Continental Drift
Page 6
“Precious!” Granny cried again.
Slowly, Sid turned around. Now he could see why the pirates looked so terrified. Behind them, an enormous whale had breached the surface, its mouth gaping open. Sid was stunned. “That’s your pet, Granny?” he managed to say. “Wow, maybe that crazy old bat isn’t that crazy after all!”
To his astonishment, Granny walked right inside the whale’s open mouth! “Nope, she’s nuts,” Sid decided.
“Are you waiting for a formal invitation, fancy pants? Get in!” Granny snapped.
Sid hesitated one last moment. “I’m going to regret this,” he muttered. Then he waddled inside Precious after Granny. The giant whale closed her mouth and then dived deep into the water.
Chapter 17
Sid slid down the whale’s throat.
“Ech,” murmured Sid. “This smells worse than me.” The whale’s belly was filled with slimy, half-digested food.
“Precious!” Granny commanded. The muscles inside the whale instantly tightened as if Precious was snapping to attention. Granny went on. “Set your flippers forty-five degrees north. Granny’s done running!”
Shira raced toward Ellie, who was still tied up on deck.
“Back off!” Ellie snapped at the saber-toothed tiger.
“It’s okay. I’m on your side,” Shira told her. As she slashed one of the vines binding Ellie, a Chinese star sliced past her face.
Shira whirled around to see who’d fired it.
“I knew you were a traitor,” snarled Squint.
Shira glared at him. “Aw, your little bunny nose wiggles in the cutest way when you’re mad.”
“Your nine lives are over, kitty,” Squint shot back.
A foot suddenly stomped the rabbit into the ice. It was Ellie. “Silly rabbit,” she said. “Piracy doesn’t pay!”
“Hey, that’s not cool,” whimpered Squint. “Come on now.”
Before Shira could finish freeing Ellie, Dobson rushed over and knocked the saber out of the way.
Seconds later, Precious breached the surface again near the ships. Sid popped through the whale’s blowhole, covered in slimy stomach goop. “Yuck,” he murmured, looking at himself. “Anyone have a body wipe?”
He stood on Granny’s shoulders as she spun him around like a periscope.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” she said. “How’s it looking?”
“Not good, Granny, sir,” Sid replied. On deck Raz, Silas, and Flynn were going after Manny while Gupta, Dobson, and Gutt had cornered Shira and Diego.
“Fire!” shouted Granny. Water shot from Precious’s blowhole. Sid struggled to hold on as water sprayed violently, knocking Raz off her feet. As he swiveled, Sid suddenly realized that he could control the direction of the spray. He shot a water cannon at Dobson, and then fired off twin geysers at Gupta and Silas. Next was Flynn. Aiming carefully at the elephant seal’s chest, Sid blasted Flynn right off the ship. Only Gutt managed to dodge the water cannons.
Manny blinked in surprise when he saw Sid sticking up from Precious’s blowhole. “Sid?”
“Hi, Manny!” Sid waved.
Just then Precious slammed into the water, sending up a curtain of spray. As the spray cleared, a voice rang out. It was Ellie. “Help!” she called. She was still tied to the ship, and Gutt was moving toward her.
“Mom!” cried Peaches.
Manny ran in front of his daughter. “No, Peaches, stay right there!” Manny yelled. “I’ll get her!”
With a smirk, Captain Gutt knocked away the log that connected the two ships, cutting off Manny’s path. Then he held up his sharp claws. “Payback time!”
“Hurry, Manny!” cried Ellie.
Manny rushed desperately to the edge of the ship. But he was trapped, with no way to reach Ellie.
Peaches was watching in horror. Thinking fast, she launched herself at the rigging overhead. Then, as if she were back in the valley swinging from tree to tree, she used her tail to swing from mast to mast, moving across the ship toward Ellie.
“I got this, Dad!” Peaches declared.
“Peaches, no!” Manny said fearfully. “It’s too dangerous!”
In one fluid motion Peaches swung off the last mast with her trunk extended.
Boom! She delivered a crushing punch to Gutt, knocking him off his feet.
