Teddycats (11 page)

LUKE AND FELIX
scrounged for useful materials—sticky mud, branches they could use to steer them down the river—while the Teddycats set to work with their claws. Beside them, the water, dark and immense, moved fast. Despite its far-reaching grumble, up close it was eerily quiet, almost silent. Bugs leapt and hissed across the wide surface as the current whipped along.

Bill downed a cluster of slender rubber trees while Diego hacked them into usable fractions and sliced loose fronds into binding ribbons. Meanwhile Omar organized their output into tidy piles. Bill felt reinvigorated, almost as if he were back working on the fort, before everything was turned upside down.

By midmorning they had assembled a no-frills yet river-worthy raft wide enough for the five of them, guided by a crude rudder. Luke found—tripped over, really—a large skeleton (Felix's best guess was hippo) and brought back two long, curved rib bones.

“How long is this going to take, anyways?” Omar asked nervously.

Historically, Teddycats were inexperienced swimmers, and Omar's aversion was stronger than average. He hated water and heights and had hoped his heroics would include neither.

“Depends on the current and the wind,” said Bill.

“Which is Bill's fancy way of saying he hasn't got a clue,” Omar sniped.

“We could land by lunch, or we could never be seen again, lost to the elements,” Diego said. “No way to know until we set sail.”

“Lunch?” said Luke. “There's an idea. What're we having?”

Together they straddled the bank and unceremoniously dunked half of the vessel into the current. It very nearly washed away, anchored only by Diego's claw as his legs stretched uncomfortably between the raft and the riverbank.

Tree limbs bent down to the water, some leaves nearly brushing the surface. Bill climbed a trunk and scurried onto a limb, dropping down to the center of the raft with a backflipping flourish. Omar rolled his eyes. Bill and Diego assisted Felix aboard while Luke leapt on gleefully. It was fun for him to watch the Teddycats get so skittish around the water. Olingos had no such reservations. Even Bill, despite the showmanship, had a noticeable wobble as he waited for his river legs to materialize.

“All right, Omar,” Bill said. “We're ready to push off.”

“Uh, well . . .” Omar said nervously. “Maybe I could meet you guys down at the human den instead?”

“Let's go, mate,” Diego said. He was still stretched between the bank and the raft, and the strain was taking its toll. His shoulders and hips twitched as the raft bobbed.

“Or I could stay here, just in case anybody came by looking for us,” Omar said.

“Whatever you decide, do it quick,” said Diego, groaning. The raft was beginning to slip away, the wood splintering as he tried to dig his claw deeper against the powerful current.

“Omar, we need you with us,” Felix said.

“Come on, Omar!” chirped Luke. “Hop on!”

Bill sighed. It was time. “Omar, a few days ago I would have pushed you off this raft myself. But today, we're in this together. We'll keep you safe. I promise.”

Omar closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped on board just as the anchor of Diego's paw skidded off the bank and into the coursing water.

The current swept them up without ceremony. Diego and Bill slashed at the water with the bones, working to steer the raft into the middle of the river, where their line of vision would be least obstructed by dangling trees and the mist that stuck to the bank. After a period of hectic paddling and a few spins, they found themselves gliding swiftly down the river.

“Not bad, eh?” said Diego, one paw on the rudder.

As if on cue, a warm, soothing wind picked up, and the clouds began to break apart.

“Best part is, we'll get a jump on those humans,” said Bill, giddy with excitement. “They'll never expect us coming from the river.”

“A slight advantage, perhaps,” said Felix, “but I'd argue the humans still have the upper hand.”

“I'll take what I can get,” Diego said.

“Uh, Omar?” Luke said. “Are you okay?”

Omar was rigid, his cheeks puffy, his eyes fixed on a single, distant point.

“You're looking a little green, buddy,” Bill said.

“I'm fine,” croaked Omar.

Felix rustled through his bindle and handed Omar a green plant. “Here, chew on this.”

“What is it?”

“Just a little sprig of something,” Felix said. “It'll ease the sickness.”

Omar gobbled it up, and soon a deep, fragrant belch shot out of his mouth.

