“You kangaroos had better get going too,” said Chuck. “Can you take care of the professor? We need to get him out of here! You’ll have to move fast though. There isn’t much time before impact.”
“Sure thing,” said Boomer. “Climb on.”
“A lift from a kangaroo. How confusing,” muttered the professor.
“Things are going to get a lot more confusing if you don’t get going,” said Chuck.
The professor climbed onto Jack’s back, while Norma bundled Joey into her pouch, in spite of his protests that he was perfectly capable of jumping out himself. The kangaroos then leaped up onto the console, from where they could jump out of the base.
The roaring noise above grew louder and louder. The meerkats looked up to see the missiles hurtling toward them.
“What’s the plan, Donnie?” asked Jet.
“It involves the Bella-copter and one of those missile boosters,” replied Donnie.
* * *
A great red mushroom cloud went up as the missiles collided with the Ringmaster’s secret base. At the top of the rising cloud were five meerkats, clinging on to the central pole of a small propeller-operated flying machine, with a huge rocket booster hastily attached to the bottom.
“What an explosion,” shouted Jet. “Ninja-BAH-BOOM!”
“Do you think the kangaroos got away in time?” asked Bella, looking down at the massive cloud beneath them.
“Look! They’re over there,” said Donnie.
The kangaroos were hopping at an incredible speed, staying just ahead of the expanding cloud of smoke.
“I don’t think the koalas are quite as fast,” said Bruce.
“Yes, there’ll be a cluster of confused koalas kicking around in Kollawollabolong for some time,” said Chuck.
“Try saying that with a mouth full of marshmallows,” said Donnie.
“But perhaps when they come to their senses, they will have forgotten about the League of Extreme Koalas altogether,” Chuck added.
“What about the Ringmaster?” asked Bella.
“He’s managed to get away, too. Look!” said Jet. They could see the black-and-red hot-air balloon floating away.
“No matter where he goes, he should know we will be right behind him—ready to thwart his next evil scheme,” said Chuck.
“At least he won’t be able to use the Herbiscus Confusus again,” said Donnie. “That weapons factory has been well and truly destroyed by the missiles.”
For a moment, the meerkats looked down in silence, then Bruce said, “That reminds me, we haven’t eaten for ages! I’m starving.”
“What about this situation could possibly remind you of food?” asked Chuck.
“Well, it’s a mushroom cloud, isn’t it!” replied Bruce. “Mushrooms. Yum!”
GOFISH
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR
Gareth P. Jones
What did you want to be when you grew up?
At various points, a writer, a musician, an intergalactic bounty hunter and, for a limited period, a graphic designer. (I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the way it sounded.)
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I don’t remember realizing it. I have always loved stories. From a very young age, I enjoyed making them up. As I’m not very good at making things up on the spot, this invariably involved having to write them down.
What’s an embarrassing childhood memory?
Seriously? There are too many. I have spent my entire life saying and doing embarrassing things. Just thinking about some of them is making me cringe. Luckily, I have a terrible memory, so I can’t remember them all, but no, I’m not going to write any down for you. If I did that, I’d never be able to forget them.
What’s your favorite childhood memory?
To be honest with you, I don’t remember my childhood very well at all (I told you I had a bad memory), but I do recall how my dad used to tell me stories. He would make them up as he went along, most likely borrowing all sorts of elements from the books he was reading without me knowing.
As a young person, who did you look up to most?
My mom and dad, Prince, Michael Jackson, all of Monty Python, and Stephen Fry.
What was your favorite thing about school?
Laughing with my friends.
What was your least favorite thing about school?
I had a bit of a hard time when I moved from the Midlands to London at the age of twelve because I had a funny accent. But don’t worry, it was all right in the end.
What were your hobbies as a kid? What are your hobbies now?
I love listening to and making music. My hobbies haven’t really changed over the years, except that there’s a longer list of instruments now. When I get a chance, I like idling away the day playing trumpet, guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin (and piano if there’s one in the vicinity). I also like playing out with my friends.
What was your first job, and what was your “worst” job?
My first job was working as a waiter. That’s probably my worst job, too. As my dad says, I was a remarkably grumpy waiter. I’m not big on all that serving-people malarkey.
What book is on your nightstand now?
I have a pile of books from my new publisher. I’m trying to get through them before I meet the authors. I’m halfway through Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, which is written in the amazing voice of a dyslexic boy.
How did you celebrate publishing your first book?
The first time I saw one of my books in a shop, I was so excited that I caused something of a commotion. I managed to persuade an unsuspecting customer to buy it so I could sign it for her son.
Where do you write your books?
Anywhere and everywhere. Here are some of the locations I have written the Ninja Meerkats series: On the 185 and the 176 buses in London, various airplanes, Hong Kong, Melbourne, all over New Zealand, a number of cafes and bars between San Diego and San Francisco, New Quay in South Wales, and my kitchen.
