The Last Polar Bears Read online

  My first shot went in the sea. The second went down one of the crevasses. As I am running low on golf balls I decided to play just one last ball before I packed in. I took my aim at the red flag, kept my eye on the ball, and gave it a mighty thwack with the one-iron.

  The ball rose high into the blue sky, hung still for a moment as if deciding what to do next, and then fell in a graceful arc, out of sight beyond the crevasses. It was a magnificent shot and I set off after it immediately, to play the next.

  I went carefully past the crevasses, because if you fall down there you’re a goner. Then, in the distance ahead, I spied a small black shape, lying in the snow. As I got closer I realized that it was a little penguin, unconscious, but still alive. Beside it lay my golf ball.

  I wrapped the penguin in my coat, zipped it up in my golf-bag, and set off back to the cabin as quickly as I could. I laid it by the stove in a cardboard box. I feel very guilty about the affair and pray that it gets better. Roo and I had an argument when we went down to Walrus to buy more food. She said why didn’t I invite the whole of the Arctic into our home and be done with it. We could fill the place with sea-lions, Arctic foxes and seabirds, she said, and sleep outside. I had to tell her to be a little more caring for her fellow animals. She said they didn’t care for her so she wasn’t going to care for them.

  Penguin still unconscious.

  Tell your mother that I am well. I have thrown away the pills Doctor Strangler gave me and feel better without them.

  A full moon tonight, and many stars. The stars seem to shine brighter here in the Arctic. Jackson says it is because the air is cleaner. You could see all the way across the valley, right up to Bear Ridge. It was like daylight, only more blue.

  The wolves howled all night. A melancholy sound, lonelier than anything I have ever heard in my life.

  Friday 32 October

  Walrus Bay

  Hip hip hurrah, and three cheers! The little penguin has woken up! It has a slight bump on its head, but apart from that is perfectly well. It ate six dried fish for breakfast and went back to sleep.

  Went outside to get wood for the stove and it struck me that something was wrong. At first I could not make up my mind what was wrong. Then I noticed the sky.

  One half of it was a deep blue and the other was a bright yellow. But even stranger than that was the sun and the moon.

  They were side by side!

  The sun had risen, as it always does, but the moon hadn’t gone where it normally goes during the day. It had stayed.

  I rushed back into the cabin and then I noticed the calendar. It said that today was the thirty-second of October, which can’t be right as October has only thirty-one days, and today should be the first of November. Told Roo, and she said that she couldn’t care less how many days there were supposed to be in October – every day was the same to her, and days shouldn’t have numbers attached to them anyway.

  Something very strange is happening though, despite what Roo says. I think we should set off as soon as possible for Bear Ridge, before it gets any stranger.

  I started to pack immediately. Sent Roo down to the mailing station with a list of all the things we needed. She came back an hour later and said most of the food had gone. It seems as if everyone is leaving. Cannot decide what to do with the penguin. I feel responsible for him, but he does eat an awful lot of food. I cannot leave him here though. I shall take him with us until we find him a penguin colony to join.

  Early night tonight. The wolves are very quiet. Tomorrow, come what may, we will head for Bear Ridge.

  Do not worry about us, Child. We will be careful. I have my one-iron and I have Roo.

  Sweet dreams.

  Saturday 33 October

  Halfway up the Gentle Slopes

  After harnessing Roo up to the trolley packed to the brim with food, tent, sleeping-bags, the portable stove and pots and pans, I closed the door to my cabin and we set off at once towards the Gentle Slopes. I did not look back in case I changed my mind.

  We met the wolves on the way up to the slopes. I told them they could have my cabin and whatever else was left behind, but they shook their heads and said they were going north. One of them said something about the call of the wild. I found this as strange as the sky, which this morning was a pale green, and wondered what had happened to bring about such a change in them. For weeks they had lain around in their shack drinking Old Sock, and now suddenly they were making the difficult journey north. They ran across the snow towards Wolf Point, and then I lost sight of them.

  They seemed different.

  More like they must have been before the mailing station came.

  Wolves.

  Further up we met Jackson, at work on a giant walrus. I told him we were leaving for Bear Ridge. I gave him a few letters to post for us, thanked him, and we set off again. By lunch-time we had reached the Gentle Slopes and we started the long climb up.

  Once I looked back and saw the cabin, a tiny speck in the distance, and it brought a lump to my throat.

  Roo was pulling the trolley with great enthusiasm, no doubt driven along by the thought of ice-cream, and so by tea-time we were halfway up to the top.

