فصل 64

CHAPTER 64

AN AWFUL SCREAM

NIBS CREPT THROUGH THE JUNGLE, approaching the cave from the side opposite from that where the children were tied up. He waited until the guard was facing away, then placed one of the foul-smelling dung lumps just outside the cave mouth. He gently tossed the other into the cave itself.

He crouched behind some rocks and peered out. By the light of the torch in the cave, he could just make out the guard. He was staring out into the rain, looking bored.

Then, just past the guard, Nibs saw a slim brown arm rise out of a bush and wave.

Nibs took a breath.

“Hey!” he shouted.

The guard spun and looked at him.

“Hey!” Nibs shouted again, starting down the path.

The guard looked over at the children tied to the tree. Seeing they were all there, he shouted into the cave, “There’s another boy out here! He’s loose!” Then he took off running after Nibs.

The instant the guard was gone, Shining Pearl emerged from behind the bush and ran to the other children. They started to call out, but she shushed them with a finger to the lips, pointing toward the cave. She ran to Little Scallop, who was tied like the others, with her hands behind her back. Shining Pearl fumbled with the knot but the wet rope felt glued in place.

“I have a knife!” Slightly whispered. “My pocket.”

Shining Pearl reached into his pocket and pulled out a stick with a sharpened shell lashed to it. She began sawing the part of the rope attached to the tree.

She heard shouts from inside the cave.

And then, from just below in the jungle, the sound of trees going down.

She sawed frantically with the knife. The rope parted. The children were still tied together, but at least they were free of the tree.

“Hurry,” she said, pushing them, stumbling, toward the jungle. The twins had just disappeared into the foliage and Shining Pearl was about to follow them when she realized she had dropped the starfish. She turned and saw it lying near the cave mouth. She ran over, picked it up, and turned to race back into the jungle.

A huge hand grabbed her neck from behind.

“What are you doing here?” said Cheeky O’Neal.

Before she could answer, a thunderous roar filled the clearing. They looked downhill and saw the guard emerge from the jungle, running full-speed toward them, a look of utter terror on his face.

Three seconds later they saw why.

The monster crocodile burst into the clearing, his glowing yellow eyes impossibly far apart, his massive maw open to reveal a jagged row of needle-sharp teeth the size of spears. On open ground he moved with amazing speed; he was gaining on the guard, now in a race for his life.

O’Neal didn’t wait to see who won. Lifting Shining Pearl easily off her feet, he turned and ran for the cave.

From behind them came an awful scream.