The Last Elephant Read online

  Animals could still get a mild form of the disease when they’d had RatVax, but only from direct contact with a ghost rat.

  ‘What happened after I passed out, Mum?’

  ‘The rat ran right under Lucy,’ she said. ‘She stepped on it by mistake.’

  ‘Did it bite her?’ Colt asked anxiously.

  ‘I don’t think it had time.’

  He looked out the window. The sun seemed very bright. If Lucy had rat flu, it was his fault.

  ‘I should have let that guy kill it,’ he said.

  Kristin’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel as she waited for the lights to change. ‘Why didn’t you?’

  ‘I don’t know. That spray’s awful. It must be a horrible way to die.’

  Kristin didn’t say anything. Dying of rat flu would be horrible, too. Infected animals got a terrible fever. They burned up from the inside and went mad.

  Why did I try to save a ghost rat? Colt wondered. What was I thinking?

  At last the traffic lights turned green. Kristin drove forward and made a left turn. ‘Whatever happens,’ she said, ‘let’s hope the rat cops don’t find out.’

  Colt shivered. Rat cops worked for the Extermination Division of DoRFE: the Department of Rat Flu Eradication. Their main job was to hunt down and destroy rats, but they also had the power to kill any animal that showed signs of having the disease. They were bad news.

  Colt noticed a big road sign. It hoped they’d had a nice stay and wished them a safe journey. ‘Hey, this isn’t the way to the cricket ground!’

  ‘The circus isn’t there anymore,’ said his mother. ‘It’s gone to Murray Landing.’

  Colt had forgotten he’d been asleep for three days. Murray Landing was kilometres away – almost on the state border. It would take an hour to get there.

  ‘How come they rang you, Mum? Isn’t there a GovFarm at Murray Landing?’

  ‘There is,’ she said. ‘But apparently their vet’s scared of elephants.’

  Colt laughed.

  But he wouldn’t have laughed if he’d seen Lucy.

  Captain Noah led them past the Big Top, past the large, canvas-walled animal enclosure that was known as The Menagerie, past dozens of caravans, motorhomes and brightly painted circus trucks, to a small triangle of unused land behind the Murray Landing showgrounds.

  They stopped a short distance from the elephant. Lucy was chained to a tree. A circle of bark had been rubbed off by the chain and the ground all around it was churned up and muddy. There was blood on Lucy’s leg where the iron ankle-clamp had worn away her skin.

  She was swaying back and forth, and foaming at the mouth. If Captain Noah hadn’t warned them to keep clear, Colt would have gone forward and hugged her trunk.

  ‘How long has she been like this?’ Kristin asked.

  The circus boss wore a tattered check shirt, faded jeans and an old straw hat. He no longer resembled a ringmaster, but looked more like a Lost World farmer. Colt had seen pictures of them in history books.

  ‘It started yesterday,’ Captain Noah said. ‘I noticed she wasn’t eating. Then, at last night’s performance, she wouldn’t go into the ring. Later – after everyone had gone home, thank goodness – she just went completely berserk and destroyed one of our fairy-floss vans. It took the whole crew to bring her down here where she couldn’t do any more damage.’

  Lucy had been watching them as they talked. Now she raised her trunk and let out a deafening shriek. It was the most terrifying sound Colt had ever heard.

  But it wasn’t as terrifying as what happened next.

  The huge elephant rushed at them. They would have been flattened but for the chain. It snapped taut with a twang that stopped Lucy in her tracks and nearly uprooted the tree.

  ‘Whoa!’ gasped Colt, taking two steps backwards.

  No wonder the Murray Landing vet had been too scared to treat her.

  ‘It does look rather like rat flu,’ Kristin said.

  ‘Can you do anything for her?’ asked Captain Noah.

  ‘I don’t know. When was she last vaccinated?’

  ‘I checked her records this morning. It’s been nearly three months.’

  ‘Three months!’ gasped Kristin. She glared at him. ‘I suppose you know that a RatVax shot only gives six weeks’ protection?’

  Captain Noah shuffled his feet like a guilty schoolboy. He nodded. ‘It’s my fault for not keeping an eye on things. We had our own vet until a couple of weeks ago. It turned out he wasn’t doing a very good job, so I had to sack him.’

