It would be much harder for them, she supposed, as they couldn’t understand human speech. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that dog life would be very confusing if you couldn’t understand what humans were saying. If Chills had just picked her up in Hobart and bundled her into a bag, and she didn’tknow the meaning of the word ‘Antarctica’, she’d have had no idea where she was bound, or for how long.
Come to think of it, the huskies had spent their whole lives in Antarctica. Hobart would be as shocking for them as Antarctica had been for Stay.
The huskies! Stay felt a rush of shame just thinking of them. She so badly wanted to be friends with them, but Blackie had disliked her on first sight and made sure the rest of them wouldn’t be friendly either. All because she was different. Didn’t they understand she was still a dog? She felt like a dog, she looked like a dog, she could talk to other dogs. If she wasn’t a dog, then what did they think she was?
It was a confusing line of thought and Stay was quite relieved when it was interrupted by the appearance of a tall man with wild hair and the longest, woolliest beard she’d ever seen. She couldn’t help staring as he bent down to talk to Jackie.
‘How’s it going, Baldy?’ she asked him.
‘Cool, Boss Lady,’ he said. ‘Hey, I’ve been thinking about that dog.’
What about me? Stay thought.
‘Windy and me are going out to Rumdoodle Hut tomorrow to give the huskies a run. We’ll come back over the sea ice by Ring Rock. Be gone about three days, back in plenty of time for Christmas. We could swingby Beche on the way back and drop Stay off. There’s still plenty of ice on that side, so we can get across with the sledge. Give Chills and Beakie a little surprise.’
Oh, yes! Stay thought. If she was off the station, then no one else could dognap her, hide her, chain her up to something, or wee on her. She’d be on her way to Chills.
‘That’s a very roundabout trip for dropping off the dog,’ Jackie said, wrinkling her forehead. ‘Anyway, Chills will be in for Christmas in a few days.’
Baldy grinned. ‘It’s a jolly. That’s the point. There is no point.’
Jackie shrugged. ‘Righteo then. Make sure the sea ice is safe before you cross. I don’t want to be sending out a Search and Rescue.’
‘Sure thing,’ Baldy said. ‘No “SAR” for us.’
Stay could see him grinning under his beard. He leant over and gave her a pat on the head.
‘Looks like you’re coming with us, Stay,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry, I only look like a wild beast.’
Jackie laughed and then frowned. ‘Don’t take any risks to deliver a plastic dog, Baldy. No mischief.’
‘We’re in Antarctica,’ Baldy said, his eyes wide and an innocent look on his face. ‘What could possibly go wrong?’
‘That’s exactly what worries me,’ Jackie said.
Baldy winked at her before he turned away and Stay wondered what Jackie was worried about. Baldy looked like a very trustworthy guy. A little too hairy for Stay’s taste, but nice enough for all that.
It wasn’t till he’d sat back down at his place and started eating again that she realised exactly what he meant.
A sledging trip with the huskies. The huskies who hated her. Oh, no.
Chapter 23
The preparations for their trip to Rumdoodle Hut were nearly done and a group of people from the station had come out to see them off. Despite her worries about the huskies, Stay was quite excited. This would be her first field trip in Antarctica. She wasn’t going on a quad bike or in a Hägg but on a real dog sledge.
‘There won’t be too many more sledging trips in Antarctica,’ Baldy said as he carried her to the sledge. ‘This is a historic moment, Stay. One of the last chances to be like the old-time explorers.’
Windy waved at them. ‘Can you lash her on?’ he called. ‘I’m just going to get the dogs.’
Baldy put Stay on top of the heavily loaded sledge and began tying
Come to think of it, the huskies had spent their whole lives in Antarctica. Hobart would be as shocking for them as Antarctica had been for Stay.
The huskies! Stay felt a rush of shame just thinking of them. She so badly wanted to be friends with them, but Blackie had disliked her on first sight and made sure the rest of them wouldn’t be friendly either. All because she was different. Didn’t they understand she was still a dog? She felt like a dog, she looked like a dog, she could talk to other dogs. If she wasn’t a dog, then what did they think she was?
It was a confusing line of thought and Stay was quite relieved when it was interrupted by the appearance of a tall man with wild hair and the longest, woolliest beard she’d ever seen. She couldn’t help staring as he bent down to talk to Jackie.
‘How’s it going, Baldy?’ she asked him.
‘Cool, Boss Lady,’ he said. ‘Hey, I’ve been thinking about that dog.’
What about me? Stay thought.
‘Windy and me are going out to Rumdoodle Hut tomorrow to give the huskies a run. We’ll come back over the sea ice by Ring Rock. Be gone about three days, back in plenty of time for Christmas. We could swingby Beche on the way back and drop Stay off. There’s still plenty of ice on that side, so we can get across with the sledge. Give Chills and Beakie a little surprise.’
Oh, yes! Stay thought. If she was off the station, then no one else could dognap her, hide her, chain her up to something, or wee on her. She’d be on her way to Chills.
‘That’s a very roundabout trip for dropping off the dog,’ Jackie said, wrinkling her forehead. ‘Anyway, Chills will be in for Christmas in a few days.’
Baldy grinned. ‘It’s a jolly. That’s the point. There is no point.’
Jackie shrugged. ‘Righteo then. Make sure the sea ice is safe before you cross. I don’t want to be sending out a Search and Rescue.’
‘Sure thing,’ Baldy said. ‘No “SAR” for us.’
Stay could see him grinning under his beard. He leant over and gave her a pat on the head.
‘Looks like you’re coming with us, Stay,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry, I only look like a wild beast.’
Jackie laughed and then frowned. ‘Don’t take any risks to deliver a plastic dog, Baldy. No mischief.’
‘We’re in Antarctica,’ Baldy said, his eyes wide and an innocent look on his face. ‘What could possibly go wrong?’
‘That’s exactly what worries me,’ Jackie said.
Baldy winked at her before he turned away and Stay wondered what Jackie was worried about. Baldy looked like a very trustworthy guy. A little too hairy for Stay’s taste, but nice enough for all that.
It wasn’t till he’d sat back down at his place and started eating again that she realised exactly what he meant.
A sledging trip with the huskies. The huskies who hated her. Oh, no.
Chapter 23
The preparations for their trip to Rumdoodle Hut were nearly done and a group of people from the station had come out to see them off. Despite her worries about the huskies, Stay was quite excited. This would be her first field trip in Antarctica. She wasn’t going on a quad bike or in a Hägg but on a real dog sledge.
‘There won’t be too many more sledging trips in Antarctica,’ Baldy said as he carried her to the sledge. ‘This is a historic moment, Stay. One of the last chances to be like the old-time explorers.’
Windy waved at them. ‘Can you lash her on?’ he called. ‘I’m just going to get the dogs.’
Baldy put Stay on top of the heavily loaded sledge and began tying
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