“Zoom’s gaining on us,” said Cabbie grimly.
“What can we do?” asked Jimmy as he steered into a wide, arcing bend in the ice track.
“My sensors reckon I’m at top speed on this ice,” said Cabbie. “I’m just about hanging onto it. If we go any faster, I’m not sure I can stay in control. Anything could happen,” he warned. “But we could fire the rocket-boosters, I suppose.”
“No,” replied Jimmy firmly. “This ice is too fragile for that. We’d burn a hole straight through to the ocean. We’re going to have to come up with something else.”
There was a moment’s silence while Jimmy sat and thought. He looked in Cabbie’s rear-view mirror again. Zoom filled it. He was right behind them and Jimmy could see the outline of Horace hunched over his steering wheel, his perfect white teeth gritted in concentration. Suddenly Zoom swung away, out of sight. Jimmy switched his attention to the wing mirror.
“They’re pulling out to the right,” said Cabbie. “They’re going for an overtake.”
“Are you sure we can’t go any faster?” asked Jimmy.
“Not if you want to keep going in a straight line and stay alive,” said Cabbie.
“That gives me an idea!” said Jimmy. He jerked the steering wheel to the right. Cabbie veered in front of Zoom, blocking the move.
“Recalculating traction!” screamed Cabbie as they careered across the ice, all four of his wheels spinning and sliding sideways.
“Straight line!” Jimmy grinned. “Good idea, Cabbie. If they can’t get past us they can’t get ahead!”
Horace didn’t dare drive off the track onto the thinner part of the ice sheet. Zoom pulled back to the left and began to accelerate.
“They’re going for it again,” said Cabbie.
Jimmy jerked the wheel back to the left. Cabbie hurtled back towards the centre of the ice track, blocking Zoom again.
“That’s frightened them away!” said Cabbie triumphantly. “They’re backing off!”
Jimmy snatched another look in Cabbie’s rear-view mirror. Cabbie was right. Zoom had dropped right back.
Cabcom crackled into life and there was Horace Pelly’s face filling the screen. “Having trouble steering that old bucket of yours?” sneered Horace.
“Having trouble overtaking us in that tin can of yours?” replied Jimmy smartly.
“Oh, I’ll win this race, Jimmy,” said Horace. “Don’t you worry about that. That super-awesome-Leadpipe-upgrade will be mine. Not that I need it, of course. Whatever the upgrade is, I’ll probably have one already – so it’ll probably be a downgrade for me. But I’d still like to win it – just to stop you from having it.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes and sighed. “Have you nearly finished talking?” he asked.
“Yes ... just one last thing,” said Horace, grinning slyly. “Remember this face.” He pushed his nose into the screen. “Take a good look – because this is the face you’ll see at the top of the winners’ podium.”
“Don’t look at his face, Jimmy. It’ll make you feel sick,” Cabbie laughed.
“How hilarious,” said Horace flatly. “We’ll see who’s laughing at the finish line, shall we, Scabbie?”
Cabcom went blank.
“He can’t get past us,” said Jimmy, nodding confidently. “The track’s too narrow here.”
“But look ahead,” replied Cabbie. “It’s opening out again in just a few hundred metres! This section of ice must be much stronger.”
Cabbie was right. Soon they were crossing a huge expanse of open ice with the grey sea lapping at its edge.
Zoom soon appeared on Cabbie’s right-hand side again. Jimmy glanced over to see Horace Pelly grinning through his window at him, and waving. Then Horace reached down and pressed a button on the dashboard.
“Oh no!” said Jimmy. “I hope he hasn’t just—”
With a rush of flame and a huge boom, Horace’s rocket-boosters fired and he shot past Jimmy and Cabbie, into the lead.
“We’re losing grip, Jimmy,” said Cabbie as they skidded left, then right. “Those rockets are turning the ice to water and we’re sloshing around with no control at all – our snow chains can’t get a hold of the ice.”
“I knew using boosters was dangerous,” muttered Jimmy. “I’m going to slow down a bit, Cabbie. We need to go carefully until we get past him.”
Just at that moment, Cabcom crackled back into life.
“Not you again!” sighed Jimmy.
“Don’t be so rude, Jimmy,” said Grandpa.
“Oh, sorry, Grandpa,” said Jimmy. “I thought you were Horace.”
“Been bothering you, has he?” Grandpa grunted. “You need to get back up there and show him, Jimmy lad. Fire the rocket-boosters and you’ll storm ahead!”
“No,” said Jimmy, “we can’t do that. Horace’s boosters have just melted the ice. If we fire Cabbie’s rocket-boosters too, we could end up breaking the ice and falling into the sea! We’re going to have to come up with something else.”
“OK, my boy. It’s your call,” said Grandpa. “I know you’ll think of something. You always do.”
Cabcom crackled and the screen went blank again.
Jimmy peered ahead at Zoom disappearing into the distance. From underneath Zoom’s black chassis there came a strange orange glow. It wasn’t his rocket-boosters – they’d done their job and burned out long ago.
“Cabbie, what’s going on up ahead?” asked Jimmy urgently as Cabbie fought for grip. The steering wheel was jolting wildly in Jimmy’s hands. “Activate zoom screen,” said Jimmy, his voice starting to shake as they swerved from side to side.
The zoom screen popped up above the dashboard. It showed Zoom racing ahead, roaring along on a cushion of flame.
“He’s using his flame-throwers. And he’s pointing them down at the ice!” cried Jimmy. “No wonder we’re sliding all over the place.”
“It’s worse than that,” said Cabbie urgently. “My sensors reckon the ice is barely taking our weight. He’s not just melting the ice – he’s burning through it!”
As Cabbie spoke, an almighty creaking and groaning ripped through the air, making Jimmy’s ears ring and his heart stop. A thin black crack opened up in the ice ahead of them – a thin black crack that shot towards them like a fork of lightning, just as violent, just as fast. The crack widened. And then another one opened up. And another.
“The ice is breaking up!” cried Jimmy. We’re going to—”
SPLOSH!
Cabbie and Jimmy were tipped into the freezing Arctic sea!