The Serpent of Eridor (5 page)

When Alex woke the next day every particle of his body ached after yesterday's mud wrestle. Exhausted, he tried to roll over and snooze a bit more but the boards at the bottom of the boat were too hard to let him recapture his dream. Irritatingly, Skoodle lay snoring beside him. Eventually Alex gave up trying to sleep. He crawled forward, pushed up the edge of the tarpaulin and clambered out.

Dawn was breaking, the likes of which he had never seen. The sky hung in a citrus palette, sweeping from palest lemon to the scarlet heart of a rose grapefruit. Gradually soft blue crept in, deepening until the sky became rich turquoise.

Alex mulled over life as he watched the colours change, sipping from a giffrod. So this was the world his parents had been exploring: one of magic, danger and intrigue. They might have been proud of him for finding his way to the island. He doubted that they would have been quite so pleased about landing a death sentence within twenty-four hours of arrival. Thinking of his parents gave him a familiar ache in his chest – unpleasant, but oddly welcome.

Deciding to try for another nap, Alex pulled the tarpaulin over his head and fell asleep. A gentle knocking woke him later. ‘Come in,' he mumbled.

‘Come out,' said Ikara.

Alex pulled back the corner of the tarpaulin and found himself inches away from Ikara's nose. In her mouth she held a large bunch of fentice.

‘You look half asleep,' she said, dropping the fruit. ‘It's been daybreak for hours. Either you're very lazy or you were badly hurt yesterday.'

‘Bit of both,' replied Alex, rubbing his eyes. ‘Even so, not many humans would naturally get up with the sun.'

‘Odd,' said Ikara, helping herself to a fentice. ‘Must add that to my list of facts about humans. Number one: smart alecs, or Alexs, shouldn't be let loose alone in the jungle, especially when hungry. Fact two: humans believe that if some fruit is edible, all must be. Fact three: humans are not logical. Seems there's a link there.'

‘Cut the lecture. Hand over a fentice,' replied Alex, draped over the wooden side.

‘Make it two,' said a small voice as Skoodle scrambled over the side of the boat and dropped on to the sand.

‘Done, rodent.' Ikara flicked a fentice at Skoodle. It hurtled straight into his stomach, bowling him on to his back. Skoodle scrambled to his feet and threw it back at her. Ikara took the hit on her head, dramatically flinging herself backwards on to the sand where she lay groaning.

‘Hardly seems possible,' said Skoodle. ‘Fewer legs but acres more sarcasm.'

‘You two could form a mutual dislike society. After a while you might get to like each other.'

‘Yeah, like a vampire loves a neck,' muttered Skoodle.

‘No, more than that,' replied Ikara, shuddering the sand off. ‘Like my stomach acid adores fresh protein.'

‘Don't wind me up. I may be small but I'm fierce.'

‘Terrified,' squealed Ikara. ‘Keep him away, Alex. Don't let him hurt me.'

‘Peace and harmony,' said Alex. ‘Or I'll thump you both. So… anyone for fentice?'

An hour later they joined the others in Tariq's clearing. Keeko was hopping from one leg to the other as if standing in a bed of nettles.

‘Go get yourself mango,' Alex told Keeko. ‘It'll take your mind off things.'

‘It won't,' said Keeko. She set off for the nearest tree, pulled off a huge mango and dropped back to the ground, chewing on it unpeeled.

‘We need to walk upstream for a few hundred metres,' said Tariq, gazing over the river. ‘The waters are narrower there.'

Ikara shook her head. ‘Danger freak. There are crocodiles in the upper parts of this river. Crossing here makes more sense, unless we'd rather be eaten by carnivorous flesh-eating reptiles than nuked by the witch.'

‘Here suddenly seems ideal,' replied Skoodle.

‘All agreed?' asked Tariq. ‘OK. Decision made. But beware the waterfall downstream. It drops a hundred metres on to rocks. Get swept over, you die. Clear?'

‘Unpleasantly so,' muttered Skoodle.

Estimating the distance, Alex asked, ‘How do we get out? The far bank's a solid wall of plants.'

‘There are a few tunnels, made by large animals, through those mangrove roots,' said Tariq. He pointed to a black area in the barrier of vegetation, slightly upstream. ‘Beyond that one lies the path to the Single Redwood.'

