Chapter five
GordonandVirgilreleasedtheir tight hold on one another when Thomas approached the tank, but it was still impossible for Scott to see where one snake ended and the other began.
Thomas explained how the zoo had wanted them both to take part in a breeding programme, but neither of them was interested whenever a female was introduced.
The two male snakes had stared longingly at each other from their separate enclosures, and at night, they shunned their heat lamps and would fall asleep pressed up against the glass, sharing as much body heat as they could.
Even Scott thought it romantic.
Thomas had read online that they were going to be separated and had contacted the zoo to buy them.
“You didn’t have them before you were inside?” Scott asked.
Thomas shook his head. “Not these two. When I brought them here, it was the first time they got to touch, and when they wrapped around each other, I was worried, but I needn’t havebeen. They find it hard to let go. They feel more comfortable together than apart.”
Gordon and Virgil were moving, and they looked like a huge tumbling pretzel travelling from one end of their enclosure floor to the other.
Thomas strolled over to the snake casually lying on a thick branch. “John’s been here four years. He got too big for his enclosure.”
John was the first snake Scott had seen when he’d stumbled into the room. He was mind-blowingly big, not just in length, but in girth. It wouldn’t require much effort for him to swallow Scott whole.
“He’s an anaconda, right?”
Thomas smiled at Scott. “He is. A green anaconda, the heaviest snake there is.”
“That movie is terrifying.”
Thomas moved on to the next tank, much smaller than John’s.
“Lucy is one of my vipers. She’s the deadliest snake here. I need a licence to keep her, and Penelope.” He gestured at the neighbouring tank. “She’s my baby viper.”
Scott strolled over to look at Penelope. Her slit eyes glared back.
“How come she doesn’t blink?”
Thomas frowned at him. “Snakes don’t have eyelids.”
“Oh…I knew that.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Fine, I didn’t… Is that why you glare at me most of the time, you’re trying to imitate them?”
“I glare because you annoy me.”
Scott nodded. “Good to know.”
He waved his hand for Thomas to continue the tour.
Scott saw every snake, except the highly venomous one called Lucy. Thomas kept taking Scott back to the tank, but neither of them could spot her.
“Hopefully she hasn’t escaped again,” Thomas muttered, before wandering off.
Scott widened his eyes. “Escaped?”
“I’m sure she’s in there somewhere.” Thomas waved him over to the door. Then pointed at the brass bell attached to the wall. Scott’s fingers twitched. He desperately wanted to pull the cord, ring that bell.
“This sound let’s them know it’s dinner time.”
