فصل 62

CHAPTER 62

THE CAVE

THE CREATURE WAS RIGHT BEHIND THEM.

Nibs and Shining Pearl could hear him coming through the jungle, his giant tail swinging back and forth, taking down full-grown trees with a single swipe.

Sometimes he roared, a sound that froze the children’s blood.

They were on the mountain trail, following the track of the men who’d come ashore on the boat. Mister Grin, in turn, was following Nibs and Shining Pearl—or, more accurately, the scent of the boar dung they were carrying. They’d each started out with an armful of the smelly lumps; Shining Pearl had tucked her precious white starfish into the pocket of her dress. They’d been hoarding the dung carefully, dropping a lump here and there, just often enough to keep the gigantic crocodile coming. The roars meant Mister Grin was getting frustrated—tired of finding boar dung, when it was flesh he craved.

He was hungry.

And he was after them.

Another roar.

“He’s getting closer,” said Shining Pearl.

“Yes,” said Nibs.

“I don’t think we can keep outrunning him,” said Shining Pearl.

Nibs stopped. “We don’t have to,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

Nibs pointed ahead. Shining Pearl peered through the leaves and the torrential downpour. They had reached a clearing. Fifty feet ahead was the mouth of a cave, illuminated by torches burning inside. A man stood guard outside.

“How many lumps do you have left?” he whispered.

“One,” she said.

“Me, too,” he said. “All we have to do is get them close to the cave. Mister Grin will do the rest. Come on.”

He started forward.

“Wait!” said Shining Pearl, grabbing his shirt.

“What?”

“Look,” said Shining Pearl, pointing. “Just past the guard.”

Nibs squinted through the rain and, by the flickering light of the torches inside the cave, saw Little Scallop and the other children, huddled together, heads down, next to a tree.

“They’re tied up!” said Little Scallop.

“Oh no,” said Nibs.

Behind them a tree crashed to the ground.

“Listen,” said Shining Pearl, handing her dung lump to Nibs. “You sneak up that way and put all the dung near the cave. I’ll go the other way and come up behind Little Scallop and the boys. When I signal you, make sure the guard sees you, then run back this way.”

“You want me to run toward Mister Grin?”

“Make sure you get off the path in time.”

“Thanks for the advice,” he said.

Ignoring his sarcasm, Shining Pearl said, “When Mister Grin has gone past, circle back and meet us down the hill from here. All right?”

“I don’t know,” said Nibs. “What if—”

“Good,” said Shining Pearl. And she was gone.