Page 59 - Mobile Magic
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When she caught up with them, Athol was raving on about an echidna, smaller than the one she had seen on the Saturday picnic. ‘Do you know it could live to be fifty years old? Truly awesome for such a small animal. Of course you know that it’s the only mammal beside the platypus to lay eggs. Friendly little fella, apart from dingoes we are its only predators and we don’t even eat them now; just run over them with our damned cars!’
The echidna didn’t seem all that scared, just going on with its own business; waddling along, turning over
stones and snuffling about hunting for insects under them with its long sensitive snout.
Patrick was filming with their big expensive, looking, digital movie camera and Athol
was busy writing in his notebook. They moved further up the mountain slope, through the glade, towards the towering
rocks where she had seen the wallaby. Charles had gone on ahead. Saffron could see him practising his rock climbing halfway up a huge granite tor.
His school had a rock climbing wall in the gym,
but he preferred the thrill of the real
thing.
