Python Adventure by Anthony McGowan

Author:Anthony McGowan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141339542
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-01-03T16:00:00+00:00

The trek through the forest night was difficult and dangerous. There was just enough starlight for them to see each other, and to pick a slow path between the trees. Occasionally the moon would come out from behind a cloud and they would get a sense of the vastness around them. But it was impossible not to blunder into hanging vines or trip over roots. Frazer and Roger led the way, followed by Amazon and Ling-Mei, hand in hand.

Chung trudged at the back, muttering and grumbling to himself.

Frazer knew all too well the dangers of walking like this, unseeing, through unknown territory. On every other mission he’d been on, the rule was to camp at night, to light a fire, to huddle close. Night was the time of predators. And they all knew that no other forest in the world contained as many potential killers as this. But, as ever, it was the bugs that Frazer complained about.

‘OK, that’s it, I’m devoting the rest of my life to developing an anti-bug spray that satellites could deliver from space and wipe out every single blasted mosquito on the planet.’

He slapped ineffectually at his neck.

‘And what about all the birds and animals that eat the mosquitoes?’ said Ling-Mei, smiling in the darkness.

‘Yeah, I know. Circle of life and all that stuff. But why do they always eat me alive? Zonnie hardly ever gets bit – OW!’

‘What is it now, Fraze?’ said Amazon.

‘Some plant just stung the heck out of my face. I’m really going off India in a big way. Jeepers, it burns.’

Roger and Ling-Mei gathered round.

‘Don’t move,’ said Ling-Mei. ‘You’ve walked into a creeper of some kind.’

She pulled her sleeve down over her hand and moved some vines away from Frazer’s face.

‘It really hurts,’ said Frazer.

‘Did it get in your eyes?’ asked Ling-Mei urgently.

‘No … I don’t think so, just my face.’

Ling-Mei peered at the leaves in the murk.

‘I think it’s a member of the genus Tragia – commonly called a noseburn.’

‘Well, that’s got it right, because my nose and the rest of my face feel like they’re burning off.’

‘Is it bad?’ asked Amazon, suddenly concerned. She’d got used to Frazer’s half-playful complaining, but this seemed serious.

‘We need to wash the skin. The noseburn has prickles that inject a rubbery sap. That’s what’s causing the burning sensation. It can be very nasty if we don’t get it clean … Anyone got any water?’ she asked, though it seemed a futile hope – none of them had any bottled water, and they hadn’t heard any streams in the dry woods.

‘Got this,’ said a sulky voice. ‘Idiots not even search Chung before they put him in cage like animal.’

He held out a bottle to Ling-Mei.

‘What is it?’

‘Medicine. Good stuff.’

Ling-Mei took the bottle, unscrewed the lid and had a sniff.

‘Gin!’

‘Take it or leave it, lady. Myself, I’d rather drink it than waste on boy’s face. But the longer we stand around hear gossiping, sooner we get caught and shot by Kaggs … or worse, eaten alive!’

Ling-Mei shrugged.

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