  Kristin shielded her eyes from the slanting sun to get a better view of Lucy. ‘I’m afraid he might have cost you an elephant.’

  No way! thought Colt. ‘You’ve got to save her, Mum!’

  ‘It might be too late,’ Kristin said grimly. ‘She looks pretty bad. And I don’t think she’s going to let me get close enough to give her a booster shot.’

  ‘Can’t Captain Noah do it?’

  The circus boss placed a hand on Colt’s shoulder. ‘Believe me, lad, I would do it if I could. But look at her – the virus seems to have affected her brain. She doesn’t recognise me anymore. She’s turned rogue.’

  Lucy did look pretty scary, nothing like the gentle giant Colt had met in the circus ring three nights earlier. (Had he really been asleep for three days? He was still getting his head around it.) She flapped her huge ears and glared at them. If looks could kill, they would all be dead.

  ‘I’ll give it a go,’ Colt said.

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ said his mother.

  ‘Animals trust me,’ he said. Being the only human to survive the bite of a ghost rat wasn’t the only thing special about Colt. ‘Remember that calf that got stuck?’

  A few months earlier, Kristin had been called in to work after-hours because a cow was giving birth. It was a weekend, so she took Colt with her. There were problems with the birth and the cow needed help. She was a first-time mother and very scared – she kept chasing Kristin and the dairy-hand who was assisting her out of the stall. In the end, Colt had leaned through the rails and talked softly to the frightened animal, gently stroking her face, ears and neck. And it had calmed her. She’d stood perfectly still while Kristin and her assistant slipped quietly back into the stall and helped a healthy, fat calf into the world.

  ‘This isn’t a cow, darling,’ his mother said now.

  ‘I know that. It’s the last elephant in the world.’

  The three of them stared at Lucy in silence.

  ‘There might be a way,’ Captain Noah said finally. ‘Wait here – I’ll be back in a jiffy.’

  He hurried off towards the circus trucks and returned a couple of minutes later with the biggest RatVax syringe Colt had ever seen. Captain Noah also brought a long bamboo pole that looked like part of an old-fashioned fishing rod. A thin wooden shaft ran through the loops where the nylon was supposed to go, and there was a little harness with Velcro straps on the skinny end.

  ‘Our vet made this so he could give the bears and lions their shots without going into their cages,’ he said. ‘You fit the syringe into these straps and use this wooden rod to push the plunger.’

  ‘Cool!’ said Colt. ‘Mum, now you can give Lucy her shot without getting too close!’

  Kristin didn’t answer. She and Captain Noah were busily strapping the elephant-sized RatVax into the leather-and-Velcro harness. Then they tested the plunger. Everything seemed to work. Kristin lifted the pole and took a deep breath.

  ‘Wish me luck, guys.’

  She began walking slowly towards the sick elephant, carrying the pole with the syringe on the end like a spear. Lucy watched her coming. She eyed the pole suspiciously. Her large ears flapped in warning. Foamy spit dribbled from her mouth and trunk. She looked huge and scary and dangerous.

  Kristin looked small and scared and vulnerable.

  ‘Mum, wait!’ Colt called. ‘I’ve got an idea.’

  His mother paused and looked over her shoulder. ‘Well? Don’t keep
me in suspense.’

  ‘If Captain Noah and I distract her, you can sneak in from the other side and jab her when she isn’t looking.’

  Captain Noah patted Colt’s shoulder. ‘You’re a smart lad.’

  They waited until Kristin had rejoined them, then Colt and Captain Noah began walking around to Lucy’s left. They waved their arms to get her attention. Her gunky, bloodshot eyes followed them. She looked suspicious. Colt ripped up a big clump of grass, held it towards the sick elephant and shook it.

  ‘Here, Lucy! I’ve got a treat for you!’

  He knew she was off her food, but the grass and the waving arms were having the desired effect – Lucy was watching him and Captain Noah, not Colt’s mother.

  Kristin had sneaked off in the other direction and was approaching Lucy from the far side. She held the pole at arms’ length. Just a few more paces and she could administer the RatVax.

  Colt’s plan was going to work.