Ikara smoothly slid into the water, her body held up by surface tension, and whipped rapidly towards the opposite bank.

‘You next, Alex, with Skoodle,' said Tariq. ‘If you're doing OK I'll bring Keeko.'

‘What a morning. Waterfall, crocodiles, imminent death,' said Skoodle. ‘Wonder what he's got planned for this afternoon.'

‘Rhino wrestling?' asked Alex.

Skoodle scrambled on to his scalp. The pain of his needle-like claws was cushioned only slightly by Alex's blond hair being longer than school allowed. Walking forward into the cold river, Alex sank up to his waist within six steps. Two more and the bottom of the river fell sharply away, plunging him in chest deep. Alex struck out in crawl, aiming upstream to compensate for the current.

Head up,
transferred Skoodle.
Every time you roll to breathe I get dunked.

Not refreshing?

More like repetitive drowning.

Are many people's lives ruled by a rodent?
Alex wondered as he lifted his head and swam water-polo crawl, in time to hear a splash behind them as Tariq powered into the river.

Doubt it, but they should be. More chance of world peace. Better food.

This is tough.

So is holding on.

At least you're not in wet jeans, waterlogged shoes and swimming across a strong current.

Pretend you're on a surfboard.

Surfing doesn't include a waterfall and you in my head space.

Me being in there stops it being empty.

Up ahead Ikara lay coiled round a branch, surveying the scene below. ‘Come on, sloths. I've been here for ages. Very dull, waiting.'

Tell someone else. We're as interested as that log over there,
transferred Skoodle.

‘It's a crocodile,' Ikara screamed.

Whipping his head around, Alex saw the log upstream open its mouth to snap up a water rat. The reptile's fearsome head swung around, its malicious eyes on Alex.

‘Head down, Alex. Swim for it,' yelled Skoodle.

Totally focused on forcing his body forward, Alex carved his way through the water.

He's gaining. Faster.

This is fastest.

‘Want a snack, snub face? Over here,' called Ikara. ‘Or are you frightened of a little snakey-wakey?'

Mid-stroke, Alex lifted his head to see Ikara hanging suspended by her tail at the water's edge. The monster hesitated, glancing from Alex to Ikara. The snake was closer but smaller. The two reptiles locked eyes. Ikara held her ground, swaying a millisecond from death. The crocodile surged forward. Ikara swerved, but remained in range. The enraged croc lunged again as the snake's head swung out of reach.

Two more strokes,
transferred Skoodle.
Come on, Alex.

An instant later Alex's fingers touched roots, each the thickness of a footballer's thigh.

‘Climb. Get us out,' shrieked Skoodle.

‘Can't. No grip. Too slippery.'

The roots stretched along in a dense row, too solid to penetrate. The only hole through that Alex could see lay upstream, beyond the croc. Heart pounding, Alex grabbed his knife, scraping it against the nearest mangrove.

‘Kill the croc, not the root.'

‘Getting the slime off.'

‘Won't work. Get the croc.'

‘Against him my knife would be as much use as a toothbrush.'

‘Come on, old lumpy skin,' Ikara yelled, dipping closer. ‘Give it your best shot.'

As the croc threw himself at Ikara, missing by millimetres, a bear and monkey arrived at the bank in an explosion of water.

‘Jump, Keeko,' shouted Tariq.

Keeko threw herself off, landing high on the nearest mangrove root. All four limbs clamped round its green slipperiness. Her tail looped round the dry branch above, swinging her out of danger.

Tariq changed course, thrashing through the water, heading directly for the crocodile. His furry fist swung out of the water and punched the croc. As the stunned reptile recoiled, Tariq leapt on to the animal's back, arms clamped round the ripping jaws. Infuriated, the croc submerged itself. The terrified watchers could see dark shadows wrestling in the murky depths. Bloodied water swirled above the fighters.

Keeko shinned down the mangrove and grabbed a large rock from the shallows.

‘Don't throw,' called Alex, treading water, still scraping at the root. ‘You might hit Tariq.'

‘But he'll drown. He'll run out of oxygen first,' shouted Keeko.

The animals resurfaced, Tariq's powerful arms flung around the croc's scaly head in a hideous embrace. Keeko hurled the rock, slamming it accurately on to the crocodile's skull.

