by Axel Lewis
Jimmy thought it sounded like it was a good deal, until he saw the camels up close. They were huge! Not to mention smelly, loud and a bit unpredictable.
“I hear the trick to riding a camel is to become one with it,” said Lord Leadpipe, as though he were an expert.
The cameras and crowd gathered around, laughing as each of the participants approached the camels. Chip and Kako went up to them slowly, looking scared of the giant things. One camel turned to see what was going on, moving its dozy expression and long eyelashes over to the racers. Kako turned and fled, screaming as she ran. Chip managed to mount his camel, but nearly fell off as it stood up. Cameras flashed as he hung on for his life, the crowd laughing.
Missy was full of confidence after her win, and she charged up to the camel and took it by the reins. “I’ve been riding horses since I was four. It can’t be much different!” she exclaimed.
Sammy approached his camel and coolly hopped on its back. “I love camels!” He pulled on the reins and the camel turned obediently round in a circle. The crowd applauded, and Jimmy laughed.
“Not fair! They don’t have many camels in Smedingham,” he joked.
He saw Horace trying to clamber on his less-than-trusty steed. Horace was perched on the camel rocking back and forth, shouting “GO!” and “MOVE!” The camel stayed where it was, sat under a tree in the shade. “I think mine’s broken!” he called.
Jimmy glanced over and noticed that the camel was chewing on something that looked remarkably like one of Grandpa’s famous jam sandwiches. The camel appeared to be enjoying it enormously!
He looked round and caught Grandpa’s eye in the crowd, who winked back. So that’s what he was up to!
Jimmy looked at his camel, and supposed he should try to get on it. The handler handed him the reins, and he awkwardly climbed on. They lined up at the start, and Lord Leadpipe took up his position with a starting pistol.
“On your marks ... get set ... go!” he shouted with a bang.
The camels were off in a shot – all except for Horace’s, which stubbornly stayed put. Jimmy could see Sammy out in front looking like a professional jockey, with Missy just behind, doing a good impression of one. Jimmy was bouncing along in third place, and he turned to see Kako and Chip trotting along behind him. They were running fast, but nearly falling off from bouncing around so much.
“Theeeeeeseeeee thiiiiiiiiiings aaare sooooooooo shaaaaaaaakkkyyyyyy!” called Chip, his teeth rattling loudly.
They ran once round the oasis and then out into the desert. Luckily, Jimmy’s camel seemed to know where it was going so he didn’t have to do much steering. He spotted the pole with the flags up ahead and leaned out to grab a flag, just seconds after Sammy and Missy had grabbed theirs.
Turning their camels back round towards the oasis, they hit the final straight. Sammy was charging out ahead like it was a normal Sunday morning ride in the park for him, while Missy seemed to be making all the right movements and noises to encourage her camel to the finish line.
“Come on camel!” Jimmy yelled, “if you win this you can have all the jam sandwiches you can eat!”
Jimmy flicked the reins and clicked his tongue and suddenly his camel sped forward like it had Cabbie’s nitro-blaster rockets attached to its side!
Before he knew it, Jimmy had passed Missy and a confused-looking Sammy to take first place! The crowd went crazy! He climbed down from the camel, and bowed at the applause from the audience. It wasn’t quite the win that he wanted to get that day, but he was pleased to win the new phone.
He glanced back over to the start line where Horace sat alone on his camel. He scowled at the animal, which turned its head round to face him and spat into the sand below.
“Move, you stupid thing!” shouted Horace. But his camel sat down again and promptly fell asleep.
* * *
After the long, hot race, everyone was keen to relax and enjoy themselves. They celebrated with an evening of music, dancing and a great feast. Cabbie made so many ice creams that he joked he’d turn into an ice cream van.
Finally it was time to go. Lord Leadpipe’s airship hung above the oasis, casting a welcome shadow over the crowds, who were beginning to wind their way back to the shuttle airships that would take them all home.
Jimmy drove Cabbie into the gigantic workshop in the centre of the airship, where the other robot racers were parking their robots.
“That was some race!” said Chip. “I sure hope the next one is as exciting!”
