The Swiss Family RobinZOM (Book 5) Read Online Free

gaining a healthy lead. It was only Liz on Lightning who managed to keep up with him, but even she had fallen behind until she was only a blot on the landscape.
    Ernest and Clementine rounded the northwest corner of the island, a protrusion into the dark navy sea. Liz and the rest of the family disappeared from view. The world had turned silent and, it seemed to Ernest, less jovial.
    The path now split in two: one wound right, diverging into the jungle, leading through swampland. It was shorter than the second route but would require a lot more energy to traverse. Clementine was not made for such terrain. Ernest played it safe and headed down the longer left-hand road that followed the shore. Let the others take unnecessary risks, Ernest thought. With a decent lead he could afford to take his time.
    Clementine flew over the sand, her long legs making it look easy. Ernest rolled his neck, making it pop. He was sat perched on Clementine in a most uncomfortable position, as ostriches weren’t made to be ridden by humans, especially for long periods of time. Ernest estimated they were halfway through the course. He was confident he could maintain his lead until the end.
    Then the path made a turn, a kink in its route that led back into the jungle a short distance. The canopy overhead dropped down low, providing shade, the branches interwoven like an old man’s arthritic fingers. It was nice, reminding Ernest of another time, a time when short Sunday drives in the country were common, and he and his family would stop off somewhere, get ice cream, and walk amongst the trees and woodland. Flags were attached to the underside of the copse. He reached up and took the yellow flag down, tucking it into his pocket.
    For a moment Ernest considered taking the other flags down and tossing them aside, but he doubted it was worth the time he’d spend in carrying out such a tactic, and didn’t even know if the other family members would even be heading in this direction.
    A branch came out of nowhere. Ernest barely managed to duck before it sailed overhead. Clementine lowered her head as another branch swiped at her. The overhead branches became thicker and pressed lower. Clementine gwek ed and lowered her head, parallel to the ground, slowing to a walk.
    Ernest had forgotten how low the trees were along this part of the track. He checked over his shoulder but saw no sign of the others, unless they had taken the other route and were now powering ahead of him. His stomach twisted at the thought.
    Ernest leaned forward in his saddle, shifting aside to see the canopy roof didn’t get any lower, but that it carried on at least until the end of the current path. He turned to look back, and found he was still alone on the route.
    He climbed off Clementine, held her reins with one hand, and led her under the canopy. She stayed in the centre of the path, head bowed down low, her giant eyes peering at the greenery around them. Occasionally she paused, surveyed her surroundings, and then carried on.
    Then the ground began to rumble.
    Clementine gwek ed, her eyes shifting from one wall of green to another, pulling against her reins, looking for what was causing this disturbing behaviour.
    “Out of the way!” a voice shouted.
    Ernest spun around to find Valiant bearing down on him. He let go of Clementine’s harness and threw himself aside. Valiant’s horns caught in the low canopy, but tore through it, the branches snapping beneath his awesome strength, tearing through it like it were tissue paper.
    Ernest sat up, watching as Francis’s back disappeared around a corner. Ernest ran to Clementine, who had run to the other side of the path, and seized her harness. She tried to run, jerking Ernest forward, but he dug in his heels and skidded along the path.
    “Clementine!” Ernest said. “Clementine, stop!”
    Gwek!
    “Stop!” Ernest said, and now that the rumbling had dissipated, Clementine calmed down, still wary and peering around at the