CHAPTER 15

Evie dresses quickly in the chilly morning air. She moves swiftly through her chores so she and Rhino can continue their search for the baby elephant, the monkeys, and the birds. They’ve checked the gardens, the sand dunes, the tea tree bushlands, and eucalyptus groves down by the creek. She’s decided they should go back into the tea tree bush as she was sure she sensed something was watching them in there.

Swinging past the pantry, Evie raids it of four pears, five blood plums, and a handful of almonds. As she’s about to leave, Cook and Grandpa arrive in the kitchen.

“There’s strange happenin’s around ’ere, Mr Strahan,” says Cook, gripping her apron.

Evie holds her breath.

“What do you mean, Cook?” says Grandpa.

“This mornin’ another one of me apple pies disappeared. I blamed the child at first, but it can’t be ’er, as I seen ’er doin’ ’er chores.”

Evie looks at the apple pies on the bench.

There’s one, two, three . . . oh, no! Where is the fourth pie? she wonders. Cook always bakes them in batches of four and there’s only three! What’s going on?

“That is strange, Cook,” says Grandpa, sounding amused. “I’m not sure, but who would steal an apple pie?”

“Me thoughts exactly,” says Cook with an exasperated sigh. “Me bloomin’ ancestors were on the First Fleet for less. Stealing is stealing, it’s just not on.”

“I agree,” says Grandpa. “I’ll keep my eyes open, Cook.”

Evie feels cornered; she doesn’t want to be caught in the pantry by Cook, she’ll get the blame. She sees the pantry window ajar and reefs it up. Easing her shoulder bag through, she clambers out over the sill and leaps, landing on the ground. She slides the window down from outside.

As she approaches the foaling stall, the ladies are burk burking, ready to go out for a peck. She can hear rustling straw, which means Rhino and Dominique are moving about their stall, also keen to go outside. Rhino huffles Evie’s face good morning and she rubs his ears, leaning into him and breathing in his grassy smell.

She opens Bernard’s stall and he shuffles out like an old man. He lowers his head for a pat before sauntering out of the stables after Rhino and Dominique.

On their previous search parties, Evie hasn’t wanted to include Francie and Freddie. They’re hunting dogs, but they’re actually the world’s worst hunting dogs as they’re so playful. Previously, Evie thought their boisterous behavior might be too much for a baby elephant, monkeys, and parrots, and scare them off.

But now, Evie can see Francie and Freddie’s exceptional sense of smell and tracking skills might be helpful. Time is running out. If the shipwrecked animals are still alive, they need to find them soon. They won’t survive without help in the bush for too much longer.

Evie lets Francie and Freddie out of their kennels, and they bounce around her, eager for attention.

She slaps her hand on her leg, meaning she wants them to “come”, which the dogs are more than happy to do.

Evie and Rhino wander along the beach in companionable silence. Rhino nudges her arm and she walks on with her hand on his shoulder.

Francie and Freddie follow them into the bush. They keep getting side-tracked as they find scents to sniff and seek, but Evie knows they’ll catch up.

In the hope of drawing the animals closer to Lunar House, Evie leaves a trail of food. She plans to leave this morning’s offering no less than eight hundred yards from the grounds of Lunar House.

CRACK! A branch snaps.

Evie and Rhino stop dead in their tracks. The sound is near. They look at each other, and turn their gazes back to the bush. Evie holds her breath. Her heart is thundering. She can’t see anything. She listens for any noise that doesn’t belong to the bush. But there’s nothing. She stares at the ground, searching for footprints or droppings, but there’s nothing. There are no signs of—

But there is! There, in front of Evie there are signs something has been curled in a clump of tussock grass. It looks flat and burrowed into, like a nest that something has tried to sleep in. That’s what baby elephants do! They make nests in grass.

So do wombats, but Evie can’t get the idea of it out of her head. She’s not sure how big a baby elephant is, but it’s possible, isn’t it?

Francie and Freddie reappear, panting with their tongues hanging out.

Evie taps the ground with her hand, showing them where she wants them to get the scent. They sniff and snuffle in and around the tussock grass.

She waves her arm at them, pointing her index finger in the direction she wants them to go. With their snouts to the ground and tails aloft, they bound off into the bush.

As Evie sets out the food, goosebumps rise on her arms. She experiences the strangest, weirdest feelings.

Something is watching us. Rhino flicks and swivels his ears in agreement before they head off into the bush, trailing after Francie and Freddie.

Rhino plods after the golden-haired child. She knows. She knows the monkeys are here, somewhere. She has excellent instincts, for a human. The little monkeys are close by, but they’re hiding. Monkeys are excellent at hiding and trickery. He huffs. They’ll never show themselves to those silly, bouncing dogs. They’re nervous, they can’t yet trust anyone. But they may not have a choice. He can smell their rank armpit sweat, they’re starving and exhausted in their attempts to survive. He has to let the monkeys know where the stables are, he can’t stand the thought of them suffering. He stops and chews on his gums before tensing his flanks and holding his breath. He farts loudly. It’s low and long and rumbling, almost tuneful, thinks Rhino, and it reverberates through the bush. There, that should do it. The human child giggles. He’s not sure why she enjoys this natural function so much. But who is he to judge? Rhino passes some droppings and saunters after the golden-haired child and the dogs.