The Poison Frog Assault by Jack Patton

Author:Jack Patton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

It wasn’t just fireflies at work here, Max now saw. There were glowworms, too, fireflies in their larval stage, their bodies pulsing and flickering.

“This is our information exchange,” Glower said. “We call it the Hive.”

“It’s fantastic,” Max said.

As Glower led him down the sloped cavern sides, Max overheard the bugs whispering to one another, chattering away like old-fashioned typewriters. When they saw their leader approaching, they broke off their conversations to give him a quick salute, then went back to their work.

“Spies from all across the island pass information back here through our relay system,” Glower said. “General Barton knows everything that happens on Bug Island. I just wish we could get some agents onto Reptile Island, too. If I had that kind of access …”

His voice trailed off. Max followed him through the forest of lights, looking around in awe, until they reached a group of fireflies who were clustered around a leaf as if it were a table.

“My fellow resistance leaders,” Glower explained. “Lumens, Pulsar, Phosphor, Shyne, and Gleamer. What’s the news from the front?”

“Our forces are scattered after the bird attack,” said Lumens, her light flickering. “They’re trying to rally, but many are panicking.”

“No one saw it coming,” added Pulsar. “The flycatchers normally migrate this time of year. They’re never usually a threat. Running into a flock of them before we reached the Lizard Army is like a bad joke.”

“Then what are they doing here?” snapped Glower.

“We have no new information,” admitted Shyne.

“Then we need to get some, and fast.”

A plan quickly came together. Glower ordered a spying mission to the last-known location of the lizard troops, the Pincer Plains. “A bird attack is unfortunate, but they happen,” he said. “Right now, it’s only a setback. But if we lose the battle with the lizards because of a random flycatcher attack, it becomes a disaster. I will not allow that.”

“No, sir,” chorused the other fireflies.

“Max? What do you think?”

“We need information,” Max said firmly.

“Good. We’re agreed. Lumens and Pulsar, you’re with us. Everyone else, await further orders. If anything happens to us, you’re in charge.”

The scouting team set off into the tunnel network, down toward the Pincer Plains. Max wondered whether Glower’s agents had been watching him secretly on his previous visits to Bug Island.

“Be on your guard, everyone,” Glower warned. “We’ve had reports of enemy sightings in our own tunnels.”

“Reptiles?” Max asked.

“Frogs. Allies of the lizards. General Komodo has claimed part of Bug Island as his own. He must have found the tunnel entrances there.”

“There are spies in our tunnels?” asked Pulsar, horrified.

“There are spies everywhere,” Glower muttered darkly.

The team made its way through tunnel after twisting tunnel, always on the lookout for enemy spies, until Max felt they must surely be nearing their destination.

Glower seemed to read his thoughts. “We’re directly under the Pincer Plains,” he said. “Almost at the lookout point.”

Max wondered if he was walking right under General Komodo’s scaly belly. It gave him a funny feeling.

Shafts of feeble daylight shone down from up ahead.

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