The Warrior Sheep Down Under Read Online Free PDF

explained precisely, “I’m Miss Barton.”
    â€œSure, Alice,” said Shelly. “Whatever.”
    Alice turned back to Deidre. “Is this really the best you could find, poppet, mm?”
    â€œUh, yes, Miss Barton. I mean…she’s qualified in all sorts of sports and stuff and knows first aid and can cook and drive and…”
    â€œAnd I know New Zealand and Oz like the back of my bush hat,” finished Shelly. “I’ve been leading adventure tour groups for years. Got my own transport too, of course.”
    Alice looked Shelly up and down again. She was going to have to make the best of a bad job. She braced herself and stood up. “Right,” she said. “Take me to Rotapangi. Bring the stuff with you, Deidre.”
    Shelly looked from Alice to Deidre, then at the mountain of luggage. She picked up the two heaviest suitcases as if they were filled with feathers and strode off. “That’s what I like to see,” she said. “Traveling light.”
    Deidre hurried behind with the laptop and remaining bags.
    â€¢ • •
    The warriors had felt the need for a reviving snack after their first ever try at surfing. They wandered back toward the harbor, found a patch of grass in a quiet corner near a parking lot, and got their noses down.
    â€œNice grass…” mumbled Oxo, tearing at it greedily. “Salty, like it was at Murkton-on-Sea.”
    â€œThe sobbing and sighing and tap, tap, tapping’s the same too, actually,” pointed out Jaycey. She still wasn’t sure she wanted to meet the fairest ewe of all, but with their stomachs full and the sunshine drying their fleeces, the warriors all felt excited again.
    Links looked up and began to nod:
    â€œMiss Tuftella, you ain’t got nothin’ to fear,
    Well, I s’pose you have but we’s gettin’ near.
    We’s the surfin’ sheep with a one track mind,
    That’s tellin’ us just what we gotta find.
    We’s Down Under now and there’s somethin’ new,
    So listen up, girl, and hear me true.
    The fairy godtingy’s showin’ the way,
    So, Tuftella, tune in to what we gotta say:
    Between us all, we’s got the power,
    An’ we’s comin’ to get you from your dark ol’ tower.”
    The other warriors joined in.
    â€œYes, we’s comin’ to get you from you dark ol’ tower!”
    Oxo suddenly broke off in mid-chorus and stared. “Hey, guys—isn’t that her over there? Our fairy godtingy!”
    The sheep looked up and saw Alice Barton hurrying across the parking lot, trying to keep up with a woman who was carrying a large suitcase in each hand. The Deidre girl was running along behind them, carrying more bags, which she kept dropping, then stopping to pick up. The woman with the big suitcases dumped them next to a battered four-wheel-drive truck on the far side of the parking lot.
    â€¢ • •
    â€œSay hello to Trevor,” said Shelly. “He’s your trusty conveyance for the next few days. Or weeks. Or however long it takes you to do what you have to do in New Zealand.”
    â€œI presume you are joking?” said Alice, staring in disbelief at the dust-coated vehicle.
    â€œDon’t be rude about Trevor,” said Shelly. “We’ve been through a lot together.” She opened the passenger door. “Get in, find a seat. You’ve got plenty of choice. We usually carry six passengers.”
    Alice turned on Deidre. “Can’t you do anything right? Why didn’t you check what sort of vehicle she had?”
    â€œBut they’re all the same,” said Deidre. “All the adventure tour companies have trucks like this.”
    â€œI don’t do trucks , poppet!” said Alice. “I do cars. Sleek, fast, expensive cars.”
    â€œNot in the Outback you don’t,” said Shelly. “Or most of New Zealand. Certainly not Rotapangi.”