“Gross,” said Luke.

“Thanks, Felix,” Omar said. His color had improved, though it was clear he was embarrassed. “I feel much better.”

Felix patted Omar's shoulder and closed his bindle.

“What other miracle cures you got in there, Felix?” asked Diego.

“That depends,” said Felix. “What do you need?”

“Not sure—how about one of them trippy frogs?”

As Felix and Diego shared a laugh, Bill turned to Luke. “Keep your eyes open for anything you might recognize from your last trip.”

“Well, you can almost make out the savanna,” said Luke, pointing to the left bank.

The mist over there
was
looking a little thin and dusty, Bill thought.

“How big would you say the savanna is?” asked Bill.

“Gotta be several klicks,” Diego said. “But then, can't say I've ever crossed it, only kicked around its borders. Not sure I've met anyone who has, until Luke here.”

“Wow,” said Bill, jealous that the reverence in Diego's tone was directed at Luke instead of him. “You must've been flying high on adrenaline.”

“It's all a blur,” Luke said dreamily.

“Still mighty impressive,” Bill said.

“Um, guys, what's that?” asked Omar. He was pointing to the water, and that queasy shade of green was creeping back into his face.

Bill bounced over to the starboard edge to take a closer look.

“Easy,” said Diego, as the raft pitched.

Bill could make out the vague shape of something just beneath the surface. He lowered his head and peered closer. Just then, a black coil lashed out of the water and zapped Bill's snout.

“Ahh!” cried Bill. “It bit my face! It bit my face!”

Omar laughed. “Ha ha. No it didn't.”

“It's an eel,” said Felix. “They're electrified.”

“Get away from the water!” growled Diego.

Omar and Bill inched back to the middle. Bill rubbed his snout.

“This isn't a game, mates,” Diego continued. “And the eels aren't the only ones to watch out for. Some of these fishies swimming along here will rip your flesh straight off your bones before you even know what hit ya.”

To illustrate his point, he jabbed the hippo rib in their direction.

“Welcome to the river, boys,” said Felix. “It's a long way from Cloud Kingdom, I know, but if you pay attention you'll find there's logic and order at work here as well.”

“Are there really fish that can . . . do what he said?” Omar asked.

“Yes,” said Felix.

Felix had seen plenty of animals, brave and otherwise, freeze up in the jungle, too frightened to even understand the dangers they faced if they didn't fight or flee.

“All right, eel's gone,” Diego said. “Now get back to the bow and keep lookout.”

THE SUN WAS
shining and the wind was warm at their backs as they drifted purposefully down the river. The current was quick but steady, nothing Diego couldn't handle. They had even set down their paddling bones, letting the river do the work as the water turned from a bleak brown to a sharper blue and the mist cleared.

“I could get used to this,” said Bill, reclining in the sunshine.

“Have to admit,” said Omar, “it sure beats humping through the jungle brush. I've got thorns and bramble cuts all over.”

“You've got to learn to be one with the wilderness, my friend,” Bill said.

Omar laughed. “Sounds like you've already forgotten about the swamp thing that almost stole your snout.”

“Can't let that keep you down,” said Bill lightheartedly.

“Stay on task,” Diego warned.

Omar and Bill were supposed to be on watch duty, but they had grown drowsy with sun. The unchanging river unfurled before them, and despite its power and beauty it could not hold their attention. Luke was actually sleeping. Bill figured he might as well join his friend.

“Wake me up when we get to the human den,” said Bill, yawning.

“Let's not grow complacent,” Felix said. “It's calm now, but there's still plenty that can go awry.”

Diego, clearly fed up with his lookouts, listed some potential dangers. “Crocs, piranhas, eddies that'll suck ya under in no time flat. Ever seen a croc up close? One of them knobby monsters could swallow this entire operation in one bite. One of them, a legendary sucker, Boris, he's got a long yellow stripe down his back. Here's hopin' you never meet him. Old Boris has chomped down whole boats of humans.”