  We stopped and pitched the tent, crawled inside and lit the stove. After a large meal we got into our sleeping-bags. Penguin didn’t, as he is used to sleeping without one.

  By tomorrow we shall have reached the top. Very sleepy.

  Sunday 34 October

  Further up the Gentle Slopes

  A terrible day! Whilst we were taking the tent-pegs out, a large gust of wind blew the tent away. We watched it float off over Blue Whale Bay. Fortunately I had taken the sleeping-bags out earlier or else it would have been a complete disaster.

  We carried on up the Gentle Slopes. The wind started to blow harder. I tied us all to a piece of rope so that none of us would blow away. We made slow progress. At times Bear Ridge seemed to get closer and closer, but just as I thought we would reach it, it would get further away again. It must be like those mirages you get in the desert. The sky changed from lilac to a deep crimson and it started to snow.

  We stopped and made an igloo, cutting out blocks of snow with my one-iron to make the walls. The wind grew more fierce, and we had just finished the igloo when the storm hit. It blew the trolley up into the air, taking Roo with it. I only just managed to catch one of the wheels with my golf-club and pull her back down. I grabbed her in my arms, undid the harness and the trolley flew off down the mountain.

  Tonight we went through what we had left inside the igloo. We still have the stove, so we can cook, but we have very little food left. Just five fish and some porridge. That’s all. Only one sleeping-bag. Everything else was in the trolley.

  Very despondent tonight. I can hear the storm outside. Roo is wrapped up in the sleeping-bag. Penguin is asleep by my legs. When the storm is over we will walk up to Bear Ridge and everything will be fine.

  I miss the wolves.

  Monday 35 October

  Igloo

  The storm has not stopped. Poked our noses out to have a look and nearly had them blown away. The sky was as black as coal and the wind was moaning in a horrible way.

  Stuck in the igloo all day. Played I spy with Roo, to keep her spirits up, but there were not many things in the igloo, so the game was very short. Shared out two of the fish and a little of the porridge between the three of us. The situation is grim.

  Child, you know that I am old, don’t you? That is one of the reasons why I went away. I have to see the polar bears before it is too late. The snow-caps are melting. The polar bears have nowhere else to go. This is the last place on earth for them.

  When I have seen them we shall come back. Don’t worry, Child, we know what we’re doing.

  With love,

  Tuesday 36 October

  Igloo

  The storm has not stopped. We now have only three fish left and a little porridge. I read Roo the last chapter of David Copperfield, and then we burnt it.
r />   How I long to get up and stretch my legs. But I know that if we went out in this storm, we would be lost for ever.

  Too cold to write any more.

  Perhaps tomorrow the storm will stop and we shall finish our journey.

  Tell your mother that all is well. I don’t want her to worry.

  Wednesday 37 October

  Igloo

  We now have only one fish left.

  Thursday 38 October

  Igloo

  Thank heaven for Roo! This evening she produced a tin of macaroni cheese, which she said she had been saving for a special occasion. We all sat round the little stove and watched it cook. It was the best thing I have ever eaten!

  Storm still going as strong as ever. All three of us in sleeping-bag to keep warm.

  Bless you, Child.

  Friday 39 October

  Igloo

  Very weak, so this letter will be very short. We have no food left. The storm has stopped. In the wind I am sure that I hear voices. I thought I heard the wolves howling. The three of us huddled together.

  Child, do not worry.

  I know the polar bears will find us.

  I feel more tired than I have ever felt in my life. I shall dream of the polar bears tonight.

  Roo says she will dream about ice-cream.

  Tell your mother that I will be home soon.

  Saturday 40 October

  The storm suddenly stopped and we all crawled out of the igloo. I only took my one-iron and a few golf balls with me. The sky wasn’t purple or green, it was just blue.

  We walked the last bit up to Bear Ridge under the warm sun. Penguin walked beside me, while Roo ran ahead, as dogs always do. At last we reached the top! Here I am, Child, on Great Bear Ridge, and it’s like I dreamt it would be, only better. The wolves are here and I am happy to see them. The whales are here too, swimming amongst the icebergs. And there are penguins and seals. But most of all, the polar bears are here.

  I can see them with their cubs, playing in the snow. I have not spoken to them yet, but I will.

  Sleep tight, my Child. This is a beautiful world and it goes on for ever. I am tired now and must stop writing. Tell your mother that I love her.

  Shush Roo. The polar bears are here.

  Hush Roo. In the morning we will search for ice-cream for you.

  Ice-cream for Roo.