按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Right。 You plain in the morning； and I'll plain at midnight or whenever it was I went bonkers； and between us that'll cover the whole day。〃
〃And leave us time to survive； evade the hunters； kill them all； and save everyone。 Tally…ho。〃 Raffa started off； then looked back。 〃By the way； where are we going now？〃
〃Water； I thought；〃 Bubbles said。 〃Water first； then someplace to hide。〃
〃Like last time；〃 Raffa said； but with a grin。 〃A hiding place convenient to a trail so that we can get weapons and supplies from dead hunters。〃
For all the banter； they went warily enough once they started。 Without talking about it； they began to move apart； so they could just see each other； and take alternate pauses for listening and looking backwards。 Nothing disturbed them but the silence； which the wind in the leaves overhead seemed to emphasize。 The sky lightened； Bubbles knew that it was now full day； though they were walking in the shadow of the ridge。 The slope began to fall away under their feet； and Bubbles turned right； inland； she remembered that there was another； smaller stream in a ravine between the last hill on the main ridge； and the outlier hill at the north end of the island。 It rose from a spring on the ridge； and over the years the children had made a series of wading and splashing pools along its path to the sea。 Between them； the stream was no more than ankle…deep except after a rainstorm； but they might find enough water in one of the pools to wash their clothes。 Even if all the dams had fallen apart since the last campers； there should be enough loose handy stones to let them build one up again。 It wouldn't take long。
When she finally saw water； it was one of the larger pools。 Someone had repaired the dam … she assumed it was the prisoners … and raised it enough so that the pool looked to be waist…deep。 Its surface was littered with fallen leaves and twigs。 She started towards it； then waved Raffa back to cover。 It looked safe and deserted； but。。。 she noticed something glinting at the upper end of the pool。 Warily； she worked her way towards it； trying to keep to thicker growth。 A foil packet with one end torn off； that's all； discarded by some careless hunter。 It could have held rations； candy； a damp wipe to clean with。 She relaxed； then saw the first dead amphib； turning slowly in the pool； its legs extended。 Another lay by the stream； with a growing sense of horror she realized that the 〃floating leaves〃 were in fact a mass of dead amphibs； insects； fish。 She backed away； her hands to her mouth。
〃What？〃 said Raffa； from behind her。
〃Poison。 They've poisoned the stream。〃 And if this stream； then all the streams … and if the streams； probably the springs as well。 After horror； anger。 This was her place； her childhood； and she had spent hours lying belly…down beside one stream or another； watching the brilliant red…and…gold amphibs； the speckled fish； the brilliant blue and green butterflies that came to drink。 〃The。。。 I can't even find words bad enough。。。。〃 She had used all the bad words she knew for mon things like escorts who got drunk and threw up on her； or girlfriends who told someone else her secrets … she hadn't known there was something worse to save curses for。 〃How could they … ？〃 How could anyone destroy so carelessly。。。 anyone past childhood； that is。
〃It would be hard to hide； in an autopsy；〃 Raffa said thoughtfully。 Bubbles almost hated her at that moment。 Of course it wasn't her island。 She had never seen it as Bubbles remembered it。 〃What I mean is；〃 Raffa went on； 〃it's probably meant to put us to sleep or something。 The。。。 the other things are accidents。〃
〃That's what's worst；〃 Bubbles said。 〃They have a reason to kill us。 A bad one； but a reason。 To kill all these； just by accident； as a sort of by…product …〃
〃We shouldn't stay here。 They'd check this pretty often； I'd guess。〃
〃Right。 Upstream； then。〃 They might have someone stationed upstream； too； but she had to know if they'd poisoned it all。 She had to。 She wondered when they'd done it … the day before； dropping packets from the flitter？ Landing at each small stream？ Or had someone been walking the forest that night； someone who might have walked past them as they slept； not seeing them？ She shivered； it would do no good to think of that。 As she walked； what Raffa said began to make sense。 The same things had different effects on humans and animals … she knew that。 A drug to make them sleepy might have killed the amphibs by accident； or。。。 didn't the fish need to swim for their gills to work？ So if they drowsed and didn't swim； they'd die just from that。。。 but she was still angry。 She felt decades older than the day before； than even the night before。
Upstream； as anywhere； grew steeper and narrower。 They came to another pool； with its scum of dead amphibs and fish； she had seen nothing alive along the banks of the rivulet。 Beyond that； the stream forked To the left； poisoned water gurgled pleasantly in its narrow bed。 To the right was the waist…high ledge that formed a miniature waterfall in the wet season。 A damp patch of mud in the hollow above it was the only sign that a creek had ever flowed there。
〃That way；〃 Bubbles said； heaving herself up and over the rock ledge。 〃We can't take any water from that stream； and there might be a spring up here they didn't notice。〃
〃You don't know for sure？〃 Raffa asked； as she sat on the ledge and swung her legs up。
〃No。。。 my favorite places were the eastern ravine； where I could watch the sunrise； and my bramble。 And our camp was on the eastern shore； south of where we crashed。 Sometimes we had three or four main camps； depending on how many cousins showed up。 Kev and Burlin used to set traps and things up at this end of the ridge … then they'd sit there and snigger。〃
〃Urgh。 I wouldn't have wanted to have them along。〃
〃Well。。。 Silvia finally told on Burlin； and that was the end of them。 But somehow he always made Buttons and me feel like it was our fault。 If we'd had a more exciting island； he wouldn't have gotten into mischief。〃
〃Like Stanley； my cousin that always blamed his pony for everything。 But he brought it back with whip welts once； and my Aunt Katy wouldn't put up with that。〃
They followed the dry creekbed upstream； careful not to step in any drying mud。 Bubbles looked for any sign that the hunters had been there； but the few scuffmarks could as well have been those of desperate prisoners。 Her breath came short； it was hard to climb the steepening slope； and she realized they were close under the ridge。 The creekbed turned suddenly； leading them into a narrow cleft roofed with trees； it closed around them； and Raffa exclaimed over the ferns draping the walls。 Ahead； the cleft ended in a sheer wall hung with shaggy ferns and vines。 At the foot of it； the ground seemed damp； but there was no spring。
〃Well；〃 Bubbles said； a little blankly。 〃That's it。 No water here。〃 She sat down； her legs had suddenly given out and her eyes burned； though she could not cry。
Raffa crouched beside her。 〃We're hidden； at least。 If we stay quiet； and they don't find our trail。 They can't e on us from behind。〃
Bubbles nodded； but could not speak past the lump