The Tunnels of Ferdinand

by James Moloney

  ‘What you mean, get up? It’s got me pinned to the ground.’

  ‘Push its foot off then.’ He recognised Dorian’s voice now. But how could he push aside such a powerful beast? It was enormous, the size of the cows that had been kept outside the dormitory and supplied all their milk. He clutched the paw firmly and heaved.

  With a disappointed gleam in its eye, the Rhino Dog let him go.

  ‘They don’t want to hurt us,’ Dorian explained, as they started to run again. ‘They just want to play.’ She handed him the sword he had dropped.

  ‘So why are we running away?’

  ‘The Gadges use Rhino Dogs to warn them if any of the grown-ups have left their houses during the night. They’ll have heard the barking. Sure to come looking.’

  Berrin looked behind him. The Rhino Dog was loping after them. Heavy armoured plates seemed to protect every part of its body, and that horn certainly made it look ferocious. Yet it was so playful. ‘I couldn’t attack the stupid thing with my sword even if I wanted to.’

  ‘Don’t go too soft on him, Berrin. That horn is razor-sharp at the end and the males can squirt a foul-smelling fluid. Get that all over you and the Gadges will track you down easily. That’s another reason they use the Rhino Dogs.’

  Two more barking Rhino Dogs had Olanda, Ruben and Vindy trapped at the end of the street. ‘We can’t let them hold us up like this,’ Dorian called.

  Vindy raised her crossbow and fired at the nearest one. The bolt bounded harmlessly off the Rhino Dog’s bony hide. It had hurt him though, and now the creature showed the dangerous side Dorian had warned of. It slashed at Vindy with its deadly horn.

  She might have been sliced in two if Olanda hadn’t knocked the horn aside with her sword. Now the angry Rhino Dog rose above the two girls, a tube suddenly protruding from its mouth. The fluid!

  But nothing shot out at them, and moments later the Rhino Dog lay dead on its side. A bolt from Quinn’s crossbow lay buried in its neck. He’d had no more than a second to aim and only a narrow strip between the armoured plates to shoot at, but he had found his mark.

  ‘The Gadges will be on the move by now. This way!’ Dorian ordered.

  Berrin was quick to follow her until Vindy cried out, ‘The crossbow! I dropped it near that Rhino Dog!’

  ‘There’s no time. Leave it,’ came the command from Dorian.

  With a last desperate glance, Vindy turned away and fell into line behind their leader.

  Not Olanda, though. Berrin saw her stop in her tracks, and as the others hurried on she turned back the way they had come.

  ‘Olanda, no. Leave the crossbow.’

  She pretended not to hear.

  ‘Berrin,’ Dorian called, ‘stay with us. We don’t want to lose two of you!’

  He couldn’t do it. He’d insisted the girl join this mission and she’d already proved her worth, saving Vindy from the slashing horn. He had to go after her.

  Olanda had reached the crossbow and Berrin soon caught up to her, but as they turned their path was blocked by another Rhino Dog. Did it want to play, or had the smell of its companion’s blood in the dank night air put other things in its mind?

  The two children backed away, and within three strides were running at full pace. Every step took them further from their friends. What was more, they had no idea where they were, or whether there was a safe opening to the tunnels anywhere nearby.

  They ran until they had left the Rhino Dogs behind. By then, the streets were no longer lined with houses. Taller buildings looked down on them now, creating welcome shadows where they could stay out of sight.

  ‘Will the others come looking for us?’ Olanda asked breathlessly.

  ‘Not if they know what’s good for them. It’s too dangerous. The Gadges will have found the dead Rhino Dog by now. Dorian should do the right thing and lead them back into the tunnels where it’s safe.’

  An awkward silence fell between the friends. ‘I’m sorry, Berrin, I should have obeyed her order,’ Olanda confessed miserably.

  ‘No use worrying about it now,’ he replied bluntly. ‘If we keep moving, maybe we’ll find a way into the tunnels.’

  For more than an hour, they crept cautiously from one shadow to the next, angry at the moon for its brightness. The silence around them meant safety, yet that same silence gave them no hope that Dorian or Quinn had come back to find them after all.

  Then, at last, a sound. They were huddled in an alley between two buildings. A soft footstep now. There was definitely someone coming … or something.

