It's not that I cared that much for the animals, but I liked building things. So I built the ship with gopher wood and made the smelly creatures climb aboard, without even the help of a cattle prod.

But you didn't have a ship, you were never a captain, Uncle Noah, you were just a bus driver ! And you were told to do it !

So let's say it was a bus, a white and silver one that I patiently assembled myself from spare parts.

You didn't build anything, Uncle Noah, they were regular buses by a regular car maker, just tell your story straight, please

So what ? OK, let's say that my colleagues and I were summoned one morning by the station chief, and that we were told to replace the normal schedule by a very special one. We were to pick up every couple of animals that we would meet from Central Station to Terminus.

And you expect me to believe you ? An army of barehanded bus drivers chasing kangaroos and aardvarks in the streets ?

Hey, the animals were saved, weren't they ? I may embellish the details but I don't make everything up. Yes, the animals were already sorted out and rounded up when we came to pick them up. There were dozens of guys in uniform with tranquilliser guns trying to contain them, because the beasts were getting restless, you know. Some were fighting, or eating each other, or humping each other.

No need to be crude, Uncle Noah.

That's what they did, what do you think ? They felt the imminent danger and creatures in danger have sex whenever they can. Anyway, the uniformed guys made them keep as quiet as possible and we were authorised to open the doors only when they had the situation under control. Then came the couples...

Were they really couples ?

I don't think so. Small parties of 5 to 10 if you want, The idea was to get at least one fertile couple for every species. They knew that one third would die during the trip, and sometimes it was difficult to know whether the animals were boys or girls so they collected enough of them to be sure.

What did you have on board ?

I was lucky, because I had been terrified beforehand to get, say, spiders, or snakes. But I got penguins instead, several species, cackling critters who kept looking at me with their beady eyes. They messed the seats, too.

You mean the seats hadn't been removed ?

When I think of it probably yes. Does it matter ? I joined the flow of buses and trucks. Now that I didn't fear the animals themselves, I started fearing the coming storm. I looked back every minute, searching the sky for telltale clouds. When the rain came, it took everyone by surprise anyway, so sudden it was. The penguins started clapping hands, though, because they missed the