Toad Heaven - Morris Gleitzman [22]
His thoughts were shattered by a scream.
A human scream.
Limpy looked around, heart in his throat sac.
Four nearly naked humans were standing under a palm tree, pointing at him and Charm and Goliath and yelling.
Stack me, thought Limpy, grabbing Charm and Goliath protectively. Where did they come from? Then he realized why he hadn't seen them before. Their sunburned skin was the same color as their parrot-red picnic blanket.
Camouflage.
“Hop for it,” he said to Charm and Goliath. “I'll distract them.”
The two kid humans were advancing across the sand, waving plastic spades menacingly. The mum and dad humans were right behind them, waving metal barbecue tongs even more menacingly.
“No offense, Limpy,” said Charm, “but hopping in circles isn't going to fool them for long. I think it's better if Goliath distracts them.”
“I agree,” said Goliath.
Before Limpy could stop him, Goliath hopped toward the humans, yelling, “Hey, you overcooked land worms! Get your big bums over here! Catch me if you can!”
Limpy decided to get Charm to safety, then go and help Goliath.
That was his plan, right up until he saw the cooler lid lying on the picnic blanket.
“Look,” said Limpy, warts tingling with excitement.“Our boat.”
Charm frowned.
“Don't boats need outboard motors?” she said.
“Don't worry,” said Limpy. “I've got a plan.”
As soon as he and Charm had dragged the cooler lid into a thick patch of undergrowth, Limpy peered anxiously across the sand to see how Goliath was doing.
He couldn't see Goliath anywhere.
Neither could the humans. They were wandering around on the sand, swinging their weapons in puzzled frustration.
Goliath had vanished.
“Where is he?” asked Charm anxiously.
“He'll be okay,” said Limpy. “He's been dodging trucks since he first got legs. Goliath'll be fine.”
Limpy wished he felt as confident as he sounded.
He and Charm crouched in the undergrowth and watched the humans hunting for Goliath. When the humans couldn't find him, they started hunting for their cooler lid. When they couldn't find that, they packed up the rest of their stuff and stamped away, grumbling.
Limpy and Charm crept out of their hiding place.
“Goliath,” they called. “Where are you?”
No reply.
Oh no, thought Limpy. Perhaps Goliath's run into the cats again.
He had a horrible vision involving a cat and Goliath and dinner.
Limpy shuddered.
It was too awful to think about.
If Goliath tried to eat a cat, he'd choke.
“Goliath!” yelled Limpy desperately. “Where are you?”
“Here,” croaked a gravelly voice behind them.
Limpy spun round.
Goliath was standing there, spitting out sand. He had sand on his head and sand on his warts and sand in the folds of his skin.
“Where have you been?” gasped Charm.
“Doing something I learned from Limpy,” croaked Goliath. “He copied an echidna with that Uncle Nick idea. Well, I've been copying our friends the sand-worms. Burrowed myself into the sand. I was able to thank them for the idea, 'cause I met quite a few while I was down there. Very tasty, but a bit gritty.”
Limpy gently brushed the sand off Goliath's warts.“Thanks, Goliath,” he said. “You saved us.”
“That was a really brave thing to do,” said Charm.“When Malcolm hears about it, he'll be really impressed.”
Goliath screwed up his face, and for a second Limpy thought he was going to explode. But all he said was, “Ouch. Sand in my eyes. I need mucus.”
Limpy and Charm hastily spat mucus into Goliath's eyes.
“That's better,” breathed Goliath. “Thanks.”
Then he saw the cooler lid.
“What's that?” he asked.
“Our boat,” replied Limpy.
“Doesn't a boat need one of those frothy things at the back?” said Goliath.
“Don't worry,” said Limpy. “I've got a plan.” He pointed to a nearby clump of stinkweed.“Start eating.”
The launching of the boat was a big success.
Limpy and Charm and Goliath dragged it down to the water and pushed it in.
“It floats!” shouted Charm.
They loaded it with stinkweed and other supplies and clambered aboard.
“It still floats,” shouted Goliath, but not as loud as Charm because his tummy was so