Toad Heaven - Morris Gleitzman [19]
He was interrupted by a roar of fury from inside the bag. The flap flew open and an irate face appeared, glaring at Goliath.
Limpy stared in stunned horror.
“Charm,” he croaked, backing away. “No.”
“Mongrel!” yelled Charm at Goliath. “Kidnapper!”
She clambered out of the bag and advanced furiously toward Goliath. Then she caught sight of Limpy and screamed with delight.
“Limpy!”
She started coming toward him, an amazed grin on her little face.
Limpy backed away.
“Incredible,” said Charm. “You're alive! Goliath was telling the truth. I thought he abducted me 'cause he was jealous of my feelings for Malcolm.”
Limpy was desperately trying to get further away from Charm, for her sake, but the wooden crate at his back was stopping him.
“Of course I was telling the truth,” said Goliath indignantly. “When I worked out that Limpy was still alive, I knew he'd need our help. So I had to get you away from Mr. Handsome. Who I don't reckon is so perfect, if you want to know. I reckon some of those warts are fake. Dried dung beetles with the legs pulled off.”
Charm grabbed the pink bag and tried to swing it at Goliath's head.
“Why didn't you talk to me?” she yelled. “Instead of kidnapping me. It wasn't like I was so dopey over Malcolm I wouldn't have listened.”
Goliath looked pleadingly over at Limpy for help.
While Limpy was trying to work out what to do, Charm's shoulders slumped and her face slowly scrunched into a frown. “All right, I was a bit dopey,” she muttered. Then her face lit up again. “Oh, Limpy, I'm so happy you're alive.”
Before Limpy could stop her, she hopped over, stretched up, and kissed him.
“No,” groaned Limpy. “No.”
Charm stared at him, stunned and concerned.
“Limpy,” she said. “What's the matter?”
“It's okay, Limpy,” said Goliath. “She's your sister. It's not yucky when you kiss your sister.”
“It's not that,” said Limpy.
Miserably he showed them his back.
“Sort of a lumpy scab,” said Goliath. “I think it looks quite nice.”
Limpy told them about the scientist and the needle and the virus germs.
There was a long silence.
“Oh no,” breathed Charm.
“I'm sorry,” whispered Limpy.
“Virus germs?” roared Goliath. “I'm not gunna let any virus germs kill my family. I'm gunna pulverize them. I'm gunna rip their little legs off. I'm gunna eat them.”
Charm put her hand on Goliath's arm.
Limpy watched Goliath's shoulders slump. Charm and Goliath exchanged a long worried look.
“I don't feel infected,” said Goliath. “I just feel hungry. Do you think virus germs can make you feel hungry?”
There was another long silence.
Then Charm spoke.
“It's not your fault, Limpy,” she said. “If we are infected, I reckon we should make the most of the time we've got left. I reckon we should find the national park and do everything we can to get Mum and Dad and the others safely there before we die.”
“I agree,” said Goliath.
Limpy looked at their determined faces and wished cane toads gave each other those round metal things that humans gave each other for being brave.
He'd give Charm and Goliath a hundred each.
“Okay,” he said. “Let's go.”
First they had to get away from the humans.
And the sheep.
Limpy didn't particularly want to run into the rude ants again either.
The three of them hurried along the platform, keeping to the shadows and watching anxiously for boots.
Then Charm let out a terrified croak.
“Look out!”
Limpy turned.
A large gate was swinging open and a truck was backing through it, heading straight toward them. Limpy had never seen a truck drive backward before. It was a chilling sight.
Stack me, thought Limpy. This must be how trucks sneak up on cane toads when they're not expecting it.
“Low mongrels!” yelled Goliath. He looked around for a weapon, saw a big rusty nail poking out of a rotting fence post, dragged it out, and waved it angrily at the truck. “Let's see how you like it when I slash your tires and scratch your paint and stab your fuel