The Complete Adventures on Nim’s Island

by Wendy Orr

  The buildings got closer. The closer they got, the bigger they grew. They looked as tall as Fire Mountain, and they covered the island so thickly Nim wondered how people could walk in between them.

  A motorboat roared by; Selkie swerved out of its way, but two sailboats were following, with a whole fleet of other sailboats chasing them, and a yellow water taxi zipping through the middle.

  ‘We’ve got to get out of here!’ Nim said.

  Selkie veered to the right, away from the racing sailboats. A little grey-and-white tugboat, with red trim and a fat and friendly shape, was coming that way. No matter which way Selkie veered, the tug kept chugging straight towards them. Its engines were slowing, and there was a man standing at the bow waving while two others rushed to unclip the life rings.

  ‘Hang on!’ the captain shouted from a loudspeaker in the wheelhouse. ‘We’re coming!’

  Nim and Selkie had been friends since Nim was a baby. They both knew what the other was feeling, and now they both knew that they might never get to shore without help.

  ‘And if they try to put us in jail, we’ll just have to escape again!’ Nim told Selkie and Fred, trying to sound braver than she felt.

  The tug was nearly there. The men tossed out the life rings; the youngest man threw off his jacket and shoes and jumped in. Nim slipped off Selkie, Fred slipped off Nim and they all swam towards the boat.

  ‘Over here!’ shouted one of the men, running to the tug’s low, flat back section. ‘Daniel, bring her around to the stern!’

  ‘Right!’ the young man shouted, as he swam desperately towards Nim. ‘Don’t worry! I’m coming!’

  With Daniel on one side and Selkie on the other, Nim swam to the tug.

  The two men on deck threw themselves down, reaching over the side to Nim. She grabbed their arms and they pulled her up on board. Daniel followed. Nim was coughing, spluttering and shaking, and her teeth were chattering so hard she could barely speak. ‘Please get Fred!’

  Daniel rushed to the edge. ‘There’s someone else out there?’

  Nim pointed. Fred was riding on top of one of the life rings.

  ‘That’s Fred?’ Daniel asked. He was shivering a bit too. ‘I guess he can’t hang onto the life ring if we pull it in?’

  Nim shook her head.

  ‘Well,’ said Daniel, as he got ready to jump in again, ‘I sure hope Fred appreciates this.’

  But at that moment, Selkie came up under Fred, and soccer-tossed him onto the deck. Then, with a mighty leap, she flopped up beside him.

  The older man came back from the wheelhouse with a blanket, and wrapped it snugly around Nim. ‘I take it they’re friends of yours?’ he asked, as Fred scurried to Nim’s shoulder and Selkie settled herself protectively behind them.

  Nim nodded.

  ‘Okay. Because otherwise that’s one lost sea lion, let alone the iguana. So what happened?’

  ‘I fell off a boat,’ Nim said, pointing vaguely towards the disappearing sailboats.

  ‘You fell off a boat and nobody noticed?’

  Nim nodded, her teeth still chattering.

  ‘Hmm. That’s not the whole story, is it?’

  ‘No,’ Nim said honestly.

  ‘Well, let’s get you warmed up and we’ll work out what to do with you. What about some hot chocolate? And Daniel, you’re the skinniest – how about finding her one of your spare T-shirts so we can dry her clothes?’

  Nim went into the cabin and changed into Daniel’s T-shirt. It came down to her knees like a dress, so she could hang her own clothes out over the line to dry in the sun.

  ‘Now,’ said the older man, when Nim reappeared. ‘Let’s start with names. You can call me Ivan, and you are?’

  ‘Nim Rusoe.’

  ‘And where are your parents, Miss Nim Rusoe? Who am I going to call to say we’ve fished you out of the harbour and could they please come and pick you up?’

  ‘My mum’s dead,’ said Nim, ‘and you can’t call my dad. But I’m looking for my friend Alex Rover.’

  ‘Alex Rover, like the author?’ asked Ivan.

  ‘Nim, like Nim’s Island?’ asked Daniel, pointing to a water taxi zipping towards the shore. On its side was an enormous poster of a girl with a spyglass at her eye and an iguana on her shoulder, leaning out from the top of a palm tree while a sea lion splashed in the cove below. Nim’s Island was written around the top, and ‘the newest by ALEX ROVER’ in even bigger letters underneath.

  Nim’s brain couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. It was like looking into her rainwater pool and seeing a strange, almost-Nim, reflection looking back at her.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘That’s me.’

  JACK CHECKED HIS email at the airport again before his flight left. There was still nothing from Alex or Nim. Before, Jack hadn’t known if he was more scared or angry. Now he knew: he was just plain scared. Because it didn’t make sense. Alex would never have taken Nim without telling him. And Nim would never have meant to leave without telling him.

  But what else could have happened? What if they’d been kidnapped by the supply plane pilot? What if he’d come right across the world to find them and they were still somewhere near the island?

  Maybe he should jump straight onto a plane home the instant he landed.

  ‘I’ve got this far,’ he decided. ‘I’ll look for them in the city first.’

