CHAPTER 50
“It’s show time, animals!” Albert shouted. “And people,” he added, with much less volume, as Ward and Warble were standing right next to him.
We didn’t have to be told twice. We had to get to the crime against animality as soon as we could to prevent the wanton slaughter of our friends.
Meany was getting ready to take aim at a Rhino who had put his head down to take a drink from the river when the poacher saw our dust cloud in the middle distance.
Lowering his weapon, Meany brought our presence to the attention of the other two poachers. They gazed at us through their field glasses, not yet perceiving exactly what it was that they were looking at, not recognizing who or what we were.
Then they saw Albert, with Alexis perched on his right shoulder. Meany was about to scoffingly ask, ‘Who do we have here: Long John Silver and Captain Flint?’ when he noticed some of the others of us advancing behind our main spokesman and spokesbird. And it wasn’t merely that there were others — he already knew that, from all the dust that was being raised — but it was how many of us there were, and who we were, exactly, that gave Meany pause.
To be more specific, behind Albert and Alexis he saw me, Rovette, and Wide Fangs, the largest Wolf any of us had ever seen. Wide Fangs was chosen for the spot next to us for that very reason — he was designated to be “the first one off the bus,” so to speak.
And behind us were Stripes & Marmalade, Rory, a sleek Leopard we called ‘Pard,’ and a Black Panther.
Behind them were Yukyuk, two Camels, a Zebra, a Springbok, a Wildebeest, and an Impala.
Then came Ocero Puddleby together with two other Rhinos, Jowls the Hippo and three of his friends, as well as a brace of Cape Buffaloes.
Further back were Tubthumper & Chumbawumba along with three other Elephants plus three Giraffes, Ooga, and two other Gorillas.
From above, these six waves of animal company representatives looked something like this:
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Penultimately, behind all these and at the rear, Terri the Pterodactyl circled above her troops, which included not only her co-coach Drako, but also a quiver of Cobras, a knot of Black Mambas, a bask of Crocodiles, a nest of Scorpions, and — all over and beneath the ground, and in the bushes and trees around about — there were untold numbers of Insects, including the most dangerous of all and the ultimate weapon, the Mosquitoes, who were ready and waiting back at the river. All it would take to call them would be a quick jaunt by Jubatus or flight by Falcona to beckon them forward.
And these were only the vanguard. Thousands of others of us animals lay in preparation behind this advance negotiating party — awaiting orders to do whatever was necessary, and by any means necessary, to stop the animalslaughterers in their tracks.
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