What sparked your imagination for the Ninja Meerkats?
The idea came from the publishing house, but from the moment I heard it, I really wanted to write it. It reminded me of lots of action-packed cartoons I used to watch when I was young. I love the fact that I get to cram in lots of jokes and puns, fast action, and crazy outlandish plots.
The Ninja Meerkats are awesome fighters; have you ever studied martial arts? If so, what types?
Ha, no. If I was to get into a fight, my tactic would be to fall over and hope that whoever was attacking me lost interest.
If you were a Ninja Meerkat, what would your name be?
Hmm, how about Gareth POW! Jones?
What’s your favorite exhibit or animal at the zoo?
Funnily enough, I like the meerkats. I was at a zoo watching them the other day when it started to rain. They suddenly ran for cover, looking exactly like their human visitors.
What’s Bruce’s favorite food?
Anything with the words ALL YOU CAN EAT written above it.
If you had a catchphrase like Bruce Force! or Ninja-Boom! what would it be?
That’s a tricky one. How about PEN POWER!
If you were a Ninja Meerkat, what would your special ninja skill be?
I like to think I’d be like Jet, and always working on a new skill. When I got into school, I took the Random Move Generator! We used it to come up with new moves, like the Floating Butterfly Punch and the Ultimate Lemon Punch.
What is your favorite thing about real-life meerkats? Have you ever met a meerkat?
I was lucky enough to go into a meerkat enclosure recently. They were crawling all over me, trying to get a good view. It was brilliant.
What challenges do you face in the writing process, and how do you overcome them?
The challenge with writing the Ninja Meerkats books is mostly about the plotting. It’s trying to get all the twists and turns to work, and to avoid them feeling predictable. When I hit problems, I write d
own as many options as I can think of from the completely ordinary to utterly ridiculous. Once they’re all down on paper, the right answer normally jumps out at me.
Which of your characters is most like you?
I’d like to say that I’m wise and noble like Chuck, but I’m probably more like the Ringmaster as we’re both always coming up with new ways to take over the world.
What makes you laugh out loud?
My friends.
What do you do on a rainy day?
Play guitar, write, watch TV, or go out with my sword-handled umbrella.
What’s your idea of fun?
Answering questionnaires about myself. Actually, tomorrow, I’m going to a music festival with my wife where we will dance and cavort. That should be fun.
What’s your favorite song?
There are far too many to mention, but today I think I’ll go for “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz.
Who is your favorite fictional character?
Another tricky one, but today I’ll say Ged from the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin.
What was your favorite book when you were a kid?
As a child, I especially loved The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
What’s your favorite TV show or movie?
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want for company?
My wife and son, then probably my friend Pete, as he’s really handy and would be able to make and build things.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?
I’d like to go to Canada next. Ideally, I’d like to go and live there for a bit. I’ve never been to South America. There are also lots of parts of America I haven’t visited yet.
If you could travel in time, where would you go and what would you do?
I think I’d travel to the future and see what’s changed and whether anyone’s invented a new kind of umbrella.
What’s the best advice you have ever received about writing?
Don’t tell the story, show the story.
What advice do you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
Everything’s probably going to be fine, so it’s best to enjoy yourself.
Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do to get back on track?
It feels like tempting fate, but I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I think if you can’t write, you’re doing the wrong thing. You may need to plan or jot down options or go for a walk.
What do you want readers to remember about your books?
I’d settle for a general feeling of having enjoyed them.
What would you do if you ever stopped writing?
I’d do a full stop. If this is for an American audience, I guess that would be a period.
What should people know about you?
I’m a very silly man.
What do you like best about yourself?
I’m a very silly man.
Do you have any strange or funny habits? Did you when you were a kid?
I talk to myself a lot, which is probably pretty common, but the difference is that I don’t listen to what I’m saying.
Read all the Ninja Meerkats adventures!
The Clan of the Scorpion (#1)
The Eye of the Monkey (#2)
Escape from Ice Mountain (#3)
Hollywood Showdown (#4)
The Tomb of Doom (#5)
Big City Bust-Up (#6)
The Ultimate Dragon Warrior (#7)
Outback Attack (#8)
An Imprint of Macmillan
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NINJA MEERKATS: OUTBACK ATTACK.
Text copyright © 2013 by Gareth P. Jones.
Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Artful Doodlers.
Cover illustration copyright © 2013 by Vince Verma.
All rights reserved.
The right of Gareth P. Jones and Artful Doodlers to be the author and illustrator of this work respectively has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
ISBN 978-1-250-04667-3 (paperback) / ISBN 978-1-250-04943-8 (e-book)
Originally published in Great Britain by Stripes Publishing
First Square Fish Edition: 2014
Square Fish logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
eISBN 9781250049438
Outback Attack Page 4