“Wow! She did it!” Manny exclaimed in awe. He knocked down a mast to make a bridge while Peaches freed her mother.
“That’s my girl!” Ellie said proudly.
“Ellie!” Manny yelled, rushing to his family.
Massive rocks fell from an overhang above, and then they heard a loud creaking sound. “We’ve got to get out of here!” Ellie cried.
“Go!” shouted Manny. “I’m right behind you!”
Ellie and Peaches leaped across to the other iceberg. But Captain Gutt cut off Manny. “You’re not going anywhere!” the pirate growled.
There was a tremendous splitting sound, and then the wall of rock crashed into the sea. The massive force split the iceberg, separating Manny and Gutt from the rest of the group.
“Look out!” yelled Peaches.
Captain Gutt quickly grabbed Manny’s tusks, holding him tightly so he couldn’t get away. Beneath them the ocean water rose, lifting the iceberg toward the sky.
The two animals continued battling fiercely with swords and bone weapons as their iceberg crashed down and then slid toward some perilous rocks.
“There’s nowhere to run,” yelled Gutt. “It’s sink or swim, Manny! You know this ocean isn’t big enough for both of us.” He swung at Manny—and missed.
“Yeah, don’t worry. You won’t take up much space when I flatten you,” cried Manny. He knocked Gutt back. But Gutt recovered quickly, using tree limbs to swing him forward.
Gutt kicked Manny backward. “Playtime is over, mammoth. Told you, Tubby . . . you shouldn’t have messed with the Master of the Seas!”
“Tubby? I’ve heard that one too many times.”
Gutt stepped forward, holding up his gleaming claws. He jumped as the ice floor tilted, timing it perfectly so that his feet catapulted the pirate high into the air. Gutt shot toward Manny, and then Manny swatted him hard with his massive trunk. Gutt flew into the air, disappearing in the distance near a jumble of rocks.
Manny looked down. “Sometimes it pays to weigh eleven tons! Bon voyage, Monkey-boy!”
Manny was about to celebrate—until he realized that he was sliding full speed toward some deadly debris! Unable to stop himself, he slammed into an icy curve and went airborne. In the nick of time Precious leaped from the water, catching Manny in her open mouth.
“Did somebody hail a whale?” a familiar voice asked.
It was Sid, looking out from Precious’s blowhole. “Mission accomplished, Granny!” he said.
“Ha!” Granny replied. “Who says old ladies can’t drive!”
Far away, Captain Gutt surfaced from the ocean depths. Beautiful music filled the air.
“Captain Gutt,” a female voice sang, luring him closer. “Let’s rule the seas together . . .”
“Aye, aye,” Captain Gutt answered in a dazed voice as he swam toward the sirens.
All Peaches and Ellie could see was water spraying everything. They moved to the edge of the iceberg to try to locate Manny in the sea. A second later they saw him—riding triumphantly on Precious’s back!
“Dad!” yelled Peaches.
At the sight of Manny, all the teen mammoths cheered and high-fived with their trunks. The rest of the animals joined in the celebration, too, as Precious carried Manny over to his family.
“Manny!” cried Ellie.
“Dad!” cried Peaches, running to him.
Ellie turned to her daughter. “I told you your father would never give up on us.”
“Never!” Manny confirmed. Just then Precious spouted, ejecting Sid and Granny. Manny went over to them. “You know, Sid,” he told his friend, “you’re not such a screwup.”
“Aw, really?” Sid rep
lied.
Manny grinned. “Really,” he said. “You’re a hero.”
“You too, Granny,” Diego chimed in.
“Thanks, lady,” said Granny with a smile.
Shira was watching Diego. “Still want me on your scurvy crew?”
Diego grinned. “You bet,” he replied. “Welcome to our herd.” As Shira smiled back, Diego stepped closer to her.
Just then Peaches noticed Louis. “Hey, you, I can’t believe you did that for me. Thank you.”
“Well, someone once told me, no matter what, you never leave a friend behind,” he replied.
Granny rolled her eyes. “All this sweetness would rot my teeth. If I had any,” she added.
