Read Online Selby's Stardom by Duncan Ball - Free Book Online Page B

Great Sandy Desert —’
    â€˜Oh, here we go,’ Selby thought. ‘Come on, Garbage Breath, tell me you almost died of thirst.’
    â€˜Almost died of thirst, we did,’ Digger Dave said. ‘Old Shish found a waterhole. Couldn’t have found it meself. I could barely crawl. That dog could smell water.’
    â€˜Sounds like he should have been called Superdog to me,’ Selby thought. ‘He getsspeared though the tummy and survives, he can smell water and he makes rafts.’
    Selby watched as the old man slumped back and began to snore.
    â€˜Now for the great escape,’ he thought. ‘Do I go for the key again or try for that last window?’
    Selby decided to try for the window so quietly opened the door to the last room.
    â€˜Let’s hope this window opens,’ he thought. ‘Then it’s goodbye, Disgusting Dave.’
    Selby pulled on the window but it was stuck shut like the others. He turned to go back to the lounge room.
    â€˜Look at that!’ he thought. ‘Every centimetre of wall is covered in old photos. This guy is seriously weird.’
    Selby switched on the light.
    â€˜Look at that guy in the funny shorts sneaking up on a lion. And look at this, he’s climbing up a vine in the jungle. Here’s the same dude with a snake wrapped around him. He could be a relative of Digger Dave. He sure looks like him.’
    Selby moved in for a closer look.
    â€˜It’s
him!
It’s Digger Dave when he was young. So all those things he was talking aboutwere true. I can’t believe it! There’s even a picture of Superdog pulling a sled!’
    Selby went back to where Digger Dave was sleeping and again started working his paw into his pocket. Soon he had the key and had unlocked the front door.
    â€˜I do feel just a little sorry for Old Grouch-Face,’ Selby thought. ‘He’s going to wonder what happened to me when he finds me gone. Oh, well, can’t be helped. I know, I’ll do a bit of a clean-up before I go. I’ll show him what a real superdog can do.’
    While Dave snored on the lounge, Selby put all the rubbish lying around the house in plastic bags and took them outside to the empty rubbish bin. He washed the dishes and cleaned the windows and he even vacuumed the floor without waking up the old man.
    â€˜Man, this is one sound sleeper,’ he chuckled to himself.
    When he was finished with the vacuuming he picked up all the dirty clothes that lay around and pulled off the bedding on the old man’s bed and put them in the washing machine and then the dryer.
    â€˜This is crazy,’ Selby thought as he ironed the clean clothes, folded them neatly and remade the bed. ‘I hate housework and here I am doing it when I don’t even have to. What’s happening to me?’
    Selby was about to go when he took one last look at Digger Dave.
    â€˜See ya, Gramps,’ he said.
    Digger Dave opened his eyes and started gasping for breath.
    â€˜My medicine,’ he rasped.
    Dave struggled to his feet, looked around the room and then fell heavily onto the floor.
    â€˜My medicine …’ he gasped. ‘Shish. Shish, get it for me.’
    Selby ran to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet only to find it chock-a-block with medicines. He grabbed them all in one big bundle and dumped them in front of the old man.
    â€˜Help me. Help me …’
    â€˜Open your eyes,’ Selby thought. ‘I don’t know which one you need. I’m not a mind-reader. This is silly. I’ve got to talk to him. He could die if I don’t.’
    â€˜Hey, Dave-o,’ Selby said out loud. ‘W-what?’
    â€˜Which medicine do you need?’ The man slowly opened one eyelid and then the other.
    â€˜What did you say?’
    â€˜I said, which medicine do you need? Tell me and I’ll give it to you.’
    â€˜Am I losing my marbles?’ the man asked. ‘You