  But at the very last moment, when the syringe was barely a hand’s breadth from its target, the elephant spun around. She was amazingly fast. Before Kristin knew what was happening, Lucy had wrapped her trunk around the pole and tugged. Kristin, who had been leaning forward with both arms outstretched, released the pole too late. She was pulled off balance. Arms windmilling, almost in slow motion, she toppled forwards and landed flat in the mud right next to the flu-crazed elephant. Lucy tossed the pole to one side, trumpeted in fury, and raised her trunk like a giant club.

  Colt’s mother had about two seconds to live.

  Colt had never moved so quickly in his life. It seemed impossible how quickly he covered the distance from where he’d been standing to where his mother lay helpless in the mud. In the blink of an eye, he was standing over her. His hands were raised, his palms were pressed flat against the underside of the elephant’s trunk.

  Lucy was pressing downwards with all the force she could muster, but it wasn’t enough.

  ‘No, Lucy!’ Colt said.

  The elephant’s bloodshot eyes were filmed with a mixture of tears and gunk. She blinked down at Colt as if she couldn’t quite work out what he was. Nor how something so small could be so strong.

  ‘It’s me,’ he said softly as his muscles strained and bulged. (Lucy was strong, too.) ‘We met the other night, remember?’

  Lucy rumbled. And slowly the pressure of her trunk eased.

  ‘That’s better,’ Colt said. ‘Are you going to behave yourself?’

  She rumbled again. There was no pressure against his hands now. He slowly took them away, allowing the elephant to lower her trunk. She ignored Colt’s mother and concentrated on him instead. Sniffed his neck, his face, his goose-bumpy arms.

  ‘See, you do remember me,’ he said gently, trying to ignore the bubbly slime she was smearing all over him. ‘We’re buddies, aren’t we, Luce?’

  She rumbled for a third time.

  ‘Crawl away, Mum,’ Colt said, being careful not to break eye-contact with the huge animal that towered over both of them.

  He heard his mother go squelching off through the mud.

  ‘All right,’ Kristin called softly from some distance away. Her voice sounded shaky. ‘I’m out of range now.’

  Colt peeked over his shoulder. Captain Noah was helping her to her feet.

  ‘Come on, lad,’ the circus owner beckoned. ‘Back away from the elephant before she changes her mind.’

  Changes her mind about what? Colt wondered, still stroking Lucy’s trunk. Her skin felt hot and feverish under his hands. Her breath sputtered and gurgled like a blocked drain.

  ‘In a minute,’ he said.

  The bamboo pole lay broken at his feet. But the syringe looked undamaged. Colt bent and picked it up.

  ‘What on earth are you doing?’ his mother asked.

  Colt undid the Velcro and let the splintered remains of the pole fall back to the ground. With his free hand, he stroked the side of Lucy’s trunk. ‘Where should I jab her, Mum?’

  ‘Are you completely out of your mind?’ asked Captain Noah.

  ‘She needs her RatVax.’

  ‘Just get away from her!’ Kristin pleaded.

  ‘I will in a minute,’ Colt said. ‘Where should I jab her?’

  He heard his mother sigh. ‘Any suggestions, Philip?’

  ‘Our vet used to do it from behind,’ Captain Noah said. ‘She didn’t seem to feel it.’

  Colt walked around behind the huge animal, patting her as he went. It was like patting a wall. He had no illusions about what he was doing – this was dangerous. In walking behind Lucy, he was putting himself between the elephant and the tree she was chained to. If she felt the needle and went psycho again, there’d be no escape.

  ‘Stay still, Luce,’ he said. His hands were shaking.

  Taking a deep breath, Colt plunged the needle in and slowly pushed the plunger until all the vaccine was gone.

  Take that, rat flu! he thought.

  Lucy stood absolutely still as Colt removed the syringe and walked back around to her head.

  ‘Well done, Luce,’ he said. ‘You were very brave.’

  ‘For heaven’s sake, Colt!’ Kristin cried. ‘Just get away from her!’

  He gave Lucy’s trunk a final pat, then turned and walked calmly away.

  Everything suddenly seemed too bright. He felt light-headed, dreamy, like someone walking in their sleep.

  As soon as he reached his mother, Colt’s legs gave way under him and he collapsed into her arms.

  This time, Colt didn’t black out. Not completely. He stayed semi-conscious as Captain Noah and his mother half-carried him back towards the Big Top. But he felt totally exhausted – as if he had just run a marathon. It didn’t make sense.

