Toad Away - Morris Gleitzman [13]
He felt better now that he'd decided that.
Then Charm hopped into his room and he didn't feel better anymore.
“Have you had birds in here?” said Charm.
Limpy could see she'd spotted some feathers on the floor.
“No,” said Limpy. “They're just left over from an old lunch of Goliath's.”
He felt awful, lying to Charm. His insides felt yucky, like the time he ate the car-deodorant block Goliath gave him for his birthday.
Charm's face fell, and Limpy could see she knew he was lying.
He couldn't bear it.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I have had birds in here. They're going to take me to the Amazon so I can find out how our rellies there live in peace with humans. I didn't want you to know in case you wanted to come. I don't want you to come because it'll be too dangerous and I don't want anything to happen to you.”
Limpy hoped Charm wouldn't be angry.
She didn't seem to be. She was gazing at Limpy, mouth trembling. She put her arms around him.
“I love you, Limpy,” said Charm. “And I'm really glad you're my brother.”
“I love you too,” said Limpy.
They hugged each other for a long time.
“There's something I haven't had a chance to tell you,” said Charm. “You were really brave, the way you saved Goliath from that supermarket freezer. And the way you saved that human girl from that drink. And it wasn't your fault we couldn't save Aunty Pru.”
“Thanks,” whispered Limpy.
I'll miss you, Charm, he thought sadly, trying to stop his glands from trembling too much.
Suddenly he was hoping the journey to the Amazon wouldn't be too long and dangerous.
“Goliath,” whispered Limpy. “Wake up.”
Goliath moaned and tried to wriggle deeper into the mud puddle he was sleeping in. He opened an eye, then closed it.
“No,” he said. “It's not even dawn yet.”
“We're going to be late,” said Limpy. “It's taken me ages to find you. Why can't you sleep in your room?”
“It's better out here,” mumbled Goliath. “If you're lucky, worms crawl into your tummy while you're asleep.” He opened an eye again. “Late for what?”
“We're going to the Amazon,” said Limpy.
Goliath sat up, eyes open wide.
“The Amazon?” he said. “Good idea. We can get all the cane toads over there to join our army and crush those mongrel humans forever. And blow up their freezers.”
Limpy sighed.
He'd agonized most of the night about whether to bring Goliath on the trip. He'd finally decided he had to. It was the only way he could keep an eye on Goliath and stop him starting wars.
Please let it be the right decision, thought Limpy while Goliath had a stretch and checked under his eyelids for breakfast.
The first wart-blush of dawn was creeping into the sky. Limpy grabbed Goliath's hand and led him quickly toward the far end of the swamp.
“How are we getting to the Amazon?” asked Goliath.
“By air,” said Limpy. “Some birds are taking us.”
“Ripper,” said Goliath. “I want the fastest one.”
Even as he was saying this, something swooped low over their heads. They both looked up.
“That's not fair,” said Goliath. “Charm got first pick.”
Limpy stared upward. He desperately wanted Goliath to be wrong as usual, but the bird turned and swooped low again and Limpy saw with a jolt of panic that Goliath was right.
Gripped in the bird's claws was Charm.
“Sorry, Limpy!” she yelled. “But I can't let you do it. Brazil's much too far for a bloke with a crook leg. Tell Mum and Dad I'll be away awhile, but not to worry, I'll be fine.”
Limpy could barely hear her last words, because the bird was already heading for the blood-red horizon.
“Come on!” Limpy yelled at Goliath as other birds swooped over their heads. “We can't let her go on her own.”
Limpy burst through the bushes at the far end of the swamp and almost fainted with relief.
There were two birds left.
“They're still here!” yelled Goliath.
“Don't get your beak in a twist,” said one of the birds,