Read Online Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission by Janis Mackay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janis Mackay
Ads: Link
wind, like chattering starlings. Then they were gone.
In seconds Aquella was at his bedroom door. He was so full of shepherd’s pie the only thing he wanted to do was sleep.
“Right, Fin! Quick! Get ready!” Aquella commanded, her voice trembling with excitement. “I’ve put Neptune’s seaweed into this locket with your baby tooth. Put it on, quick.” Fin rubbed his belly and groaned.
“But what about Tarkin?” he asked, still lying in bed and beginning to feel sick, as Aquella snapped the locket shut.
“What about him?”
“He said he wanted to help. He said he would be there.”
“Well, maybe he’s there already. If not, we haven’t got time to fetch him. Come on, Magnus Fin. Get up! And here,” she added, flinging him a pair of swimming goggles, “these might come in handy for the stinging brown gunge. Put them round your neck. Now come on!”
Fin groaned again. He rubbed his belly then looked at his watch. Aquella was right. It was time to wriggle into his wetsuit.
“Might be a good idea to take the kilt off,” Aquella said, laughing, “and I promise,” she added, clapping her hands over her eyes, “I won’t look.”
At quarter to eight Magnus Fin and Aquella left the cottage, he in his wetsuit, she in her green dress with a pink puffy jacket on top, and a hat and gloves and scarf. The moon was now up and a silver path lay over the sea. It was almost light outside in an eerie colourless way.
They ran along the beach path, Fin casting his eyes around for a glimpse of Tarkin. Maybe he was on the black rock waiting? Maybe he had brought a flask of hot chocolate?
But as they neared the skerries there was no sign of Tarkin. The only things on the rocks were the letters M F. The white writing screamed at him. Fin clutched at his moon-stone and ran on, glad for the company of his cousin. But soon, he knew, they’d come to salt water. Then he’d be on his own.
“You have three minutes, Fin,” she said when they reached the skerries. She squeezed his arm and smiled encouragingly. “Take your trainers off. I’ll look after them until you come back. I’ll be in Ragnor’s cave. Good luck.”
Ragnor’s cave was close to the flat rocks where the dead seals lay. The same place he had seen Miranda and Shuna. It was a special place for the selkies; Fin knew that. He looked at Aquella anxiously as he handed her his shoes.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, “and remember – if youneed help let me know. I’ll be waiting. I’ll be the land lookout. Now go!”
She ran across the beach. The tide was far out so the salt water wouldn’t touch her. Fin watched her slow down. In the moonlight he saw her stand close to the dead seals then she turned and waved him on. He had one minute. He jumped over the skerries and headed for the black rock.
Fin leapt from rock to rock. Panting hard, he hoisted himself up onto the black rock and curled his webbed feet over the ledge. There was no one to count for him this time.
“Ten, nine, eight …” he shouted out loud. The moonlight shone bright. He gazed down at the water. It glinted like silver. He heard a thrumming noise. Thinking it was the churning of the water below he shouted on, “Seven, six, five …”
The rumbling noise grew louder. Someone’s thoughts dived into his. Four, three, two …
Fin glanced up. In the distance he saw a small boat. A torchlight from it flashed towards him: on, off, on, off. That was Tarkin’s signal! And those were Tarkin’s thoughts. His best friend was heading towards him – in a boat!
One – JUMP!
Magnus Fin grinned. He waved. The torchlight flashed back.
Then he jumped.
Chapter 16
Magnus Fin hit the water with a loud splash. It was freezing! Gasping with the shock, he clutched at the mother-of-pearl handle and pulled. The rock door to the selkie world opened. From the crack between the worlds the emerald-green light flashed – and he was through.
But through to what? Where was the crab? The water churned
In seconds Aquella was at his bedroom door. He was so full of shepherd’s pie the only thing he wanted to do was sleep.
“Right, Fin! Quick! Get ready!” Aquella commanded, her voice trembling with excitement. “I’ve put Neptune’s seaweed into this locket with your baby tooth. Put it on, quick.” Fin rubbed his belly and groaned.
“But what about Tarkin?” he asked, still lying in bed and beginning to feel sick, as Aquella snapped the locket shut.
“What about him?”
“He said he wanted to help. He said he would be there.”
“Well, maybe he’s there already. If not, we haven’t got time to fetch him. Come on, Magnus Fin. Get up! And here,” she added, flinging him a pair of swimming goggles, “these might come in handy for the stinging brown gunge. Put them round your neck. Now come on!”
Fin groaned again. He rubbed his belly then looked at his watch. Aquella was right. It was time to wriggle into his wetsuit.
“Might be a good idea to take the kilt off,” Aquella said, laughing, “and I promise,” she added, clapping her hands over her eyes, “I won’t look.”
At quarter to eight Magnus Fin and Aquella left the cottage, he in his wetsuit, she in her green dress with a pink puffy jacket on top, and a hat and gloves and scarf. The moon was now up and a silver path lay over the sea. It was almost light outside in an eerie colourless way.
They ran along the beach path, Fin casting his eyes around for a glimpse of Tarkin. Maybe he was on the black rock waiting? Maybe he had brought a flask of hot chocolate?
But as they neared the skerries there was no sign of Tarkin. The only things on the rocks were the letters M F. The white writing screamed at him. Fin clutched at his moon-stone and ran on, glad for the company of his cousin. But soon, he knew, they’d come to salt water. Then he’d be on his own.
“You have three minutes, Fin,” she said when they reached the skerries. She squeezed his arm and smiled encouragingly. “Take your trainers off. I’ll look after them until you come back. I’ll be in Ragnor’s cave. Good luck.”
Ragnor’s cave was close to the flat rocks where the dead seals lay. The same place he had seen Miranda and Shuna. It was a special place for the selkies; Fin knew that. He looked at Aquella anxiously as he handed her his shoes.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, “and remember – if youneed help let me know. I’ll be waiting. I’ll be the land lookout. Now go!”
She ran across the beach. The tide was far out so the salt water wouldn’t touch her. Fin watched her slow down. In the moonlight he saw her stand close to the dead seals then she turned and waved him on. He had one minute. He jumped over the skerries and headed for the black rock.
Fin leapt from rock to rock. Panting hard, he hoisted himself up onto the black rock and curled his webbed feet over the ledge. There was no one to count for him this time.
“Ten, nine, eight …” he shouted out loud. The moonlight shone bright. He gazed down at the water. It glinted like silver. He heard a thrumming noise. Thinking it was the churning of the water below he shouted on, “Seven, six, five …”
The rumbling noise grew louder. Someone’s thoughts dived into his. Four, three, two …
Fin glanced up. In the distance he saw a small boat. A torchlight from it flashed towards him: on, off, on, off. That was Tarkin’s signal! And those were Tarkin’s thoughts. His best friend was heading towards him – in a boat!
One – JUMP!
Magnus Fin grinned. He waved. The torchlight flashed back.
Then he jumped.
Chapter 16
Magnus Fin hit the water with a loud splash. It was freezing! Gasping with the shock, he clutched at the mother-of-pearl handle and pulled. The rock door to the selkie world opened. From the crack between the worlds the emerald-green light flashed – and he was through.
But through to what? Where was the crab? The water churned
Similar Books