  Just like sleeping for three days didn’t make sense.

  Captain Noah unlocked a huge motorhome, then he and Kristin helped Colt up the steps. Inside it was fitted out like a small flat. There was even a bathroom. Kristin went in with Colt and closed the door. She removed his filthy clothes and washed him all over with a soapy flannel, as if he was five years old, not thirteen. But he was too tired to care. Finally she helped him rinse off in the tiny shower stall.

  ‘You need a shower, too,’ Colt said, towelling himself dry.

  Kristin looked down at herself. She had washed her hands and face, but there was mud all over her clothes. ‘I wasn’t the one smooching up to snotty elephants.’

  ‘I was just trying to save her.’

  ‘I thought you were trying to save your mother,’ Kristin said.

  He returned her grin. ‘Both,’ he said.

  Kristin almost gave him a hug, but stopped herself when she remembered the state of her clothes. ‘You’re really brave, you know that?’

  Colt shrugged. ‘What am I going to wear?’

  Captain Noah lent him a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with World’s Best Pop on the front. Both were much too big, but at least they were clean and dry.

  ‘You’d better lie down for a while,’ the circus owner said, indicating a narrow fold-down bed freshly made with a doona and pillow-case that looked brand new.

  Colt shook his head. ‘Thanks, but I’m okay.’

  ‘You are not okay, Colt,’ his mother said sternly. ‘That’s twice in three days that you’ve taken a turn.’

  Taken a turn. Is that what it was?

  ‘Actually, I think I just need food,’ Colt said. ‘I’m starving!’

  ‘In that case, I’d better get you something,’ Captain Noah said with a wink. He disappeared outside and came back a few minutes later with two monster soyburgers, a bucket of popcorn and a can of cola.

  ‘How does this look, young man?’ he asked.

  Colt’s mouth watered. It was almost worth waiting three days for a meal like that!

  While Colt wolfed down the food, his mother and Captain Noah had a cup of coffee and talked about the other circus animals. Nearly all of them were overdue for their RatVax shots, and with Lucy infected there was a high risk of t
hem catching the virus, too. Rat flu was really contagious.

  But the biggest threat came from the rat cops. They were ruthless – not just in killing rats, but killing other animals, too. If they found out about Lucy’s exposure to a ghost rat, and that she was so sick, they would have her destroyed. And they’d be sure to check all the other circus animals, too – not only for signs of rat flu, but to see if their vaccinations were up-to-date.

  Captain Noah’s world famous circus, like the poor, ruined planet it was named after, would end up without any Lost World animals.

  There was no time to lose.

  Captain Noah had good supplies of the vaccine, but since his vet had left there was nobody to administer them. Kristin agreed to do it right away. They stood up and took their empty cups to the sink.

  ‘Can you wait till I’ve finished my lunch?’ Colt said.

  His mother shook her head. ‘I don’t think you should go near the animals, darling. You might have picked up germs from Lucy.’

  ‘I had a shower.’

  ‘Yes, but it takes more than soap to kill the rat flu bug,’ Kristin said. ‘Why don’t you stay here and finish up your lunch, then lie down for a bit?’ She turned to Captain Noah. ‘Is it all right if he stays here, Philip?’

  ‘It certainly is,’ said the circus boss. ‘Make yourself at home, lad.’

  Colt finished his lunch, then lay on the bed. He did feel tired, but he had just been asleep for three whole days. That was enough sleep for anyone. And it was hard to relax when you were hungry. Even after all the food Captain Noah had given him, his stomach still felt empty.

  The circus boss had said to make himself at home, so Colt looked in the fridge. There was a large vegetarian lasagne in a foil tray with cling-wrap over it. Only a small portion was gone. Colt warmed it in the CI cooker and ate the lot. Then he demolished a whole packet of cheese slices, two bananas, half a loaf of bread with peanut butter on it, and a bucket of rum-and-raisin ice-cream.

  It was the most food he had ever eaten in one go, but Colt didn’t have that bloated feeling he sometimes got after Christmas dinner at his grandparents’, when everyone ate too much. And he didn’t have that after-Christmas-dinner sleepy feeling, either. In fact, he no longer felt tired at all.