Chapter VIII

After relaying the simple directions to P.T. on how to reach the cache of sand, Flik settled back into the wagon beside Atta. Flash was sitting beside Molt on the other side of the car, eagerly trying to explain the daunting rules of Tunnel Raid to the grasshopper, who frankly looked confused but listened politely nonetheless.

Atta smiled at Flik. "It's been quite a year," she couldn't help remarking. "I was raised to believe that running an Anthill was a predictable affair."

"You're lucky, then," Flik grinned back. "This will look great on your resume."

Atta laughed at the thought of a Queen Ant needing a resume for anything. "Everyone's right about you, Flik. You're one weird little bug."

Flik beamed. "That's me. Ulp!" he cried, as the wagon lurched violently, surprising everyone.

Atta poked her head out of the back of the car. "P.T., what is it?"

"Woah - Woah girls!" P.T. was struggling with the reins. "We're bogged down! Just hang on." The flea pulled on the reins to control the nervous millipedes then flicked the reins suddenly. Meeni and Myni jumped forward, yanking the wagon out of the patch of deep mud - and right into a deeper one. The millipedes floundered and began to panic.

Flik climbed out and hopped onto the top of the back car. He was about to tell P.T. about staying on the dead leaves, but there were too few around to be useful. Beneath him, he could feel the wagon beginning to sink.

Flash darted out of the wagon and hovered nervously above it. "Whaddawe do, whaddawe do?" he cried.

Flik suddenly hopped off the wagon. "Atta!" he shouted. "I need you!..We'll be right back!" he announced over his shoulder. "Just hang on, everybody!" He waded through the mud (not sinking much due to his lack of weight) then arrived on firmer ground and climbed out. He raced off.

Atta didn't even bother asking him what he was up to. She just flew after him.

The wagon was deeply mired in the mud. Meeni and Myni were squealing and thrashing, fighting P.T.'s best efforts to control them - which was making them sink very quickly. They were likely to drown themselves.

Molt exited the wagon as well - although he was able to remember in time not to attempt flight. He hopped to a small rock jutting out of the mud and watched the scene with wide-eyed alarm.

"Hey Tiny!" P.T. called to Molt, noticing him out of the corner of his eye. "Make yourself useful! Get up there and help pull my girls out before they bury themselves!"

The grasshopper started forward timidly. The millipedes were severely spooked and writhing about violently. "Is it safe?" he called back to the flea.

"Just go, you pea-brain!" roared P.T.

On that note, Molt stepped in front of the animals. They were too busy struggling to notice him.

"Grab them!" cried P.T. He was beginning to become rather panicked himself. "Pull them out, for pity's sake!"

Molt tried to comply but the millipedes were simply thrashing too much. If only they would settle down...

Molt glanced around for anything that would help him. The only thing handy was a soggy leaf, laying on the wet ground. Memories of one of Hopper's tricks to calm Thumper when the insane grasshopper went berserk surfaced, and Molt picked up the leaf and tossed it over the millipedes' heads.

Slowly, Meeni and Myni ceased their struggles as the leaf obscured their vision. Molt carefully took hold of their bridles and guided them out of the mud as far as he was able.

P.T. leapt down to the grasshopper's side and took over. "My poor girls," he said, his voice dripping with relief.

Flash landed. "We'll never get them and the wagon alla way outta there," he pointed out in his usual helpful manner.

P.T., Molt, and Flash looked up as Flik and Atta suddenly arrived around a fallen tree branch, each bearing a leaf full of sand. Flik approached the millipedes. "This should help," he said.

Flik poured his sand into the mud around the millipedes' feet. Atta poured her sand around the wheels of the wagon.

"Try now, P.T.," instructed Atta.

P.T. carefully removed the leaf from the millipedes' heads. They blinked but did not spook. "All right, easy now girls," the flea said, pulling on the bridles. Meeni and Myni grunted and began to ease themselves forward out of the deep mud, pulling the wagon behind them.

Finally, the wagon was on solid ground again.

"I guess no one said this trip was gonna be easy," Molt remarked with a sigh.

"How much worse could it be?" asked Flash. "We must be almost there, right?"

Flik nodded. "It's only a few feet away."

Atta noticed P.T. clinging protectively to the millipedes' bridles. "How about we just walk the rest of the way?" she suggested.

It was agreed, and they all set off walking towards the sand's hiding place, P.T. leading the millipedes.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Oh, Your Majesty...oh, if I had only known what she was up to..!"

The Queen shook her head. "No, Mr. Soil," she sighed. "You couldn't have stopped her from going even if you did know. That's Dot for you."

"But Your Majesty!" cried Cornelius. "She even took that...that killer grasshopper with her! He'll massacre them all!"

"Somehow I doubt that, Cornelius." The Queen leaned back in her throne and pondered. "Dot knows the way to the Sheltering Stones, and they took the wagon," she reasoned. "Perhaps they will make it through, after all. And, considering the way the weather's been, perhaps Dot did the right thing."

"Oh dear," fretted Dr. Flora sadly. "I'm so disappointed in Cora, taking her patients out on a day like this!"

"Well what do we do?" Thorny wanted to know. "Just sit here and twiddle our thumbs?"

"No," the Queen answered him. "You and the workers get in the Tunnel and get ready to dig. Flik's come through for us before - he just might again."

"Betting pool in the Dining Hall," Cornelius whispered to the other members of the Council.