The Swiss Family RobinZOM (Book 2) Read Online Free

changed, so have we.”
    “You and the boys take the water and head home,” Bill said. “Fritz and I will check on the traps.”
    “A bit early to be referring to it as home, don’t you think?” Liz said.
    “You might be right,” Bill said. “But right now it’s the closest thing to home we’ve got.”

Chapter Six
     
     
    A clutch of rabbits, startled by Bill and Fritz’s sudden appearance, leapt in the air, spun, and ran through a thorny hedge, gone in an instant.
    “At least we know there’s plenty of game,” Bill said.
    “And acrobatic game at that,” Fritz said.
    Bill knelt down and inspected a trap. He waved away the flies that encircled the half-eaten carcass of a small rabbit.
    “Something else got to it,” Fritz said.
    “Yep,” Bill said. “Another problem of having so many animals. Too much competition.”
    Twigs snapped somewhere in the depths of the jungle. Fritz stood up and tried to watch the whole jungle at once.
    “Listen,” Fritz said.
    The background jungle noise became silent.
    “Something’s probably hunting them,” Bill said.
    “Something’s out there,” Fritz said.
    Bill reset the trap with the vine and tossed the rabbit carcass aside. Fritz didn’t take his eyes off the foliage.
    “Come on,” Bill said. “Let’s go check the others.”
    The second trap laid as it had when Bill had set it. Empty. The third trap had caught a weasel, but it too had been consumed, its spine poking out through its flesh. Bill shook his head.
    “It’s no good,” he said, tossing the remnants of the weasel aside. “There’s too much competition for food. We’re going to need to come up with better traps, a way to keep the food for ourselves.”
    “Like with a cage?” Fritz said.
    “Yes, a cage,” Bill said. “We’ll need to find some strong wood to build them.”
    Fritz bent down and picked something up.
    “Pop,” Fritz said, “look at this.”
    In Fritz’s hand was a tiny round green plant wrapped in leaves.
    “It’s a cabbage!” Fritz said. “A tiny one!”
    “Where did you find it?” Bill said.
    “Down here, at the base of this tree,” Fritz said. “There are mushrooms too.”
    “Don’t touch them!” Bill said. “They can be poisonous and very dangerous.”
    Bill cut the mushroom’s body in half. After a moment the white stem glowed bright with blue veins.
    “See?” Bill said. “But pick the mini cabbages. I’ve never heard of a poisonous cabbage before.”

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Liz sat with a pile of coconuts between her feet. She was sanding the outer shell free of coarse fibres with a thick wedge of rough tree bark, making them smooth. Bill and Fritz emerged from the jungle.
    “What’s that you got there?” Liz said, getting to her feet and dusting off her hands.
    “Baby cabbages,” Bill said. “Fritz found them.”
    Liz took them from Bill and peered closely at them.
    “They’re so small and cute!” Liz said. “You don’t think we’ll be able to farm them, do you?”
    “I don’t see why not,” Bill said.
    “Did you see any other fruits or vegetables on your travels?” Liz said.
    “No,” Bill said. “But anytime we do we’ll bring you some. Maybe you can set up your own little allotment. You always wanted to grow your own organic veg.”
    “You know, I think I just might,” Liz said with a smile.
    “We’ll need to collect seeds and bulbs and everything else we intend to grow,” Bill said. “It might take some time.”
    “No rush,” Liz said. “I can wait. No luck with the traps? Never mind. We’ll figure something out. Some good news: I found some blackberry bushes just around the corner.”
    “Did you test them?” Bill said.
    “I ate some this morning,” Liz said. “No problems so far.”
    “You tested them on yourself?” Bill said.
    “There’s nothing else for me to test them on,” Liz said.
    “Never try new food on yourself,” Bill said. “I’ll catch some animals for us to test on.”
    “With Mum’s