The Trophy of Champions by Cameron Stelzer

snuggling down next to him.
    â€˜Who needs a seat?’ she giggled. ‘There’s plenty of room on this stump for both of us.’
    Whisker felt his cheeks flush a bright shade of pink.
    â€˜Here’s an idea,’ Horace said, before Whisker could wiggle his way out of trouble. ‘Athena searches the right page, Whisker examines the left and I go and get us all a tasty treat from the tavern.’
    â€˜Deal,’ Athena said. ‘Bring me back a garden salad, – and don’t forget one of those souvenir placemats they’re giving away this week. I’m collecting the whole set.’
    â€˜Sure, sis,’ Horace groaned. ‘That will be three tasteless salads and three tacky red placemats …’
    â€˜Isn’t this cosy, Whisker,’ Athena declared as soon as Horace was gone. ‘We could start our very own book club – just you and me.’
    â€˜Pete loves books, too,’ Whisker said hastily. ‘I’m sure he’d love to join. Why don’t you ask him?’
    Athena pretended not to hear him and lowered her golden spectacles to the end of her nose.
    â€˜Gracious,’ she said, peering down at the sun-drenched book, ‘the writing is ever so small.’
    â€˜Tell me about it,’ Whisker agreed. ‘I go cross-eyed after looking at one page. You’re lucky you’ve got reading glasses.’
    â€˜These?’ Athena laughed, removing the stylish frames from her nose. ‘They don’t help a bit. Look, the lenses are clear.’ She held them up in front of him. ‘I only wear them so people appreciate me for my brains as well as my beauty . You can try them on if you like. I’ve got dozens of pairs.’
    Before Whisker could protest, Athena tucked the arms of the glasses behind his ears and positioned them on his nose.
    â€˜What a charmer!’ she squealed. ‘You look positively dapper.’ There was a rustle of canvas from the entrance to the tent. Whisker hurriedly tried to remove the glasses from his face.
    â€˜T-that was quick, Horace –’ he stammered. He stopped when he realised the figure in the doorway wasn’t Horace. It was Ruby. She took one look at Whisker and Athena, cuddled up on the stump, grabbed a quiver of arrows and stormed out.
    â€˜What’s her problem?’ Athena said, staring after Ruby. ‘She’s always so uptight.’
    â€˜If you just gave her a chance,’ Whisker began, fighting back a wave of guilt, ‘you’d find she’s really, well …’ Athena gave him a bored yawn and Whisker knew it was pointless to continue. ‘Let’s just focus on these cane toads,’ he sighed, returning the glasses to Athena.
    The sun-reactive ink of the blank pages grew clear in the morning light and the two rats were soon flicking through detailed sections, searching for information.
    Horace returned with their lunch, bearing news that the penguins were being thrashed by the marmosets in the second pool game. He proceeded to offer them his ‘expert’ assistance, which amounted to a string of loud burps and highly irrelevant comments.
    â€˜Listen to this,’ he said, reading a caption beside a map:

    â€˜And how is that relevant, Brother?’ Athena interrupted.
    â€˜It’s not,’ Horace replied. ‘But the caption goes on to say that the smaller rivers and swamps of Aladrya are discussed on page four hundred and sixty three. I figure that any water-dwelling animals must get a mention sooner or later.’
    Athena flicked through the pages until she located the swamp section and began skim-reading the contents.
    â€˜Bingo!’ she said. ‘According to this, the milky-white secretion from the glands of cane toads is toxic. Care should be taken to avoid contact with the mouth and eyes.’
    â€˜Tell us something we didn’t know,’ Horace muttered.
    Athena continued, ‘Toads absorb moisture