The crocodile lashed his tail into the bear's side. Roaring his rage and pain, Tariq raked his claws down the reptile's underbelly. Scarlet ribbons spurted from the open flesh, staining the water crimson as they were swept downstream.

Look out, Tariq. The waterfall
, transferred Keeko.

Tariq must have heard but didn't look up, his body remaining locked against the crocodile's.

Let go, Tariq
, screamed Alex inside his mind.
Swim for it.

Can't. He'll get back upstream quicker than me.

A moment later the two figures were swept from view. It was over.

‘Tariq,' screamed Ikara, her voice ragged with pain.

Horrified, Alex stared at the head of the falls. He couldn't believe that seconds ago his friend had been fighting for all their lives. Now he was gone. Immobile, Alex hung on to the slippery roots, his body drifting in the water.

Splashing nearby made Alex drag his eyes away. Two more crocodiles were swimming towards them with lashing sweeps of their scaly green-grey bodies. Ikara slithered towards Alex like greeny-gold lightening. Powered by adrenaline blasting through his system, Alex shoved his knife in his belt and began grappling with the slippery mangrove roots.

Ikara's tail reached down. A clamp of snake wound round Alex's chest, squeezing the air out of him as he scraped painfully up the side of a mangrove. Sore, unable to breathe, Alex grabbed for the higher, dry roots. His grip held. The pressure round his chest was released.

The closest croc jumped at Alex, using his tail to propel himself out of the water. Alex jerked his feet up just before they were crunched off. Keeko sat within easy reach, face in hands, sobbing.

‘Get away, Keeko,' yelled Alex. ‘More crocodiles.'

Her head swung towards him, tear-filled eyes blank.

‘Tariq died saving us,' screeched Skoodle. ‘Don't waste his sacrifice.'

Her trance of pain shattered, Keeko scrambled upwards. ‘You won't get me,' she yelled at the crocodiles. ‘I'd murder you if I could.'

The reptiles circled below Keeko, malicious eyes fixed on her body. Then they headed upstream.

‘They're aiming for the tunnel through the roots,' called Ikara. ‘Get to that path before they do.'

Alex clambered through the mangroves until he reached a branch that hung over the track. Taking a deep breath he launched himself into space, hitting the ground running. From behind him came the sound of lumbering crocodile feet. Alex pounded down the path, but his wet jeans and shoes weighed him down. Tangled roots threatened to trip him at any moment: thick vegetation overhung the path, tearing at him. Slow meant dead. Injured meant dead.

Not rocket science
, transferred Skoodle, reading his thoughts.

Nope, it's logic. Inescapable.

Like the crocodiles?

Wrenching branches out of his face, Alex ran after the retreating body of Ikara. The crocodiles moved steadily, getting closer.

They're supposed to be slow on land
, transferred Alex to Ikara.

Not on Eridor,
she returned
. They don't tire easily, either. Keep running.

Exhausted, losing ground, Alex ran on. Wet jeans chafed his legs; his trainers felt like concrete.

Tired?
asked Skoodle.

Shattered.

How long can you keep going?

Easy answer:
Not long
. His lungs ached as if hot steel wires had been rammed through his rib cage; his heart was banging, muscles leaden.
Ask me in five
.

Minutes?

Seconds.

He forced himself through the lower branches of another prickly bush then stopped, horrified. An enormous lake of mud stretched in front of him, the path round it only a very low tunnel through dense vegetation. There was no other escape route. As he hesitated the crocodiles closed in further.

Alex grabbed the branch of an overhanging tree and hoisted himself upwards, trying not to look down at the mudbath. The gaping black expanse would suck him in like quicksand if he fell. Once had been enough.

He gripped the branches, ignoring the stings of red fire ants crawling along the bark. Scrambling from tree to tree, he aimed for the other side of the lake. The branches acted like crazy wooden scaffolding, gradually taking him higher. Finally reaching the far side, Alex stood on a twisted eucalyptus branch. The jump to the last mahogany tree looked impossible. Six metres below, the edge of the mudbath met solid ground. If he missed, pitiless jaws would shred his broken body as he tried to crawl away.

Alex hesitated. Momentum had kept him running, then climbing. Now he faced a suicidal-looking jump.

Retreat
, transferred Skoodle.