  They didn’t dare call out. The moonlight would pick out the figure as it cleared the end of the building. If it were Dorian or one of the others, a whispered word would attract their attention. If Berrin and Olanda didn’t like what they saw, they could stay hidden. It would pass without seeing them.

  The noise came closer and then the figure emerged into the mouth of the alleyway, its outline silhouetted against the dull glow of a cloudless night. It was enormous, but it wasn’t the size that made them both reel back in horror. Savage jaws jutted out in profile, the jagged teeth visible as the mouth opened, and the nostrils above twitched greedily, tasting the air.

  The terrible mouth tightened into a smile and the figure turned into the darkened alley. ‘I know there’s someone hiding there. Come out and show yourself,’ growled a deep and menacing voice.

  Olanda raised the crossbow but it was pointless. She had nothing to load it with, and now the Gadge had spotted them. He came closer, into a pool of moonlight, and it was only then that they saw the touch of ginger-red amid the fur.

  They had never seen him before, but they knew instantly who had found them. It was Gadger Red.

  TWELVE

  How to Eat a Girl, Slowly

  BERRIN AND OLANDA DREW their swords, but before they could steady themselves, more Gadges appeared behind them and snatched away their weapons. They were stuffed head-first into a filthy sack and thrown roughly over Gadger Red’s shoulder.

  ‘Let me carry them for you,’ said one of his companions.

  ‘No,’ came the blunt reply. ‘I know what you’ve got in mind but you’ll have to wait. I need them alive a little longer yet.’

  Cramped, and terrified by what they had overheard, Berrin and Olanda jostled uncomfortably against one another for almost an hour.

  Then the sounds changed. They were inside, in a stairwell and finally a room. The sack was dumped on the ground and they were pulled free.

  ‘Tie them up,’ Gadger Red commanded.

  While Berrin lay in shock on the floor, a rope was quickly looped around his wrists and then up through a ring high on the brick wall. Finally, it was secured to a bracket on the ceiling, which the Gadges could reach without even stretching. It was another reminder of how alien they were, in a room built for human beings.

  When it was done, the Gadge pulled powerfully on the rope between the ring and the ceiling. Instantly, it went tight along its length, hauling Berrin painfully to his feet. A drop of saliva leaked from the corner of the Gadge’s mouth and landed on Berrin’s shoulder.

  Gadger Red saw it. ‘You two were lucky it was me who found you. Gadges usually like to eat their captives straightaway.’

  There were three Gadges in the room with their leader. They murmured their agreement when he said this. Gadger Red leaned forward, pushing his wolf’s snout firstly into Berrin’s face, then Olanda’s. ‘If you don’t cooperate, you’ll both wish that they had.’

  Berrin’s eyes had adjusted to the dim light. He could see Gadger Red more closely now. What a monster. Standing on his hind legs, the red fur of his head brushed the ceiling. His front legs were more like human arms, despite the fur. His hands had fingers like a human’s too, but each ended in a vicious claw. When he made a fist, those same hands seemed more like paws.

  ‘Where do the renegade children hide?’ he asked in a low voice.

  Berrin clamped his jaw tightly and stared back into those narrow red eyes.
r />   Gadger Red moved to stand before Olanda, who was tied up the same way. ‘Where?’ he repeated.

  The girl spat in his face.

  For a moment, it seemed Gadger Red would kill her with a single swipe of his clawed hand. At the last instant he stopped himself and lowered his arm.

  He turned instead to his companions. ‘Are you hungry?’ he asked them lightly.

  They smiled and came forward, long tongues licking their teeth all the way to the tips of their snouts. ‘Famished,’ said one.

  ‘Good, then you can eat the girl now, after all.’

  All three growled their delight, while Olanda fell back against the wall. As for Berrin, what could he do? He strained against the rope that bound him to the wall. ‘No!’ he pleaded in horror, but it was hopeless.

  One of the Gadges was already reaching for Olanda, the claws of his hands protruding eagerly.

  ‘Wait,’ cried Gadger Red. ‘I know you three. You will gobble her down too quickly and give yourselves a stomach ache. Take your time. Eat her slowly. Try a finger first, and a few toes. Or what about her nose and her ears?’

