Return to Nim's Island Page #3

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He says his name's Edmund,

but I don't trust a word he says.

Good instincts. Put him on the phone.

Here.

- Hello?

- Careful with that!

- Careful.

- Is this a bad time?

Yes. How old are you?

What are you doing on the island?

How'd you get there?

Are you alone?

I'm 14 and I took a

charter fishing boat.

But I ditched them last night,

in my dinghy.

Which sank.

Unexpectedly.

That's my lunch.

Don't smush my lunch.

Oh, dear.

I won't touch your lunch, I swear.

I just came here for a

bit of an adventure.

With my daughter?

Well, sure.

But I don't think she likes me very...

There will be no adventures

with my daughter.

Nim is not like other girls.

She can outrun, out-climb

and definitely outwit you.

- So no funny stuff.

- Yes.

"Yes"? That's all you

have to say is "yes"?

I mean, yes, sir.

I'm going to assume that your parents

don't know where you are.

Yeah. I mean, no.

Whichever one means

they know I'm here

and they're totally cool with it.

What's your home number, Edmund. Now!

049-157-0158.

They're never going to let me set foot

outside the apartment again, are they?

I wouldn't.

Put Nim back on the phone.

So what should I do?

Anchor him out in the bay

on one of the emergency rafts?

[CHUCKLES] That's funny.

Just keep an eye on him.

Whatever you do, Nim,

do not trust teenage boys.

I should know, I used to be one.

Mmm.

Gross.

Good luck, Jack.

- This is awful.

- Yeah, agreed.

Come on, to the shops with you.

And you just have to get used to

boys taking your daughter on adventures.

I had to.

So,

wanna see what's on TV?

- That was meant to be a joke.

- I don't have time for jokes.

Sorry!

Didn't realise this was

such a busy time for you.

You don't know anything about me.

This whole island is depending on me

to keep it pristine and untouched

and you're touching it.

Well, you don't know

anything about me either, okay?

And unless I learn to fly, I can't

help touching your stupid island.

- If it's so stupid, Why'd you come?

- I don't know!

Hey, you reckon that dumb kid's nearby?

Maybe he's found his goldfish.

This is where he was headed

the whole time, idiot.

We'll catch up to him tomorrow.

Island like this isn't

safe for a guppy like him.

Do you think there's a super-rare

creature that lives out here, Dad?

Like a woman ugly enough

to go out with you?

- Ugly like Moira?

- Moira's gorgeous!

- If you like big feet.

- They're not that large!

Frankie, stop messing about.

Go and unload the rest of the gear.

Frankie do this, Frankie do that.

Why can't you be more like

your idiot brother, hmm?

Maybe because I've got more

than two brain cells to rub together.

What do you think, Dad?

Sixth sense telling you anything?

Ooh...

I'm having a vision right now.

This time tomorrow

all of them cages'll be filled

with rare and valuable

animals.

Yeah.

Whoo! [LAUGHS]

[WHOOPING]

Classic Felix.

He sleeps while the island's

being besieged by an invader.

One inflatable dinghy's hardly a siege.

I'm more like a spy.

I'm not an invader, exactly.

Really I'm an innovator.

- [SELKIE BARKS]

- Wh...

[SNUFFLING]

This is your room?

It's, uh...

It's cool.

Alex Rover!

Is okay, you know.

If you like the whole brilliant sense of

humour meets death-defying action thing.

You'll be out here

until Jack gets back.

This is great!

I guess I'll be all right

sleeping in the tree house.

With its own zip line!

That should foil your escape plan.

Hey, what about going to the...

Going to the

bathroom?

[SNUFFLING]

Never mind.

[HOOTS]

[CROAKING]

[CHUCKLES] Hey, mate.

Hey, you want a Gummy?

Here.

- Green's the best.

- Stop.

Fred's on a diet.

Fruit and wingless insects only.

If you want to feed him, try this.

Sorry, buddy.

You sure you don't want a delicious

piece of mango instead? Hmm? Mmm!

Knew it!

Those lizards at the Cormorant Cliffs

have to be Fijian Crested Iguanas.

They love heights,

and they're gorgeous.

[MOUTH FULL] That's so weird.

What?

Sorry. Where can I, uh...

[BARKING]

Whoa.

Where can I spit?

[SIGHS]

Thanks.

I didn't want Gummy

between my teeth all night.

Excuse me, Fred.

Hey, that's so weird

you have all the Alex Rover books.

I know people who've read one or two,

but you have the whole collection.

I mean, I've got to have

a lot of respect...

[BARKING]

I've got to have a lot

of respect for a man

who doesn't even break a sweat when he's

dangling from an icy cliff by the...

...quickly unravelling thread

of one of his gloves?

I thought you weren't into

the whole "Alex Rover" thing.

Come on, who wouldn't be into Alex Rover?

He's a great character.

So's the author, Alexandra Rover.

Wait, what?

She uses a pen name, which you

would know if you were a real fan.

She's actually in Bora-Bora right now,

researching her next book.

Whoa...

I've always imagined some

grizzled, bearded man

banging on a typewriter in a hut somewhere.

But that's brilliant.

Explains the sensitive side.

Have you read the latest one,

Alex Rover Never Surrenders?

I'm almost at the end.

It's torturing me that I don't have

time to finish it right now.

I think it's genius when

Alex gets the queen bee,

and drops it in the enemy camp

and the swarm comes.

And you haven't got to

that chapter yet, have you?

Nope.

Uh...

Spoiler alert.

[SNUFFLING]

EDMUND:
While the natives are still

suspicious of my presence here

the island remains absolutely gorgeous.

It's as if the creatures here,

they're trying to tell me,

"Hey, buddy, she'll warm up to you."

"Your parents can't legally

ground you for life."

Or can they?

There.

That should do it.

I have everything I need.

I'm ready for the field.

Ready to conquer the field.

I have the situation

completely under control.

Here goes.

As soon as I have double checked

that I am truly prepared.

Some dehydrated stroganoff

in case I get a bit peckish.

In which case I'll need

some purified water

and the camping stove.

That means the burns kit.

In fact, I should bring

the entire first aid kit.

And some insect repellent.

Scratching bites is not conducive

to work in the field.

Where the potential to get lost

increases exponentially.

I need to bring some extra maps

and a compass.

[CLICKS SWITCH]

Unacceptable.

Ooh, disaster averted.

[TOY MONKEY SQUEAKS]

[SQUEAKING CONTINUES]

[SQUEAKING CONTINUES]

Some guard you are, Selk!

Who knows where he's run off to.

Had to use the little boys' room.

So about these animals that you

need to find all over the island...

How do you know about that?

I peeked at your list.

And the map.

But I put two and two together

and I think I can help.

Help how?

I don't know exactly,

but I'm sure I can do something.

What do you want to do

with the animals once you find them?

Take their photo?

Is that what you're using

this old Polaroid for?

I love my camera. It's not old.

It's a cool camera, yeah.

Old school, but...

Look, I can capture these animals

in action, okay?

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