Polar Meltdown (8 page)

She looked around the den. The walls were smooth with a claw mark here and there where the mother had dug. “This is quite roomy,” said Zoe.

“Luxury accommodation,” grinned Ben, “compared to our little snow hole anyway.”

As soon as the cubs had finished, Zoe crawled along the tunnel, shivering as the freezing outside air hit her face. “Time for the homeward journey,” she said.

Standing outside the den, she checked the satellite function on her BUG. “Hey!” she called to Ben as he emerged. “It's working properly now. We'll be able to find our way back to the kayaks using the trackers.”

“I reckon your theory about the interference was right,” said Ben. “Now the northern lights have gone everything's fine.”

Zoe stepped on to her RAT. “Shame in a way,” she sighed. “It was such a fantastic show.”

Checking that their charges were comfortable, the children set off on their snowboards back along the spur of ice towards the main floe.

“It's a lot harder to balance with a polar bear cub on board!” Zoe shouted to her brother, as she sped along in front of him.

Ben didn't reply. She turned to see what the matter was. Her brother had stopped way back and was looking around.

“I can hear a boat,” he called.

Zoe could hear it too. The deep throbbing hum of an engine. Then she saw it in the distance. It was a cruise ship, casting out a glow of golden light from every window, and it seemed to be heading very close to the floe. Behind thick glass windows, they could see people dancing at a late night party.

“Hide!” she yelled, ducking down behind the ridge. “We mustn't be seen.” She quickly turned off her headlamp. Ben found a jagged ice formation and squatted in its shadow.

The throbbing noise grew louder and the ice beneath them began to vibrate.

Just how close is this ship going to come?
thought Ben.
If it ploughs through the ice we
don't stand a chance.

Now the ship towered above them, gliding slowly past the ice floe. The rumbling of its engines was deafening and the children could feel it shaking their bodies. The cubs whimpered in fear. There was a terrible crash and a fierce judder ran along the ice!

“It's hit the end of the spur,” yelled Zoe.

A dark jagged line zigzagged over the snow in front of Ben. The spur of ice was breaking away from the main floe, leaving Zoe on one side and him on the other.

Ben was stranded.

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

Ben and Zoe stared horrified at the widening channel of freezing Arctic water between them. The ship carried smoothly on past.

“Stay there,” shouted Zoe. “I'll go and fetch a kayak.”

“No,” Ben shouted back. “By the time you get back I could have drifted miles away. Don't worry. I've got a plan.”

“You're not to do anything stupid,” called Zoe.

Ben didn't reply. Instead he turned his RAT and steered away from the broken edge of the spur.

“Where are you going?” cried Zoe in alarm.

“Stand back,” Ben shouted. He brought the RAT to a halt and swivelled it round in the snow. Now he was facing Zoe again. With a look of grim determination on his face he revved up the motor. Then he set off, accelerating until he was racing along at top speed towards the water.

With a stab of horror, Zoe suddenly realised what her daredevil brother was about to do. He was going to jump the gap.

“No!” she shrieked. “You'll never make it!”

But she knew it was too late. Ben was already crouching on his board, both arms stretched out for balance. She hardly dared watch as he sprang up into the air towards her, the whirring RAT at his feet. It was a huge jump – and made even more difficult with the weight of the cub in its sling. And every second the channel of deadly water was widening. For a moment it looked as if Ben was going to plunge straight into the freezing depths.

Now he was almost at the bank – but surely he couldn't make it! Zoe let out a scream as her brother landed on the very edge of the ice. A loud cracking noise ripped through the air as the ice began to fall away into the water.

Desperately, Ben waved his arms to get his balance, then flung himself forwards. Boy, cub and RAT toppled on to the ice. But they were safe. Zoe darted over to him. Ben got to his knees, checked he hadn't squashed Guzzle and raised his hand for a high five.

“OK,” said his sister, pulling him to his feet. “You get the Olympic gold this time.”

“It was nothing.” Ben grinned. “You can have my autograph later.”