Bill and Omar exchanged glances, then quickly got back to work. It did seem like it would be best to avoid a run-in with a croc. Instead of resting, they admired the jungle from their currently peaceful vantage point. Every now and then they spotted movement in the trees—toucans, lizards, monkeys, sloths, and bands of coatis—lurking, slithering, hunting, grooming, or just making a racket high in the trees. Bill allowed himself to imagine a future where the Teddycats were integrated into jungle society. Then he would finally be allowed
to wander the land, free and not beholden to any rules or Elders. They weren't there just yet, but close enough that failure would sting like never before.

They had grown so accustomed to the river's rumble that they didn't notice as it gradually grew into a roar. The current picked up as well, but at first that had seemed like a good thing. After all, they'd welcome anything that might shorten the journey. But then the raft began to list. Diego and Bill returned to paddling duty and tried to steer them back into the middle as Felix leaned against the rudder with all his diminished might.

“What's tipping us?” asked Omar, working hard to remain calm.

“Hopefully just rapids up ahead,” Diego said.

“White water,” whispered Luke.

“What'd you say?” Bill asked from the port side.

“White. Water!” said Luke, pointing to a frosting of sloshy caps in the near distance.

The water lashed back at them as they dug their oars into the current, trying to carve a line back on course. Soon they were spinning sideways and picking up speed. Their hippo bones sliced through the water but seemed only to accelerate their loss of control. The mist returned, thicker now, and settled smack in the center of the river valley.

“Time to consider the idea that there might be a drop ahead,” said Felix.

“How big?” Diego asked.

“I can't say,” said Felix, sighing. “But based on our speed and trajectory . . .”

“You're sayin' it might be a real inconvenience,” said Diego.

“Something like that.”

“Give me a boost,” said Bill, beckoning Omar and Diego.

Startled, they complied. It took a moment to secure footing. The raft was no longer spinning, but waves had started to form as the current squeezed the water. Omar and Diego each grabbed a paw and lifted until Bill's hindquarters were level with their snouts.

“What do ya see?” asked Diego.

Bill squinted and shielded the sun with a flattened paw. “Nothing yet.”

“Jeez, you're heavy,” said Omar.

Luke tried to help, but Bill's weight was awkward and not easily shared.

Felix stayed with the rudder, trying in vain to steer them to a bank. But while the river had narrowed, the trees had pulled back like a curtain. There were no longer gracefully dangling limbs within reach, just heaps of boulders. “Luke, come help me,” Felix said.

Together they tugged on the rudder as Bill tried to keep his balance.

“No rush, mate!” shouted Diego, his voice nearly lost to the spray. “Anytime now!”

Bill leaned forward. The mist was like a sheet.
“Let me down,” he said, trampling the shoulders of his supporters.

“What did you see?” asked Diego.

“Well, I don't know how big it is, but there's definitely a drop.”

The raft was straight as an arrow, pitched slightly forward. Instinctively, they began to move to the stern. The rudder rattled violently then fell away through the wooden slats, ripped out by rocks or just the force of the current.

“If we make it through this, we're definitely sticking to land from now on,” Omar said.

“Agreed,” said Bill.

The roar reached a thunderous crescendo as boulders created a ripping funnel and rapids rocked the raft. Spray soaked their fur as the mist enveloped them, reducing visibility to only an immediate, increasingly panicked pocket.

“Here we go, mates,” said Diego, steeling himself.

“Whatever happens,” said Felix, “do not bail out! Stay on the raft!”

“Teddycats, use your claws!” Bill said. “Luke and Felix, grab on to us!”

Luke immediately latched onto Bill, all four limbs plus tail wrapped around his friend's torso like a pole. Felix went flat on his stomach and hooked two arms around Diego, who stabbed his claws into the wood as the raft launched forward.

THEY WERE ONLY
airborne for a moment, but as the raft catapulted out of the mist, it stretched out into what felt like a lifetime.

Memories long forgotten swelled and turned so real Bill felt he could reach out and kiss his mother, smell Cloud Kingdom grass, feel the warmth of the straw in his den. He could hear Maia's laugh—and not that low, dry “ha” when Bill did something stupid, but the rare, lyrical cackle she couldn't control, the one that made Bill believe they knew each other even better than they could understand.

