answer.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Afraid you won’t be able to keep up,” needled Volant, interrupting. “I thought you were The Fastest Flier in the Sky?!”

“Really,” said Gabby. “That’s how you’re going to play this?”

“Yep, slowpoke, that’s how I’m going to play it.”

And without another word, Volant the eagle launched into the air, pointed south, with not so much as a glance back.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“What Roop says is correct. That thermometer hasn’t worked in years.” Sanger paused, looking around for Hansom before continuing.

Not seeing the goatfish, he proceeded confidently, “Actually, I daresay my own studies have found the instrument to be so imprecise that it is my professional opinion that the temperature is just as likely to be going down as to be going up!”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Initially, only the crabs demurred. "It's not hot in here," Sarin said acidly. "Nothing has changed. You're all imagining things.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Exactly!” shouted Sarin the crab, now standing on hind legs. The looks of fear had subsided from the faces of the creatures. “We have a right to be happy, and live well my friends. That’s why I’m telling you all to eat to your heart’s content!”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Surprisingly few tussles occurred over the falling food. ... Only Push the puffer and Hammy the parrotfish regularly stole more than their fair share. But they argued that as they were bigger than the others, they deserved more.

“Plus,” Push said, “and I don’t mean to be indelicate here, but some of you eat our ordure. Thus if we get more, you get more.”

“Let’s face it,” added Hammy, wanting to add to Push’s words, “that is the way the world works.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“Some of the guard bats hung from the tall cardón cactus that partially blocked the entrance to the cave; some guard bats hung along the edge of the cave entrance. The presence of these burly guards, along with the big cardón cactus, created a formidable boundary, a wall of sorts that could be used for controlling entry to the cave.

And for the Pallid bats controlling who could enter the cave was precisely the goal.”
― Scott Bischke, Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions

“As Augustus basked in self-praise, he became aware of a movement beyond his reflection, beyond the glass. At first he saw the flicking tail of the yellow goatfish, then a blue and gold tang, then a school of pearl wrasses. As he refocused his eyes into the tank he realized that all of the creatures of the aquarium were just across the glass, all of them staring at him. What on Earth is going on here, their expressions seemed to say.

Augustus shook his head, suddenly uncomfortable. “Youse all there in the fish tank,” he growled, pointing, “youse can go stuff yerself for all I care! I’m done here.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times

“It may be," Doc Hansom the goatfish concluded, "that it is already too late.”
― Scott Bischke, FISH TANK: A Fable for Our Times