  ‘No, you can’t! It’s too cruel!’ Berrin shouted desperately. ‘Kill us both if you’re going to, but not like that. Kill us quickly.’

  ‘It’s you who’s being cruel, boy. If you’d only tell me where the renegade children hide, your friend wouldn’t have to suffer.’

  The three slavering Gadges hesitated only an arm’s length from Olanda, waiting for the signal from their leader.

  She defied them still. ‘No!’ she cried to Berrin. ‘Don’t tell him. The Gadges’ll kill them all!’

  ‘No, no,’ sighed Gadger Red. His voice was suddenly friendly, almost soothing. ‘I don’t want to kill them. Just return them to the Dfx, where they’ll be safe. My master, Malig Tumora, is worried about them. See his picture?’

  He pointed to a portrait on the opposite wall, the same picture Berrin had learned to despise.

  ‘Will you tell me?’ Gadger Red asked Berrin.

  The boy shook his head. In the corner of the room, the Gagdes moved closer to Olanda.

  ‘Wait!’ Berrin cried out.

  ‘Well?’ said Gadger Red coldly. His patience was running out.

  ‘Don’t tell them, Berrin!’ Olanda shouted bravely.

  Angry now, Gadger Red nodded towards the nearest of his henchmen. The beast’s arm reached out and took Olanda’s wrist where it was secured by the rope. He wrenched her hand closer to his jaws. A terrible snap. Olanda screamed.

  Berrin was petrified with fear and a hideous anger. He forced himself to look then sank back in relief. The Gadge was grinning viciously at him. His bite had missed deliberately.

  ‘I promise you,’ sneered Gadger Red, ‘next time, he’ll take off three fingers at least.’

  ‘All right, all right, I’ll tell you,’ Berrin moaned.

  ‘No, Berrin, don’t!’ Olanda insisted. But before she could say any more, a Gadge clamped his paw over her mouth. She bit him. It was the same monster who had almost taken off her hand. The fire of triumph lit up in Olanda’s eyes as she saw the blood ooze from her teeth marks. While the Gadge howled in pain, a second stepped up and shoved a rag in her mouth, tying it on securely with a strip of cloth.

  Gadger Red ignored these antics. ‘Now then, Berrin,’ he said, using the name he had heard from Olanda. ‘Where are they?’

  ‘In an abandoned building, down in the basement.’

  ‘Which building?’

  What could Berrin say? He was making it all up as he went along. ‘It’s not one of the tall ones … but … but not a small one either.’

  Gadger Red eyed him suspiciously. ‘Where?’

  ‘In the city.’

  ‘Of course it’s in the city, but where exactly is it?’

  ‘I … I’ll have to take you to it.’

  ‘No. You’ll find some way to warn them.’

  Gadger Red thought for a moment then disappeared into the next room. When he returned, he was carrying a cylinder of some kind. While Berrin watched, he unrolled it and spread it out before him.

  ‘Show me on here,’ ordered Gadger Red.

  Berrin looked down. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a map. Not just any map, but a map of the city. ‘What is it?’ he asked, pretending he had never seen one before.

  Gadger Red growled deep in his throat. ‘Ignorant humans,’ he complained. ‘It shows where things are.’

  When Berrin still shook his head, Gadger Red had to control his anger. ‘It works like this,’ he said gruffly. ‘These are roads and streets. This is a park. See, it’s marked in green to show grass, no buildings. We’re here,’ he added, pointing to a spot with the clawed tip of his finger.

  Berrin stared down in amazement. There were no storm-water pipes marked as there were on Ferdinand’s map. That didn’t matter. It showed so much of the surface. Everything Ferdinand wanted them to discover, and here it was, already drawn onto one large sheet of paper.

  ‘So where is this building you speak of?’ Gadger Red demanded.

  ‘I don’t know. I’m still trying to work it out. What are those thin red lines?’

  ‘You don’t need to know about them.’

  That didn’t stop Berrin from tracing them with his eyes. He was beginning to understand what the map showed. Those strange red lines led to the area where they had fought the Rhino Dogs. Houses … they seemed to branch out through the streets of houses.

