Toad Heaven - Morris Gleitzman [37]
A thought that made him want to weep with despair and squirt poison pus into every human scientist's lunch.
“The virus germs,” he croaked. “We can't go back, or we might give them to Mum and Dad and the others.”
There was a long silence.
Charm and Goliath looked at each other.
“Limpy,” said Charm quietly. “They might … they could …” She seemed to be having difficulty getting the words out. “Mum and Dad might already have the virus germs.”
Limpy slumped at the thought.
“I know,” he said. “The scientist's dog said they were going to try and spread them to all cane toads.”
“I don't mean that,” said Charm. “I mean … I mean they might already have caught them from Malcolm.”
Limpy staggered and sat down. His legs didn't feel as though they could hold him anymore.
“Malcolm?” he croaked. “How?”
“When Malcolm got back from pinching the map from the scientist,” said Charm, “he had a scabby lump on his back a bit like yours.”
“Only his was bigger,” said Goliath. “And better-looking.”
Limpy slowly digested this. The scientist must have injected Malcolm too. So Malcolm could pass the virus germs on to all the others. This was terrible. This was awful. This was the worst news of all.
Mum and Dad with virus germs.
The thought was so painful Limpy couldn't bear it.
He realized dimly that his crook leg and his back lump were both throbbing. But not as much as his head.
He looked at Charm and Goliath.
“Why didn't you tell me?” he croaked.
Charm and Goliath looked at each other again.
Limpy could see how miserable they were.
“When we saw your back and heard about the virus germs,” said Charm, “we weren't totally sure Malcolm's lump was the same.”
“We thought it might just have been an infected pimple,” said Goliath. “Or an ingrown wart.”
Charm gave a big sigh.
“The truth is,” she said, “it was too painful and scary to think about. And we didn't want to upset you. There wasn't anything you could have done. Sometimes, Limpy, there isn't anything you can do.”
Limpy dragged himself to his feet.
“Yes there is!” he yelled. “It might not be too late. Mum and Dad might not have caught the germs yet. We can go back and find them and keep our distance and stick Goliath's mouth shut with sticky sap and warn them with flying beetles.”
Limpy looked around wildly and saw a big log floating sluggishly past on the river.
“Come on!” he shouted. “This river comes from the west. We can paddle ourselves back on it.”
He flung himself off the bank and onto the log.
“No!” yelled Goliath.
“Limpy!” yelled Charm. “Don't!”
This is incredible, thought Limpy furiously. They've kept quiet about the danger Mum and Dad are in, and now they don't even want to go and help.
The log gave a lurch.
Limpy struggled to keep his balance.
He was starting to see why Charm and Goliath were so concerned.
Then, with a jolt of fear, he saw exactly why they were.
The log had two big eyes.
The eyes were staring straight at Limpy.
The log didn't look at all happy.
Perhaps, thought Limpy hopefully, they're just big knotholes that look like eyes.
The knotholes narrowed and looked even angrier.
Perhaps not, thought Limpy weakly.
The log snorted at him.
Limpy realized the horrible truth. He was standing on a crocodile.
“Jump!” screamed Charm on the riverbank behind him.
“Say you're sorry!” shouted Goliath.
Before Limpy could jump, his legs turned to jelly.
Before he could say anything, his throat sac turned to jelly too.
The crocodile raised its head out of the water. Limpy saw he was on the crocodile's snout. He nearly fainted. He fell forward and clung onto the crocodile's skin bumps with both hands and his good leg, trying not to look at the huge teeth crowding out of the sides of the crocodile's mouth.
“Sorry,” he managed to croak. “I thought you were a …”
Limpy hesitated. “Log” didn't sound very flattering. Limpy remembered how Ancient Eric used to call Goliath a log in insect math class when Goliath didn't know his bee times-table.
“… turbo-powered river vessel,” croaked Limpy.
The big eyes blinked.
And the mouth started