Later the mammoth family stood with Sid and Granny at the front of the ship, gazing at what was left of the coast.
“Our home is gone,” Peaches murmured sadly. “Where do we go now?”
Chapter 18
It didn’t take long for the group to figure out an answer to Peaches’s question.
Soon, Precious was powering the boat across the ocean.
Manny, Ellie, and Peaches gazed out at the water while Shira rested her head on Diego’s shoulder. Diego smiled contentedly as Precious brought them closer to the New World—and to the hyrax’s new home.
Tall trees and colorful flowers dotted the lush green landscape. Snowcapped mountains rose over the land in the distance. Overhead were flocks of chattering birds—along with dozens of hyrax, who were flying out in their tiny leaf-glider planes to welcome the newcomers.
As they landed, the hyrax named Fuzzy raced over to Sid, and the two friends quickly did their fancy dance ritual again. Meanwhile, a bunch of other hyrax surrounded Diego to give him a group hug.
“I love you, too,” Diego said, grinning.
Shira was watching him with a smirk. “You’re a remorseless assassin, huh?” she teased him.
“And don’t you forget it!” he told her, grinning back.
Peaches and Louis were staring ahead, amazed by the hyrax’s lovely home.
“I can’t wait to check out this place,” said Louis.
“Yeah!” said Peaches.
“Excuse me!” Manny said sternly.
“Dad!”
“When you two get off this ship, I expect you to—” He stopped as Peaches made a face. “Have fun,” Manny finished.
“Huh?” said Louis.
“You’re a brave kid,” Manny told Louis.
“Wait, what?” said Peaches.
“You heard me. You two should go out and explore. Go where the day takes you,” Manny went on. As Peaches beamed, he added, “But be back before sunset.”
“An hour after sunset?” Peaches pleaded.
Manny pretended to look stern for a second. “Okay,” he agreed. “But not a moment later!”
“Deal!” Peaches replied. “I love you, Dad,” she added with a smile.
“Hey!” Ethan called to Louis and Peaches. “Is it okay if we hang with you guys?” He gave Louis a fist bump with his trunk.
“I always liked him, Louis the hero,” said Steffie.
Manny and Ellie were watching Peaches among the teenagers. “She’s not my little girl anymore,” Manny murmured.
“And you’re both going to be fine,” Ellie said.
He smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Yeah.”
Granny watched everyone exploring their new home. “You know, Sidney? You’ve got yourself a real nice family here,” Granny said. “It’s a real family.”
“Yeah.” Sid nodded. “I’m pretty lucky.”
“Here.” Granny handed him some fruit. “Chew this kiwi for me.”
“Uh-uh.” Sid shook his head. “Never again,” he told her. Smiling, he handed her something. “Ta-da!” It was a set of fish teeth.
Granny popped the teeth into her mouth.
They look a little funny, Sid thought, but they fit well enough. Just like two sloths in a certain herd.
Photographic Insert
Scrat loves his acorns! While chasing this one, he finds himself stranded on an ice raft!
Manny and Ellie’s daughter, Peaches, is all grown up.
Sometimes she doesn’t understand when Manny is looking out for her.
Diego looks out for her, too . . .
when he’s not running into Sid’s sloth family.
Sid loves his family, even if they are a bit crazy . . .
especially Granny!
When an earthquake strikes, creating a large crack in the earth, Manny, Diego, and Sid find themselves floating out to sea on a large chunk of ice.
On the other side of the crack, Ellie and Peaches try to find their way to Manny.
At the same time, Scrat has found himself a desolate island and a new friend . . .
while our heroes try to find land.
Before long, Manny and his friends run into another seafaring crew.
They don’t seem to get along very well!
They don’t seem to like Scrat very much, either.
Peaches hopes that she and her mom will find her dad soon. She misses him a lot.
Copyright
HarperFestival is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Ice Age™: Continental Drift: The Junior Novel
Ice Age: Continental Drift™ and © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Library of Congress catalog card number: 2012934236
ISBN 978-0-06-210485-4
Epub Edition © MAY 2012 ISBN: 9780062104861
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FIRST EDITION
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