Free Crown Park by Des Hunt Page B

rubbing
his hands together, “how about some noodles for lunch before we
head back and find out what’s happening with that eruption. I have
a feeling this will be our last visit.”
     
     
    Chainsaw arrived during lunch and Jack
gave him some scraps he’d brought from home.
    Fluoro watched the cat scoffing
it down. “Good idea to fill him up before we return.” He smiled.
“We don’t want him eating the moho.”
    “Why did you say this might be
our last visit?” asked Jack.
    “Because of the eruption. The
activity has increased on each visit. The climax must come
soon.”
    Jack looked around at the steam.
“Does all this steam mean something is going to happen around
here?”
    Fluoro shook his head. “The lake
isn’t going to erupt, if that’s what you’re worried about.
Geothermal fields like this are always changing. It could have
something to do with the new geothermal power stations they’re
building. Or maybe all the rain we’ve had this autumn. It’s more
obvious today because it’s cold and there’s no breeze to take it
away.”
    However, when Jack went to have
a pee, he found that the holes around the cliff face were venting
more gases than ever. An empty feeling formed in his stomach.
    And it didn’t get any better
when he lay down on the lounger. He patted his lap, inviting
Chainsaw to jump up, but the cat refused. He sat on the ground
staring up at Jack. His tail was snaking back and forth as it did
when he was unsure of things.
    “What’s the matter boy?” asked
Jack, reaching over to stroke the cat’s head. Instead of purring,
Chainsaw replied with a small meow.
    By then, however, Fluoro had
started into the story, so Jack leant back and tried to empty the
fears out of his mind.

Chapter 15
     
    As soon as they arrived, Jack knew that
something was wrong. Grey ash was falling from the sky and the
smell of sulphur filled the air.
    Jack looked at Fluoro. “You said
they’d be safe here.”
    “It will only be temporary,”
said Fluoro. “Must’ve been a change in the wind.”
    Before Jack could comment
further, Lucy was in front of them, and she was not happy.
    “We should not have listened to
you humans,” she said, angrily. “We would have been better off back
at the lake. At least there we’d be safe from the adzebills and
none of the moho would have had to die.”
    “Have the adzebills attacked?”
asked Jack.
    “Yes! And taken one of the most
beautiful creatures there ever was.”
    “It was my fault,” said
Godfrey.
    “No, it wasn’t,” said Lucy. “We
wouldn’t even be here, if it wasn’t for these humans.”
    “What happened?” asked Jack.
    Godfrey went to answer, but Lucy
got in first. “One got brutally attacked and killed because of
you.” She glared, first at Jack, then at Fluoro.
    But Godfrey was not going to be
put off. He wanted to confess. “I was tail-end Charlie,” he said,
sadly, “and everything was going fine. Lucy was setting a good
pace, with Em in the air, and Pat sniffing for danger.”
    “That was difficult,” said Pat
appearing out of Lucy’s feathers. “This sulphur makes it hard to
smell anything else.”
    “And it was so dark with the ash
falling,” added Emily, from a branch above them. “The adzebills
were impossible to see on the forest floor.”
    “Be that as it may,” said
Godfrey, “it still would not have happened if I had kept my mind on
the job.” He looked up at Jack. “You see, I was tired and my mind
always wanders when I’m tired. Somehow, one of the moho—”
    “Number Four,” put in Pat. “Or
Lots if you go by their system.”
    Godfrey shook his head,
impatiently. “Yes, yes, whichever one it was, it got behind me, and
I didn’t notice.” He closed his eyes as if reliving the event. “The
first I knew was when the moho cried out. I turned and there the
adzebills were. At the front was Boris, that leader of theirs. He
is so horrible.” Godfrey shuddered. “He didn’t attack straight
away. He stood