entrails poked out from the bottom of the body, as though it had literally been ripped apart.
'Did a lion do that?' asked Hex.
'No,' said Patrick. 'A hippo. They are much more dangerous.'
'They're the most dangerous animals in Africa,' said one of the boys.
'I thought buffalo were,' said another. 'Lone buffalo.'
It was Gaston who replied. 'No. The most dangerous animal in Africa is man.'
13
TROPHY HUNTERS
Li stood at the foot of the tree. The struts led up to the watch tower at the top. She took a breath. Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweating. She hadn't even started climbing yet, and the very thought of the ordeal to come was making her freak out.
Get a grip, she said to herself. It's barely eight metres off the ground.
Telling herself not to be so stupid, she stepped forward, seized the rungs and climbed up to the top. 'OK, Li,' she said aloud. 'Now all we're going to do is come down again. No need to worry; just going for a little climb.'
But her nerve was wavering. It wasn't fear at being up there; it was fear of how she would feel once she started to climb down. It was the fear that she could no longer trust her body.
Li went into the hide and sat down on the wooden bench. She wouldn't rush it. She'd relax, look at the view, watch some animals for a while. She gazed out over the golden plain and the purple mountains beyond.
She had come out as soon as they arrived back at the lodge. Amber had been keen to do some exercise before supper, afraid that her injury was severely damaging her fitness. She suggested a swim and the others had accepted with enthusiasm. But Li couldn't face it. The others all seemed so carefree and confident, while she felt as if she was carrying around this terrible secret. The words she'd said to Paulo came back to her. What use was she to them if she no longer had her special skills?
She gave the excuse that she felt tired and was going for a lie down. Then she went to the map in reception and looked for a spotting hide within walking distance.
Giraffes made their stately way across the plain, their heads nodding. A herd of migrating wildebeest formed a dense clump of grey-brown against the golden bush. All of them had their own way of avoiding danger and solving life-threatening problems; she'd find a way too. But how?
For now, the ground seemed a long way away.
'Come on in, the water's lovely.' One of Patrick's group looked up at Amber as she came out in her dark-red bikini. It was the boy with the floppy dark hair. 'I'm Toby, by the way.'
Amber looked at him. He was just the kind of creep she didn't like. Too sure of himself, too sure she'd like him. His friends grinned at him, like lesser wolves in the pack congratulating their leader.
Hex came up behind her and poked her in the buttock. Amber whirled round, then her face split in an astonished gasp as she saw him. He was wearing the most ridiculous pair of shorts. They were orange and black, with jagged lines, as though someone had drawn all over them with several coloured pens held in a fist.
'Hex,' she drawled, 'what do you think you look like?'
'We're all the same when we're wet,' he said briskly. Before Amber had a chance to react he scooped her up in both arms. Then he let out a Hiawatha whoop, ran to the edge, pulling her after him, and leaped in.
They bobbed up to the surface at the same time, spluttering and gasping. Hex glimpsed Amber's face, lit with a clear desire for revenge, and powered off down the pool in a smooth crawl. Amber gave chase but Hex had already reached the end. He touched the wall, did a slick tumble turn and shot back past her.
Alex was sitting on the side. He'd got into the pool and swum ten fast lengths, but he couldn't shake the thoughts that kept whirling around his head after the encounter with the poachers.
Paulo came up to him. 'Penny for your thoughts.'
'That poacher was watching us and we didn't know he was there. We should have noticed. What's the point if we don't notice something like
'Did a lion do that?' asked Hex.
'No,' said Patrick. 'A hippo. They are much more dangerous.'
'They're the most dangerous animals in Africa,' said one of the boys.
'I thought buffalo were,' said another. 'Lone buffalo.'
It was Gaston who replied. 'No. The most dangerous animal in Africa is man.'
13
TROPHY HUNTERS
Li stood at the foot of the tree. The struts led up to the watch tower at the top. She took a breath. Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweating. She hadn't even started climbing yet, and the very thought of the ordeal to come was making her freak out.
Get a grip, she said to herself. It's barely eight metres off the ground.
Telling herself not to be so stupid, she stepped forward, seized the rungs and climbed up to the top. 'OK, Li,' she said aloud. 'Now all we're going to do is come down again. No need to worry; just going for a little climb.'
But her nerve was wavering. It wasn't fear at being up there; it was fear of how she would feel once she started to climb down. It was the fear that she could no longer trust her body.
Li went into the hide and sat down on the wooden bench. She wouldn't rush it. She'd relax, look at the view, watch some animals for a while. She gazed out over the golden plain and the purple mountains beyond.
She had come out as soon as they arrived back at the lodge. Amber had been keen to do some exercise before supper, afraid that her injury was severely damaging her fitness. She suggested a swim and the others had accepted with enthusiasm. But Li couldn't face it. The others all seemed so carefree and confident, while she felt as if she was carrying around this terrible secret. The words she'd said to Paulo came back to her. What use was she to them if she no longer had her special skills?
She gave the excuse that she felt tired and was going for a lie down. Then she went to the map in reception and looked for a spotting hide within walking distance.
Giraffes made their stately way across the plain, their heads nodding. A herd of migrating wildebeest formed a dense clump of grey-brown against the golden bush. All of them had their own way of avoiding danger and solving life-threatening problems; she'd find a way too. But how?
For now, the ground seemed a long way away.
'Come on in, the water's lovely.' One of Patrick's group looked up at Amber as she came out in her dark-red bikini. It was the boy with the floppy dark hair. 'I'm Toby, by the way.'
Amber looked at him. He was just the kind of creep she didn't like. Too sure of himself, too sure she'd like him. His friends grinned at him, like lesser wolves in the pack congratulating their leader.
Hex came up behind her and poked her in the buttock. Amber whirled round, then her face split in an astonished gasp as she saw him. He was wearing the most ridiculous pair of shorts. They were orange and black, with jagged lines, as though someone had drawn all over them with several coloured pens held in a fist.
'Hex,' she drawled, 'what do you think you look like?'
'We're all the same when we're wet,' he said briskly. Before Amber had a chance to react he scooped her up in both arms. Then he let out a Hiawatha whoop, ran to the edge, pulling her after him, and leaped in.
They bobbed up to the surface at the same time, spluttering and gasping. Hex glimpsed Amber's face, lit with a clear desire for revenge, and powered off down the pool in a smooth crawl. Amber gave chase but Hex had already reached the end. He touched the wall, did a slick tumble turn and shot back past her.
Alex was sitting on the side. He'd got into the pool and swum ten fast lengths, but he couldn't shake the thoughts that kept whirling around his head after the encounter with the poachers.
Paulo came up to him. 'Penny for your thoughts.'
'That poacher was watching us and we didn't know he was there. We should have noticed. What's the point if we don't notice something like
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