  Where did they come from? he asked himself. He could see now that no matter where those red lines ended up among the streets, they all began in just a few places. Each was marked by a large square. He was starting to understand size now too. If those squares represented buildings, they must be huge.

  ‘You’ve had enough time,’ Gadger Red announced. ‘You know how this map works. Now, point out the building.’

  He held the map close so that Berrin could reach it despite the rope.

  ‘Around here somewhere,’ said Berrin, brushing his fingers vaguely over a row of streets.

  ‘What use is that to me?’ Gadger Red exploded. ‘There are fifty, even a hundred buildings in those streets. If you can find it on the ground, you can show me on this map.’ He brought his snout close to Berrin once more, breathing a foul animal breath into his face. ‘The very spot,’ he hissed.

  Berrin’s hand hesitated over that grid of streets. It was a bluff, a trick to buy them a little more time, at least some chance of escape. What did it matter where he pressed his finger? That was what he was thinking, until Gadger Red spoke again.

  ‘I know those streets, boy. If you’re lying, the pair of you will suffer even more.’ He nodded towards the other Gadges, who eyed the silent Olanda with an evil grin. ‘What colour is this building?’

  Suddenly his bluff was turned against him. How many colours were there? What chance did he have of guessing the right one? ‘Well?’ demanded Gadger Red.

  ‘It’s … it’s no colour at all. Everything has faded or peeled away.’

  Gadger Red relaxed. ‘Like everything else in this city. All right, now show me where this hide-out is.’

  Berrin felt a bead of sweat trickle across his brow. His hand trembled. What sort of gamble was he taking here? Slowly he extended his finger and touched it gently to the map.

  Gadger Red stared at the place where Berrin’s finger had made contact. The horrible muscles of his jaw didn’t move. Had Berrin blundered? Had he pointed to a street where there were no buildings at all?

  ‘Yes, I know it,’ said Gadger Red, with a smirk. ‘A row of buildings, none any different from the one beside it. The perfect hiding place.’ His face widened into a satisfied grin. ‘I’ve got them at last.’

  He tossed the map aside. It fell to the floor and curled up into a loose cylinder again.

  ‘Call the others,’ Gadger Red snapped at his companions. ‘We’ll tear that building apart until we find them,’ he snarled.

  ‘What about these two?’ asked the Gadge
who still nursed the wound from Olanda’s savage teeth.

  ‘They’re nothing to us now. You stay with them. You can eat the girl now if you want. Half of her, anyway. Leave the other half for the rest of us.’

  He glanced at Berrin’s horrified face. ‘Take that gag off her so she can scream all she likes. The boy can watch. Then he’ll know what’s in store for him when we return.’

  THIRTEEN

  A Quick Death

  WHEN THE HEAVY FOOTSTEPS of his companions had faded away, the Gadge turned to Olanda. With a cruel yank, he tore the gag from her mouth.

  Blood still dripped from the wound she had inflicted. He looked down at it with a wince. ‘I know what your teeth feel like, little human. Now you can feel mine.’

  Olanda thrashed wildly against the rope. But it was tied too firmly. Not even a Gadge could have pulled himself free.

  Beside her, Berrin glanced desperately around the room for anything that might save them. He saw the loose cylinder of the map lying where Gadger Red had discarded it. So precious, yet it was no use to them now. But what was that beside it? His heart leaped. Propped against the wall beyond the forgotten map were their swords.

  Without thinking, he felt his hands reach out towards them. Hopeless. The rope held him back, just as it held Olanda ready for the Gadge to kill. The swords were five metres away, but if he couldn’t reach them the distance might as well be five kilometres.

  He wouldn’t give up. Somehow, he had to get them closer. And if he couldn’t do it himself, he would have to trick the Gadge into doing it for him.

  ‘How will you know where to stop?’ he said to the Gadge, who was taking his time, enjoying Olanda’s terror.

  ‘What do you mean?’ the animal snapped.

  ‘How will you know when you’ve eaten exactly half of this girl?’

  The Gadge looked surprised. So did Olanda.

  Berrin sensed the faintest quiver of hope. The terrible beast was listening to him. ‘Gadger Red told you to eat only half. He’ll be angry if he thinks you’ve had more than your share. It would be easy to keep on eating, don’t you think? She looks pretty tasty to me.’