Harry the Poisonous Centipede by Lynne Reid Banks Read Free Book Online

the meaty thing, which blocked the tunnel. It rose steeply in front of them – a meatcliff. They felt and felt. George felt in one direction, Harry in the other. After a while they ran back to each other.
    â€œThis meat-cliff is only part of it, whatever it is,” said Harry.
    â€œIt’s huge,” said George.
    â€œIt goes on and on,” said Harry.
    â€œNo end to it,” said George.
    â€œIt’s got bumps and hollows,” said Harry.
    â€œSome parts are hairy,” said George. “It must be some kind of hairy biter.”
    â€œMaybe,” said Harry. But the most ghastly thought had come into his head. He dared not say it.
    They were quiet for a moment. Then George said, “Let’s climb up it!”
    Harry said slowly, “You know what I think it is?”
    But George didn’t want to listen. “We can’t stay here!” he said. He began scrambling up this big warm meat-mountain.

    Harry couldn’t bear to be left behind. He scrambled up after him.

26. The Meat-mountain
    They climbed up a straight place that had wrinkles on it which made it easy to climb. It was the sole of a foot, but they didn’t know that.
    When they got to the top, they slipped between two knobbly things. These were toes. But they didn’t know that.
    They ran down a gentle slope, dodging between the stiff hairs, and came to a long thing like a branch, except that it was hairy too. Here, the roof of the warm tunnel lay right on top of them and they had to pushthrough. But they were used to burrowing, and this was easier than that.
    At the other end of the branch – which was a long way – they came to a smoother part. It was like a big flat warm meaty floor. No hairs here.

    â€œStop a minute,” said Harry.
    â€œWhat?” panted George.
    â€œWhy is it going up and down?”
    â€œI don’t know!”
    â€œI do,” said Harry. “It’s breathing.”
    That stopped George, but only for a moment.
    â€œLet’s go on!”
    â€œGrndd,” said Harry.
    â€œOh, what?” said George crossly. He sensed that Harry was going to say something he didn’t want to hear.
    â€œI think – I think – we may be climbing on a Hoo-Min,” said Harry quietly.
    At these dreadful words, they both crouched down in terror. But after a while, George stood up again.
    â€œWell, it’s not doing us any harm,” he said. “Maybe it’s dead.”
    â€œI sometimes think you’re stupid,” said Harry. “It’s not dead. It’s warm and it’s breathing. If you ask me, it’s asleep.”
    That made George brave again.
    â€œListen,” he said. “What’s the most important thing for us right now?”
    â€œTo get home,” said Harry.
    â€œNo,” said George. “That’s second-most-important.”
    â€œTo get damp,” said Harry.
    â€œRight,” said George. “And I smell water.”
    Harry moved his feelers around. He could smell it too, now. It was rather a long way off, but he knew it was ahead of them, not behind.
    Harry knew they were doing the thing Belinda had warned him never to do. He was sure they were in terrible danger. But when a centipede feels itself drying out, nothing else seems to matter except getting damp.
    â€œAll right,” he said at last. “Let’s head for it. When we’re damp, we’ll be able to think better.”
    They began to run across the flat meaty floor towards the moist smell.

27. The Lovely Wet Tunnel
    They passed a nice little nest on their way – just the right size for one of them to curl up in. (It was a tummy button, of course, but they didn’t know that.)
    They were both very tired by now. George got into the little round nest and turned around in it several times. When he curled up tight, it just fitted him.
    â€œYou can’t rest now, Grndd!” crackled Harry. “We must