The raft kept falling. Bill could somehow sense his father holding him as a little kitten, swearing he would always protect him. Even the Elders emerged, outlined in an anxious red aura but glowing with concern, their hands outstretched in welcome. Bill could feel old judgments falling away. His frustrations flattened. A warm, vibrant space appeared—just a speck on the horizon,
more of a feeling than a destination, a golden crack in the earth—and pulled at him.

The raft plunged into the water. It was cold and cloudy. They shot deep into the basin at the foot of the falls. The Teddycats held on for dear life, while Luke and Felix held on to the Teddycats. The raft scraped the bottom, where the water was dark but clear. For a terrifying moment, the force of the falling water pressed them against the sand. Bill twisted about, unsure whether to release his claw and make a break for the surface, but Felix's words—
Stay on the raft!
—stuck with him. Suddenly, the raft caught a current, which lifted them violently from the bottom and spat them out.

WHEN BILL CAME
to, they were beached on a flat rock, chests heaving. He counted all four of his comrades, safe and sound, but the raft wasn't so lucky. Their river craft was destroyed, splintered and scattered, their supplies lost. The sun had baked the stone to a stinging degree, but Bill didn't want to move. At least, not quite yet. Though the waterfall was still within sight, its thunder had been silenced. There was only the throb of blood. Bill shook his head until his ears popped and the roar returned.

The rock was beginning to burn his fur. He rose, slowly, his spine creaking, and stretched his battered
muscles. His neck was sore. He was dizzy. There were stars in his eyes.

“Everybody all right?” he asked, a bit unsteady on his paws.

Diego groaned. “I'm gettin' too old for this.”

“I think so,” said Omar, scanning his body for damage. “Just got the wind knocked out of me pretty bad.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Bill. “Hey, Luke, how many toes am I holding up?”

“Not now, Bill,” said Luke. He was soaked and shaking, fur plastered to his bones.

“Good enough,” said Bill. “How about you, Felix?”

Felix was crumpled on the rock, his injured leg at a painful angle. His spots seemed to disappear, and his eyes were closed.

“Felix?” Bill said. “Felix, are you all right?”

He rushed to the jaguar's side. His body was limp and heavy.

“Wake up, Felix!” Luke pleaded.

Diego put an ear to Felix's chest. “He's swallowed a lot of water.”

“Okay, I know what to do,” Bill said. “Diego, hold him steady.”

Bill took a deep breath. A lancing pain shot through his lungs, but he ignored it and gathered as much air as he could hold. He peeled open the droopy flaps that hung over Felix's jaw. The exposed fangs were gleaming and rigid, but in his resting mouth they seemed
more like decoration than powerful weapons. Bill blew forcefully into the jaguar's mouth, then pumped away at his chest while Diego held Felix's head in his lap and spoke softly into his ear.

Bill's father had taught him how to resuscitate an injured animal when he was very young. He had even practiced on a bed of straw wrapped in leaves.
Always be prepared
was his father's motto, and though Bill had never used the technique before on a living creature, he found himself right back at home with his father, the bundle of straw dying on the floor of the den.

He listened for a heartbeat but heard nothing. Another deep, lung-cracking breath; another round of chest presses; more tender coaxing from Diego.

Omar and Luke watched in silence.

“Come on, mate,” Diego urged.

Bill took one last breath. He tried to capture all the power of the jungle, the gratitude and friendship in his heart, their collective need for Felix's dignity and quiet strength. He couldn't imagine accomplishing their mission without him. Bill would carry him the rest of the way if that's what it took. The air was bruising—it made his eyes water. He blew every last particle into Felix's lungs, then pounded his chest.

One! Two! Three! Four!

Suddenly, a spout of water shot out of Felix's mouth and splashed Bill in the face.

Everyone leapt back as Felix gargled for a
moment, spat out another lungful of water, and rolled over onto his side with a groan. Slowly, he turned back over, eyes open.

“Felix, you're alive!” exclaimed Bill.

Omar, Luke, and even Diego whooped in celebration.

Felix smiled, dazed and maybe slightly embarrassed. “Are we there yet?”