The Hidden Kingdom. Tracey Hecht

for Tobin’s paw. “Is he right? Is…is the earth really coming alive?”

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      Chapter Five

      WHERES’ THE WATER?

      “The earth can’t come alive. It’s not possible… right?” Tobin asked his friends.

      “Of course it’s possible!” Bismark declared, waving his stick in the air. “It’s the only explanation for this madness. The earth is trying to swallow us!”

      Tobin gulped. “But—”

      “But yes, good point, muchacho. Perhaps it’s only trying to swallow moi. I am the biggest threat after all—the most powerful, the most terrifying, the most intelligent…and the most devastatingly handsome. It makes perfect sense that the earth went after me first.” Bismark let out a sigh. “My greatness has put me in danger. That’s all there is to it.”

      Dawn’s stern expression silenced Bismark, but she had barely heard him to begin with. She was absorbed in her own thoughts. The strange, sandy ________

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      THE NOCTURNALS

      earth they’d been trapped in had to be quicksand, she reasoned. But quicksand is wet, and they were in the middle of a drought. And quicksand wouldn’t whip and thrash and rise up in the air. “None of this makes sense,” Dawn said, her tawny brow furrowed.

      “The land is going loco, mes amis!” said the sugar glider. “Totally loony, I tell you!”

      The fox gazed at the horizon. It was nearly daybreak. They needed to continue on before the sun rose and the heat became too much to bear. “Let’s go,” she said.

      As Dawn led the group through the plains, she replayed the quicksand incident over and over again, hoping to solve the puzzle. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not figure it out.

      She looked back at her friends and let out a discouraged sigh. Tobin was now carrying Cora—she had gotten so weak that she could no longer walk. And with the wombat’s weight on his back, the pangolin struggled, as well. Even Bismark had slowed, dragging his feet with each step. They needed something to keep them going—some sign, at least, that they were heading in the right direction.

      The fox gazed at the surrounding dry fields and plants. A hill rose here and there along with some bare ________

      46

      Where’s the Water?

      trees, but she did not recognize anything—until a tree up ahead came into view. Suddenly, she brightened.

      “I recognize that tree,” she said with confidence. The fox pointed to a large maple sitting on top of a hill. “The watering hole is just on the other side of that slope.” She picked up speed and headed toward it.

      With a determined flap, Bismark glided after the fox. Tobin trundled as fast as he could with the wombat on his back. Finally, breathless, the trio reached the hill’s peak—and their hearts leaped with joy at what they saw. They had reached the watering hole.

      Animals of all kinds were gathered around it. There were wallabies, rabbits, and mice. Possums, bilbies, and bandicoots. And there were flocks of different birds—hawks, falcons, and at least three species of owls. There were so many creatures there that they blocked the water from sight.

      “Mon dieu, we’re saved!” Bismark said gleefully. “Mother Nature has not abandoned her sweet children, after all. We’ll be lapping up lovely liquid in no time!”

      Tobin sighed with relief. It was so long since he’d had a real, full drink of water, he’d almost forgotten what it tasted like—but he was certain it would be wonderful. “We’re here!” he whispered to Cora. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

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      THE NOCTURNALS

      But as the animals made their way down the hill and drew closer to the watering hole, things did not seem fine at all. Yes, there were plenty of animals gathered there, but the Brigade could now see that they were in terrible shape. The wallabies and possums were sprawled and moaning on the hot earth. The parched birds heaved with pained gasps and squawks. Some other animals lay still, making no noise at all.

      “Oh goodness!” gasped Tobin.

      For a moment, the Brigade stood in silence, shocked at the terrible sight before them. Then, slowly, they began to weave through the ill animals until they reached the line of dried reeds that circled the watering hole. Using her snout, the fox pushed the brittle plants aside, allowing the Brigade to reach the banks at last.

      Dawn’s jaw tightened as she gazed ahead of her. What she saw was not a watering hole at all. It was a dry pit, brown and empty, with a faint, chalky line where water had once met the banks. The only evidence of any water was a couple of small, muddy pools, and a few small fish—pale, gray, and still.

      “Those poor animals,” Tobin whispered.

      Cora gave a weak nod, echoing the pangolin’s thought.

      “And poor us!” added the sugar glider, throwing ________

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