Read Online The Lake of Souls by Darren Shan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Darren Shan
Tags: JUV001000
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RAT — with two letters left over, H and L.
Harkat tried and got SLAM DARK HUT.
As I was juggling them around again, Harkat groaned, pushed me aside and began rearranging the teeth purposefully. “Have you worked it out?” I asked, slightly disappointed that he’d beaten me to the punch.
“Yes,” he said, “but it’s not a clue — just Mr. Tiny … being smug.” He finished laying out the teeth and waved at them bitterly — HARKAT MULDS.
“What’s the point of that?” I grumbled. “That’s a waste of time.”
“Mr. Tiny loves playing with time,” Harkat sighed, then wrapped the teeth in a piece of cloth and tucked them away inside his robes.
“What are you hanging on to them for?” I asked.
“They’re sharp,” Harkat said. “They might come in handy!” He stood and walked over to where the map was drying in the sun. “Will we be able to use this?” he asked, studying the lines and squiggles.
“If it’s accurate,” I replied.
“Then let’s get going,” Harkat said, rolling the map up and sticking it inside his robes along with the teeth. “I’m anxious to meet the world’s … largest toad.” He looked at me and grinned. “And to see if there’s any … family resemblance.”
Laughing, we broke camp quickly and set off through the trees, eager to leave behind the clouds of flies and insects gathering to feast on the corpse of the defeated lord of the jungle.
CHAPTER NINE
A BOUT THREE WEEKS LATER , we came to the edge of a huge swamp — the area marked on the map by the circle. It had been a relatively easy trek. The map had been plainly drawn and was simple to follow. Though the terrain was tricky to negotiate — lots of wiry bushes to cut through — it didn’t present any life-threatening problems. Harkat’s wounds had healed without complications but he was left with three very noticeable scars on the left side of his face — almost as if he’d been marked by an especially eager vampaneze!
A foul smell of putrid water and rotting plants emanated from the swamp. The air was thick with flying insects. As we stood and watched, we spotted a couple of water snakes attack, kill, and devour a large rat with four yellow eyes.
“I don’t like the look of this,” I muttered.
“You haven’t seen the worst yet,” Harkat said, pointing to a small island off to our left, jutting out of the waters of the swamp. I couldn’t see what he was talking about at first — the island was bare except for three large logs — but then one of the “logs” moved.
“Alligators!” I hissed.
“Very bad news for
you,”
Harkat said.
“Why me in particular?” I asked.
“
I
wrestled the panther,” he grinned. “The alligators are
yours.”
“You have a warped sense of humor, Mulds,” I growled, then stepped back from the edge of the swamp. “Let’s circle around and try to find the toad.”
“You know it’s not going to be … on the outskirts,” Harkat said. “We’ll have to wade in.”
“I know,” I sighed, “but let’s at least try and find an entry spot that isn’t guarded by alligators. We won’t get very far if those guys get wind of us.”
We walked for hours along the rim of the swamp, without sight or sound of a toad, though we did find lots of small brown frogs. We saw plenty more snakes and alligators too. Finally we came to a section with no visible predators. The water was shallow and slightly less pungent than elsewhere. It was as good a place as any to wet our toes.
“I wish I had Mr. Tiny’s … rain boots,” Harkat grumbled, knotting the hem of his blue robes above his knees.
“Me too,” I sighed, rolling up the bottoms of my jeans. I paused as I was about to set foot in the water. “I just thought of something. This stretch of swamp could be full of piranha — that might be why there are no alligators or snakes!”
Harkat stared at me with something close to loathing in his round green eyes. “Why can’t you keep stupid thoughts
Harkat tried and got SLAM DARK HUT.
As I was juggling them around again, Harkat groaned, pushed me aside and began rearranging the teeth purposefully. “Have you worked it out?” I asked, slightly disappointed that he’d beaten me to the punch.
“Yes,” he said, “but it’s not a clue — just Mr. Tiny … being smug.” He finished laying out the teeth and waved at them bitterly — HARKAT MULDS.
“What’s the point of that?” I grumbled. “That’s a waste of time.”
“Mr. Tiny loves playing with time,” Harkat sighed, then wrapped the teeth in a piece of cloth and tucked them away inside his robes.
“What are you hanging on to them for?” I asked.
“They’re sharp,” Harkat said. “They might come in handy!” He stood and walked over to where the map was drying in the sun. “Will we be able to use this?” he asked, studying the lines and squiggles.
“If it’s accurate,” I replied.
“Then let’s get going,” Harkat said, rolling the map up and sticking it inside his robes along with the teeth. “I’m anxious to meet the world’s … largest toad.” He looked at me and grinned. “And to see if there’s any … family resemblance.”
Laughing, we broke camp quickly and set off through the trees, eager to leave behind the clouds of flies and insects gathering to feast on the corpse of the defeated lord of the jungle.
CHAPTER NINE
A BOUT THREE WEEKS LATER , we came to the edge of a huge swamp — the area marked on the map by the circle. It had been a relatively easy trek. The map had been plainly drawn and was simple to follow. Though the terrain was tricky to negotiate — lots of wiry bushes to cut through — it didn’t present any life-threatening problems. Harkat’s wounds had healed without complications but he was left with three very noticeable scars on the left side of his face — almost as if he’d been marked by an especially eager vampaneze!
A foul smell of putrid water and rotting plants emanated from the swamp. The air was thick with flying insects. As we stood and watched, we spotted a couple of water snakes attack, kill, and devour a large rat with four yellow eyes.
“I don’t like the look of this,” I muttered.
“You haven’t seen the worst yet,” Harkat said, pointing to a small island off to our left, jutting out of the waters of the swamp. I couldn’t see what he was talking about at first — the island was bare except for three large logs — but then one of the “logs” moved.
“Alligators!” I hissed.
“Very bad news for
you,”
Harkat said.
“Why me in particular?” I asked.
“
I
wrestled the panther,” he grinned. “The alligators are
yours.”
“You have a warped sense of humor, Mulds,” I growled, then stepped back from the edge of the swamp. “Let’s circle around and try to find the toad.”
“You know it’s not going to be … on the outskirts,” Harkat said. “We’ll have to wade in.”
“I know,” I sighed, “but let’s at least try and find an entry spot that isn’t guarded by alligators. We won’t get very far if those guys get wind of us.”
We walked for hours along the rim of the swamp, without sight or sound of a toad, though we did find lots of small brown frogs. We saw plenty more snakes and alligators too. Finally we came to a section with no visible predators. The water was shallow and slightly less pungent than elsewhere. It was as good a place as any to wet our toes.
“I wish I had Mr. Tiny’s … rain boots,” Harkat grumbled, knotting the hem of his blue robes above his knees.
“Me too,” I sighed, rolling up the bottoms of my jeans. I paused as I was about to set foot in the water. “I just thought of something. This stretch of swamp could be full of piranha — that might be why there are no alligators or snakes!”
Harkat stared at me with something close to loathing in his round green eyes. “Why can’t you keep stupid thoughts
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