Ben wasn't going to admit that he'd felt as scared as Zoe looked. It had been a big risk, and he didn't like to think of what would have happened if he hadn't made it.

Ben stroked Guzzle's head, and the little cub popped her head up. She began to wriggle about, trying to get out of the sling.

“I don't blame you, Guzzle!” said Ben. “That was a bit of a hairy moment.”

The children checked the kayak tracker and whizzed off across the ice floe, their headlamps lighting the way as they went. The storm had blown the snow into frozen ripples. There were occasional animal tracks trailing across it. Zoe cut a figure of eight and came up alongside Ben, spraying up an arc of powdery snow.

“Couldn't resist,” she called. “If we got snow like this at home, we'd be out all day making snowmen and having snowball fights and sledging...What's the matter?” Ben was frowning.

“I'm a bit worried about Guzzle,” he said.

“Doesn't she look good?” asked Zoe.

“Just the opposite,” groaned Ben. “She wants to get out. Her wriggling's putting me off balance!”

“Not long now.” Zoe laughed. “Look, there are our kayaks. We'll soon get her to someone who can look after her.” In the moonlight, the snowy outlines were just visible in the distance.

“Top speed then,” yelled Ben.

But Zoe had stopped. “There's something further along the edge of the floe.” She pointed to a large, dark shape in the snow.

“Nothing to worry about,” called Ben. “It's just a lump of ice, isn't it?”

Zoe gulped. “Lumps of ice can't walk,” she said slowly. “It's coming towards us, Ben. It's a polar bear.”

“You're right,” said Ben fearfully. He brought his RAT to a halt. “Wave your arms and make yourself as tall as possible. We mustn't look scared.”

Zoe did as he said although she could feel her heart thumping with fright. The huge polar bear raised its head to the sky and gave a ferocious growl.

“Hope it's not hungry,” she whispered. “We must show it we're human – and dominant,” Ben told her quickly. “Go away!” he yelled in his deepest voice. Zoe joined in. But the bear began to pad towards them.

“It's not working,” said Zoe, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice as the bear picked up speed.

Now it was galloping towards them, strong legs pounding away at the snow, sharp teeth gleaming. It was covering the gap between them quickly – too quickly.

It wasn't only the cubs that needed saving now.

CHAPTER
TWELVE

All at once Zoe's brain clicked into gear. She had a mad notion but it just might work.

“Go!” she yelled to Ben. “Use your RAT and escape!” She turned so that her board was facing away from their advancing attacker.

“Even on these we can't go faster than a bear,” cried Ben desperately.

“Trust me!” she screamed. “I'll be right behind, I promise.”

Ben knew better than to argue. “You'd better be.” He jumped on his RAT, clutched Guzzle tightly to stop her moving, and sped away.

Trying to keep calm, Zoe kicked her RAT into action. The bear was almost upon her. It reared up, massive front paws raised ready to crush her. Zoe tipped the back of the RAT into the snow and revved hard just as Ben had done earlier when he'd given her an icy shower. At once the motor caught on the soft snow and sent up a thick spray straight into the face of the bear. With a frightened growl it recoiled.

Zoe didn't waste a second. She moved her weight forwards and chased after her brother. Every now and then she shifted her back foot to keep up the thick mist. When she dared to peek over her shoulder, she couldn't see the bear. The air was thick with flying snow.

She caught up with Ben and they made a wide arc round towards the kayaks. After a few minutes, Zoe glanced back again. There was no sign of the bear.

“I think it's given up,” she called to her brother.

He stopped and scanned the route they'd taken. “Can't see or hear it,” he said in relief. “Well done, Zoe. I thought we were bear breakfast! Let's get out of here quickly in case it decides to come back.”

They dug their kayaks out of the snow and got into them right on the edge of the ice. Then they pushed off and launched themselves with a splash on to the icy water.

When they had paddled a good distance away from the ice, Ben called up the satellite map.

“I don't need that to tell me which way to go,” said Zoe. She pointed over to where the sky was shot with the pinky glow of dawn. “That's got to be east and we want south.”