Free The Lake of Souls by Darren Shan Page B

expected Harkat to volunteer, but he smiled sheepishly and said, “I think
you
should go.”
    “Oh?” I replied, momentarily thrown.
    “You’re faster than me,” Harkat said. “You stand a better chance of … making it back alive. Of course, if you … don’t want to …”
    “Don’t be stupid,” I grunted. “I’ll do it. Just make sure you keep those ‘gators occupied.”
    “I’ll do my best,” Harkat said, then slipped off to the left, to find the ideal position to launch the rats and turtle-like creatures.
    I nudged my way around to the rear of the toad, so I could sneak up on it without being seen, and wriggled down to the edge of the moat. There was a stick lying nearby, which I stuck into the water, testing its depth. It didn’t seem deep. I was sure I could wade the six or seven yards toward the toad’s base.
    There was a rustling motion off to my left and one of the turtle creatures went zooming through the air, landing among the alligators on the far right side. One of the dead rats was quickly hurled among the other alligators on the left of the moat. As soon as the alligators began snapping at each other and fighting for the morsels, I lowered myself into the cold, clammy water. It was filled with wet twigs, dead insects, and slime from the toad’s sores. I ignored the disgusting mess and waded across to where the toad was squatting, its eyes fixed on the bickering alligators.
    There were several jelly-like globes near the edge of the toad’s perch. I picked up a couple, meaning to stuff them inside my shirt, but their soft shells were broken. They lost their shape and a sticky clear fluid oozed out of them.
    Glancing up, I saw another of the turtles flying through the air, followed by the second dead rat. That meant Harkat only had one of the turtles held in reserve. I had to act fast. Slithering forward onto the mound, I reached for the shiny globes lying closest to the giant toad. Most were covered with pus. It was warm, with the texture of vomit, and the stench made me gag. Holding my breath, I wiped the pus away and found a globe that wasn’t broken. I sifted through the shells and found another, then another. The globes were different sizes, some only two inches in diameter, some eight inches. I packed lots of the globes inside my shirt, working quickly. I’d just about gathered enough when the toad’s head turned and I found myself on the end of its fierce, bulging gaze.
    I reacted swiftly and spun away, stumbling back toward the island across the moat. As I lunged to safety, the toad unleashed its tongue and struck me hard on my right shoulder, knocking me flat. I came up gasping, spitting out water and bits of jelly and pus. The toad lashed me with its tongue again, connected with the top of my head and sent me flying a second time. As I came up out of the water, dazed, I caught sight of several objects sliding into the moat beyond the mound. I lost all interest in the toad and its tongue. I had a far greater threat to worry about. The alligators had finished with the scraps Harkat had thrown them. Now they were coming after a fresh snack —
me
!

CHAPTER TEN
    T URNING MY BACK ON THE ALLIGATORS , I scrambled for the bank. I might have made it if the toad hadn’t struck me again with its tongue, this time whipping the tip of it around my throat and spinning me back toward it. The toad didn’t have enough power to pull me all the way to the mound, but I landed close to it. As I sprang to my feet, gasping for breath, I spotted the first of the onrushing alligators and knew I’d never make it to the bank in time.
    Standing my ground, I prepared to meet the alligator’s challenge. My aim was to clamp its jaws shut and keep them closed — it couldn’t do much damage with its tiny front claws. But even assuming I could do that, I had no way of dealing with the rest of the pack, which were coming fast on the lead alligator’s tail.
    I glimpsed Harkat splashing into the water,