Читать книгу The Nocturnals - Tracey Hecht - Страница 9
Оглавление“They’re late!” exclaimed Bismark. The sugar glider paced the dark land, searching for his absent friends. “We agreed to meet promptly at dusk,” he muttered to himself.
At last, a voice emerged from the brush. “Oh goodness!” it panted. Rubbing his eyes, the pangolin hurried into the clearing. “I’m so sorry. I overslept.”
Bismark gave a slight roll of his oversized eyes. “I shall let it slide this time, though tardiness is quite unacceptable. The marsupial family is always prompt, always ready, always…bonjour!” His voice dropped in pitch as he caught sight of Dawn’s red muzzle poking through the brush. “How are you, my tardy but captivating canine?”
The fox furrowed her brow. “Bismark,” she said, “what are you wearing?”
The sugar glider spun, showcasing a shimmering blue snakeskin he wore on his back like a cape.
Tobin’s eyes widened in admiration. “So shiny!” he said.
“Let’s focus on my cape,” replied Bismark. “But yes, my fur glimmers like polished amber!” Shooting a wink at the fox, the sugar glider licked his palms and smoothed his silver-gray coat.
“Bismark,” said Dawn, “the costume. Why are you wearing that thing?”
The sugar glider gasped. “Retract that remark at once! This is no mere costume, no ordinary ‘thing’.” He shook his head in distaste. “What you see before you,” he declared, “is the majestic uniform of our brilliant Brigade. Together we will confront the dangers that lurk in the shadows. With these around our shoulders, sparkling like the starry sky, we will bring hope and protection to all the animals of the night. And see?” Bismark reached into the folds of his wingflap. “Voila! Two more for my favorite amigos.”
Dawn and Tobin accepted the skins of deep blue and draped them around their necks.
“Stunning. Absolutely stunning!” crooned Bismark, circling the fox in her new garb. “Only the best of the best for my canine princess.” Standing on tiptoe, the sugar glider placed his face just inches from Dawn’s. “You know,” he said, twirling his whiskers, “that blue-bellied black snake needed a little persuading to part with his precious skin.” Bismark flexed his muscles and winked.
Dawn raised an eyebrow, unamused by the sugar glider’s tall tale. Tobin, however, took the bait. “You went back and wrestled the blue-bellied black snake by yourself?” he asked, his mouth falling open.
Bismark puffed out his chest. “Absolument!” he confirmed, raising his chin toward the stars.
Dawn sighed knowingly.
“Well,” stammered the sugar glider, pawing his fur, “what I meant to say is…wrestling is a strong word, of course…”
“But it was so big!” said Tobin, his eyes widening.
“Yes!” cried Bismark. “Humongous! Gigantic! Gargantuan! Unfathomably—” Catching sight of Dawn’s frown, the sugar glider’s words caught in his throat.
But the pangolin pressed on. “Were you injured?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” replied Bismark. “You should’ve seen all the—”
Dawn cleared her throat.
“I mean…n-not quite,” the sugar glider stammered, remembering the already-shed skin he’d encountered on his peaceful, moonlit stroll. “There was no…but yes! No! I mean…of course, yes! No! Collywobbles…polyglot…nincompoop…onomatopoeia!” Bismark’s eyes rolled back in his head, as if searching the surface of his brain for more words.
“Eeeeeeee!” A bloodcurdling shriek interrupted Bismark’s rant. It pierced the air and echoed, haunting and faint, through the trees.
“What was that?” cried Tobin, jumping behind the fox’s raised tail.
Bismark crouched under his cape.
Even the fox seemed alarmed. Though her stance remained tall and brave, the hair on her back stood on end, like a long row of blades.
With vigilant eyes, she scanned the trees above. A curtain of drifting clouds obscured the moon, and the night’s light shifted from a clear, deep blue to an ominous gray. She drew in her breath. “It appears the Brigade might be needed sooner than we had thought.”
