Toad Heaven - Morris Gleitzman [36]
The lizard shook his head.
Limpy steered Charm and Goliath away from the committee.
“Let's go,” he said sadly. “I was wrong. This isn't the place for us.”
Charm and Goliath stared at him, and Limpy could see they didn't understand why he was giving up.
He pointed up at the gate, to the horrible sight he'd just spotted.
Hanging off the wire mesh were the flat bodies of several cane toads.
Charm gave a sob.
Goliath's shoulders slumped.
“The rangers have got four-wheel drives,” said the lizard. “And they're really good at aiming them. Just in case you're thinking of sneaking back in.”
“No,” said Limpy. “We aren't.”
“Mongrels,” muttered Goliath.
Limpy led Goliath and Charm away from the gate and away from the park.
He didn't look back.
He didn't want to catch a glimpse of the shady trees or the fragrant swamp or the almost perfect mud slide or the lovely high leafy ceilings that Mum and Dad would have loved so much.
It was too painful now.
Limpy made himself stop thinking about it.
“Come on,” he said to Charm and Goliath. “Let's get off this road before a vehicle comes and we end up on the gate.”
He led them down a slope to the edge of the river.
They sat on the cool mud.
“What are we going to do now?” asked Charm.
Limpy didn't have a clue.
“I'm sorry,” whispered Goliath tearfully. “It's all my fault.”
Limpy put his arm round Goliath and struggled to speak over the sick feeling of defeat that was curdling his guts.
“It's not your fault,” he said to Goliath. “The national park was my idea, and I got it totally, utterly, completely wrong. It's my fault.”
“Thanks,” said Goliath.
Charm looked at them both sadly. “It's no one's fault,” she said, giving them both a squeeze. “We tried our best.”
They sat staring at the wide flat river, which was turning pink in the sunset.
Limpy found himself wondering where Mum and Dad and the others were now, and whether Malcolm had done a better job of finding them a safe place to live.
“I hope Malcolm's had better luck than us,” he said.
He meant it.
Goliath and Charm nodded thoughtfully.
“His national park might be different,” said Goliath.
Limpy stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Malcolm's national park might be a bit more welcoming,” said Goliath. “To cane toads.”
Limpy grabbed Goliath.“Malcolm's national park?” he said. “What do you mean, Malcolm's national park?”
“The national park,” said Charm, “that Malcolm is taking Mum and Dad and the others to. The one way out west. What's it called? Um …”
“Kickapoo,” said Goliath.
“Kakadu,” said Charm.
Limpy gaped at them, trying to take this in.
“A national park?” he croaked. “Malcolm?”
“Some galahs from out west told him about it,” said Charm. “He wasn't interested at first.”
“Then he stole the idea from you,” said Goliath. “Typical.”
“You knew that,” said Charm. “Didn't you?”
Limpy staggered to his feet. “No” just didn't express all the feelings that were bursting out of him.
“If Malcolm was taking you and the others to a national park,” he said,“why didn't you stay with him? Why did you go to all this trouble to come to a national park with me?”
“Because we wanted to be with you,” said Goliath.
“Because we wanted to look after you,” said Charm.
“Plus Mr. Real Estate's plans were making us puke,” said Goliath. He glanced at Charm. “Well, some of us.”
Limpy looked at their dear concerned faces.
I'm the luckiest cane toad in the whole universe, he thought miserably. Even though I'm also the unluckiest.
“We've got to go back and warn Mum and Dad,” he said. “Kakadu could be like the park we've just been to. If they wander in thinking it's toad heaven, they won't stand a chance against the rangers’ four-wheel drives. Come on, or we'll be too late.”
“They won't be there yet,” said Charm. “According to the map Malcolm nicked from the scientist, Kakadu is way out west.”
“Good,” said Limpy. “That'll give us a chance to catch up with them. Let's go.”
Limpy stopped.
A horrible thought had just