CHAPTER 17

Grandpa rushes to saddle up Bernard.

“Do you want to double dink, Evie?”

Evie shakes her head, climbing onto the fence. Rhino lumbers in beside her and she leaps onto his back, grinning at Grandpa.

He laughs. “Oh, Evie, you are sure to be a great explorer.”

Away they gallop down to the creek, to the place Evie last saw the parrots.

While Bernard grazes on a loose rein with Rhino, Evie leads Grandpa through yellow wattle trees to a blackwood tree. But all is silent, and her heart sinks – they can’t hear or see parrots anywhere.

“Don’t worry, Evie. They’ll show up. Remember, we ornithologists need to be extremely patient.” And with that, Grandpa whips off his coat, and spreads it on the ground for them to sit upon.

In the meantime, Rhino entertains Evie and Grandpa, playing in his mud wallow. He moos at them, splashes around, spurts water, floats, and blows bubbles out of his nose.

Dominique appears and moos at the water’s edge as if to say How could you leave without me? and Bernard paws the water with his hooves as if he too is keen to go for a swim.

Then Evie sees Rhino bob up. He’s sitting very still, and staring off into the distance. He flaps his ears and Evie knows he can hear something they cannot. She hardly breathes, trying to listen. Then Rhino starts to swim toward them, staring at Evie.

Evie tugs Grandpa on the sleeve as Rhino staggers from the wallow. He comes to them and stands close, dripping with water, his ears flickering and swiveling.

Evie beckons Grandpa to stand.

“What is it, old chap?” Grandpa asks Rhino.

Rhino turns on his heel and with Bernard and Dominique in tow, they follow him along the edge of the creek.

At last, Rhino stops at a grove of eucalypts. He turns to stare at them and then tilts his head, peering high above to the top of a manna gum tree.

Evie and Grandpa scan its branches. And then they can hear it!

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.

Evie’s eyes flash at Grandpa.

“By Jove, it’s them,” he whispers to her. He stares up at the trees, watching for movement and color among the greenery. At last, they see a pair of orange-bellied parrots perched high above in the canopy.

“There they are!” says Grandpa.

Evie watches as he whips out his notebook and draws a map of their location. He jots down some notes and starts sketching the parrots. He pauses and rummages around in his pocket before passing a spare notebook to Evie, so she too can sketch them.

“But where are my manners?” says Grandpa. He slips his notebook back into his pocket and strolls over to Rhino, who is grazing with Dominique and Bernard.

“I can’t thank you enough, Rhino,” says Grandpa and Rhino curls his lip and leans forward, giving him a wet peck on the cheek. It’s warm and prickly and Grandpa jerks back, touching his cheek.

“Did he just kiss me?” Grandpa laughs. “Rhino, you really do take the cake.”

Evie smiles.

“You know what, Evie? It’s been a long time, but I have a sudden urge to write another paper. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m going to write about the near-extinct orange-bellied parrot!”

Evie savors Grandpa’s laugh. She notices that his eyes are sparkling. She hugs him, realising it’s the first time she’s seen him this happy in a long, long time.

Rhino’s heart lifts at hearing the golden-haired child and the old human laughing. He’s never heard the old one make this sound before. It’s wondrous. It’s like the morning sun has arisen and it’s warming him from the inside. He feels the air quivering, and he can’t help huddling around them, crowding the two humans who care for him. It’s a joyous feeling and he bellows so loudly, with such exertion, he accidentally farts. If he had known these two little twits in the trees would bring so much happiness, he would have brought them here earlier.