“I bet Leadpipe has got something up his sleeve,” said Missy. “Nothing we can’t handle, though. Isn’t that right, Kako?”
“Too right, mate!” said Kako, sounding like Missy. The princess yawned and then said, “I’m going to bed. I could sleep for a month after that race!” Then without another word, she and Missy both walked off to their cabins.
“Where is Horace?” asked Sammy. “He bet his boots that he would win, remember? I wanted to make sure he would hand them over.”
“He’s in the shower,” said Jimmy. “He stepped in a puddle of camel wee back at the oasis, and he’s cleaning himself off. You might not want those boots.”
Sammy pulled a face. “OK, maybe not. You are going to bed?”
Jimmy was shattered, but he didn’t want to sleep just yet. He shook his head. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ve got some stuff to do.”
While all the other teams headed for their rooms, Jimmy spent time doing the thing he loved doing best – giving Cabbie a good wash and chatting with Grandpa. They talked about the adventures they’d had already in the competition, Grandpa’s trick with the jam sandwiches and what might be their next challenge.
“Hey, Wilf! I’ll need a new set of shock absorbers for the next race,” said Cabbie. “The ones I’ve got now creak a bit.”
“I know the feeling, Cabbie!” Grandpa replied. “My knees are playing up something awful. You must be getting old too!”
Jimmy gave Cabbie a squirt of soapy water, and the robot gave him a playful squirt back with his windscreen washers.
“Hey! We should fit a hot-chocolate maker,” Jimmy suggested. “We could be sent to a cold country next!”
“Hmm, we’ll see,” said Grandpa. “Let’s find out what sort of race Loony Leadpipe has got in store first.” He leaned forward to look at Cabbie’s windscreen. “You missed a bit.”
They scrubbed and polished Cabbie into the night, joking, bickering and laughing all the time. Cabbie soon looked as good as new – apart from the rust holes, of course. But Jimmy liked those. Cabbie’s bodywork shone and his alloy wheels gleamed, and Jimmy sat down on the wet floor with his grandpa, a mug of tea in his hand and a smile on his tired face.
“You know what, Grandpa? We’re a great team. That goes for you too, Cabbie!”
“Thanks, Jimmy!” said Cabbie.
“I mean it. I wouldn’t want to be racing with any other robot, or with any other engineers. I feel like we can win this whole competition!” Jimmy said.
“Of course we can!” said Grandpa. “We’re Team Jimmy! Whatever the next race has in store, we’ll be ready for it!”
Jimmy and Grandpa clinked their mugs together in a toast, and drank to the future. Around them the airship hummed and the engines purred, powering them on to the next destination and another amazing stage of the Robot Races.
RESULTS TABLE
RACE 4: Desert Disaster
Other titles from the Robot Races series – Canyon Chaos
Jimmy Roberts loves watching the Robot Races, where drivers and their super-smart talking robots compete. When a new race for kids is announced, Jimmy is desperate to join in. There’s only one hitch – he’ll never be able to afford a robot. All Jimmy can do is watch while his worst enemy, Horace Pelly, boasts about the robot NASA are building him.
But then Jimmy’s grandpa reveals that he has
n’t always been a taxi driver. In fact, he might be the only person who can help – by turning his battered old taxicab into a real-life robot!
Will Jimmy and his robot Cabbie ever be able to keep up with the competition?
Rainforest Rampage
Jimmy and Cabbie are ready for the next race in the championship – a daring dash through the deepest, darkest, jungle. Cabbie’s new gadgets might give him an edge, but will he let his fear of snakes hold him back? Jimmy’s friend Sammy and his hovercraft robot, Maximus, are right behind them, so every second counts.
With arch-enemy Horace up to his usual tricks, will Jimmy even finish the race?
Arctic Adventure
Jimmy and Cabbie are off again, and this time there are three fiendishly difficult Arctic routes to choose from. Cabbie’s been fitted with lots of things to keep them toasty warm, but Jimmy’s sneaky arch-enemy Horace and his robot Zoom have got a flamethrower ... and they’re not afraid to use it!
Are Jimmy and Cabbie’s chances of winning melting fast?
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