Toad Triumphant by William Horwood Read Free Book Online Page A

advise, the mounting of an —”
    “Aha! So the Water Rat is involved as well in this very important business of yours? And Mr Badger? And even Otter. While I, who thought he was a friend to you all, have not been included, nor even told.”
    “But, Toad, I certainly did not mean to imply —” began the poor Mole, feeling himself getting into water that was growing deeper and muddier by the moment.
    “Well, well, let it be so, let it be so,” cried the unstoppable Toad, with such a show of acceptance and resignation that an animal less kindly than the Mole would have seen at once that most of it was feigned. “Opportunities come to some, and opportunities pass others by But certainly I rather think that if wise Mr Badger, whose views we all respect so much, had been aware that you so peremptorily cast to one side on his behalf and without discussion with him such an opportunity as I was about to offer, he might feel a little disappointed in you.”
    “But really Toad, I —”
    “Not to mention the Water Rat, who in such matters is always so decisive and practical.”
    “Toad, I —” essayed the poor Mole against the flood —no, the growing torrent — of Toad’s determination.
    “But no matter,” declared Toad with every appearance of sincerity, and a rueful shrug of his shoulders. “I am sure you are a better judge of the strength of Badger’s friendship and respect for you than I am. Let us therefore forget that I have said anything about this rare chance upon which you have chosen to turn your back, and talk a little about this business you are hurrying off to attend to.”
    “Well, it is quite important, you see,” began the Mole, considerably discomforted by Toad’s words, “and we have planned it over a long period, and after some ups and downs it is to commence tomorrow But if you would just tell me what it is you feel I have turned my back on then perhaps we can —”
    O, how slippery was that slope upon which Toad’s “determination” had put the good Mole! How desperately the Mole felt himself struggling to keep a clear head and remember that the only thing that really mattered was escaping from Toad and getting to the Rat’s house.
    “O, this will take no time at all, Mole. Come and you will be persuaded. See and you will be conquered. Partake and you shall take that step towards immortality which, just now, I greatly feared you were rather hasty in rejecting!”
    With that, and no more to be gainsaid or resisted, Toad gripped tighter still upon the Mole’s shoulders as he guided him back over the bridge and thence through a small gate into his own grounds.
    After a short distance much of the garden and the Hall itself could be seen, and the Mole was pleased to see that the grass that had been new-sown when he was last there had greened up a good deal since he had last seen it, and some of the plantings in the borders and the climbers about the pergola had begun to shoot and grow.
    “You have certainly come a long way since that unfortunate fire two years ago,” said the Mole politely.
    “Unfortunate? Do we call Fate unfortunate? Some may but Toad does not. Do we resist the tide of change? Most try, but Toad does not! Do we cling to the old? Everybody else may but Toad does not. No, he grasps the new with both hands!”
    The Mole felt Toad’s grip upon his shoulder tighten, and was seriously beginning to wonder if Toad would get so carried away that either he would regard the Mole as part of the “old” and hurl him into the nearest ditch, or accept him as the “new” and cleave him to his bosom in even more unwelcome intimacy.
    As he eagerly led the unwilling Mole back to the terrace where they had taken afternoon tea but weeks before the latter wondered with some foreboding how Toad might have resolved his dilemma of the empty plot, now that it was plain that he had not rid himself of his interest in immortality. The two were evidently connected.

    “Sit!” commanded Toad,