Toad Heaven - Morris Gleitzman [40]
“No,” said Charm. “It's just a big pile of old horse poo.”
She came back over to Limpy.
“Do you really think we'll be able to see them from here?” she said.
Limpy had been wondering the same thing.
“The railway line and the highway both run west,” he said. “They'll need to follow one of them, and the railway line's safer. I don't think even Malcolm's crazy enough to go on the highway.”
Limpy glanced at Charm.
She didn't reply.
They were so busy peering out, they didn't see the ants come in.
“Hey,” said a cross voice. “What're you doing in our carriage?”
Limpy spun round.
A swarm of angry red ants were glaring at him and Charm.
Charm barely took her eyes off the passing countryside. “Your carriage?” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “Who says?”
“We do,” said the front ant.
Limpy laid a reassuring hand on Charm's.
He recognized the ants. They were the same sort who'd scared the sheep back at the station.
Stay calm, he said to himself. We don't have time to get into an argument with pushy ants.
“We're hoping to meet up with our rellies,” Limpy said to the ant. “Out west.”
“Same here,” said the ant. “So rack off.”
On the other side of the carriage, Goliath was looking at the ants and licking his lips.
Limpy held up his hand, signaling to Goliath to stay where he was.
“I'm going to need your help,” said Limpy to the ants. “I'm trying to encourage my cousin over there not to eat every ant he sees, and he's trying hard, but I'm afraid he's finding you almost impossible to resist.”
The ants looked at Goliath and saw the hunger in his eyes.
Limpy saw their expression change as they realized they were looking at a toad who'd eat every single one of them, even if he had to find a needle and sew a gusset in his tummy.
The ants looked at one another.
“Our mistake,” scowled the front ant. “Our carriage must be the next one.”
They scurried away.
“Hey,” said Goliath, disappointed.“Why did you do that?”
“I'm trying to get us in the habit,” said Limpy, “of being kinder to insects when we're not hungry.”
“But I am hungry,” said Goliath.
Much later they still hadn't seen any sign of Mum or Dad or Malcolm or anyone.
Limpy had the idea of climbing up through the air vent onto the roof of the carriage for a better view. Even though the train was on a slow stretch, it wasn't an easy climb. Goliath got jammed in the vent, and Limpy and Charm had to use all their mucus to slide him through.
After all that, being on the roof didn't make any difference.
Still not a rellie to be seen.
This isn't looking good, thought Limpy, the warm afternoon breeze doing nothing to relieve the worried ache in his glands.
Could we have missed them? he wondered. Or could they have taken another route? Or could they already be at Kakadu, hanging from the front gate?
There were so many possibilities, and Limpy didn't like the thought of any of them.
“I haven't seen a single cane toad,” said Charm, sounding as worried as Limpy felt.
“Me neither,” said Goliath from the other side of the carriage roof. “All I can see are donkeys and goats and foxes and brumbies and camels and feral pigs.”
Limpy slithered quickly across the roof to Goliath in case the sun was affecting his cousin's brain and Goliath decided he could fly or something.
When Limpy got there, his mouth fell open.
Not far from the train was an incredible sight.
A huge crowd of animals, hundreds of them, including all the ones Goliath had mentioned, moving slowly across the dusty scrubland.
Why are they going so slowly? wondered Limpy.
Then he saw why.
Leading them was a group of much smaller figures, hopping wearily. The one in front was less small and was studying a map.
“Look!” yelled Charm, arriving next to Limpy. “That's Malcolm!”
“And there's Dad!” screamed Limpy.
“Stack me,” muttered Goliath. “I thought they were rocks.”
Limpy squinted down at the dusty cane toads. Where was Mum? He couldn't see Mum.
“Mum!” he yelled. “Mum!”
“They can't hear us,” said Charm.
“Come on!” yelled Limpy to Charm and Goliath. “Time to get off.