  But as the plane roared up the runway, Jack suddenly remembered that if someone’s name wasn’t in his email address book, the message went into the Trash unless it had the words “science” or “research” in the subject line. And the Trash folder had blinked every time he’d checked his emails.

  Alex and Nim didn’t know that.

  There could be an email from them in the Trash right now! Jack thought bitterly.

  But he’d have to wait till the plane landed before he could check.

  IVAN WAS JUST about to phone Delia Defoe to tell her about Nim, when a call came in over their radio. A big cruise ship needed a tugboat to tow it up the Hudson River to its dock.

  ‘I guess we could take you with us,’ said Ivan. ‘Maybe someone could meet you at the cruise ship terminal.’

  ‘No!’ Nim exclaimed. ‘I can’t go anywhere near the cruise ships!’

  Ivan looked at her shrewdly. ‘You might have to tell us a bit more of your story, young Nim.’

  ‘There’s a Professor on the ship. He kidnapped Selkie, and he wanted Fred too. He said that was the law because of the Foundation for Intelligent, Unique and Interesting Animals – but Selkie’s been my friend since I was three, and Fred since he was hatched … they can’t belong to this Foundation, and go to live with people to study them. They just can’t.’

  ‘So you jumped overboard to save them?’ asked Ivan.

  Nim nodded.

  Daniel whistled.

  ‘Well,’ said Ivan, ‘you’ve got the courage of your convictions, that’s for sure. I don’t see that we’ve got any choice but to get you where you’re going – sea lion, iguana and all. And until the police have sorted out this Professor and his Foundation we’ll help you steer clear of him.’

  ‘We could drop you off somewhere else,’ Daniel suggested, ‘if someone could meet you.’

  Ivan phoned Papyrus Publishing. When he asked to speak to Delia Defoe he was put through to her voicemail, and when he phoned back and tried to explain that he had Nim with him and that she needed to find Alex Rover, he was put through to a special recorded announcement about publicity for Alex Rover’s new book. When he tried a third time and explained how urgent it was, he was told that Papyrus Publishing never ever gave out an author’s address or phone number.

  ‘I’m afraid you’ll simply have to go to the publishing house,’ said Ivan. ‘We could put you in a cab.’

  ‘I don’t think a cab would take Selkie,’ Daniel said.

  ‘Selkie can’t stay behind!’ Nim protested, and Selkie barked ‘NO!’

  ‘I’ll phone my sister-in-law Carla,’ said D
aniel. ‘You’d all fit in her delivery van.’

  He picked up his phone. Nim could faintly hear Carla on the other end, ‘A sea lion? Are you for real?’

  The radio crackled. ‘The cruise ship’s waiting. Is there a problem?’

  Daniel grinned as he put away his phone. ‘We’re in luck – Carla’s down near the water taxi dock right now.’

  ‘Give me five minutes!’ Ivan said into the radio. ‘We’ve got an emergency delivery to the water taxi dock.’

  ‘Does Carla like sea lions?’ Nim asked anxiously.

  ‘Sure! She’s just never met one.’

  ‘And marine iguanas?’

  ‘Who wouldn’t love Fred?’

  Fred smirked, and went on munching the salad Ivan had made him.

  Nim’s clothes were nearly dry. She took them off the line and changed in the cabin as they pulled into the dock.

  Ivan handed her a card when she came back to the wheelhouse. ‘You’ll be fine with Carla. But this has got my name and phone number – you call me if you’ve got any problems. Call us if you don’t have any problems! We want to hear you got there safe.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Nim. ‘And thank you for the sandwich and hot chocolate.’ If she ever did get back to the island, she thought, maybe she could take some hot chocolate with her.

  ‘Here’s my number too,’ said Daniel.

  ‘And thank you for rescuing me,’ Nim said.

  ‘Anyone jumps off a ship into New York Harbour to rescue their friends,’ said Daniel, ‘I’d be proud to rescue them.’

  ‘Just don’t make a habit of it!’ Ivan warned, giving her a warm hug. ‘And don’t forget to call us.’

  The tug bumped up against the dock. Daniel jumped down, and Selkie, Nim and Fred followed.

  THEY GOT OFF at a park, with a wide stretch of green grass that ended at a path as smooth and hard as rock, and so crowded that everyone had to move with determination and speed. Nim had never imagined that so many people could fit into the same place at the same time.

  While they walked they talked on phones, to each other, to themselves; some used words Nim couldn’t understand and languages she’d never heard. They drank cans of soft drink and cups of coffee, ate ice-cream on sticks and hot dogs and pretzels, carried purses and briefcases and fat bags with shopping or small dogs inside – and somehow they hardly ever bumped into each other.

  ‘Come on,’ said Daniel. ‘Carla’s waiting. It’ll be fine.’

  Nim took a deep breath. Fred curled himself tighter around her neck. Selkie pressed hard against her. They followed Daniel down the path.

  Next to the path was a road, and on the road there were cars. Lots of yellow cars, and lots of every-other-colour-in-the-world cars. Some were going one way and some were going the other, but just when Nim thought they’d meet smash in the middle, they slipped safely on by.

  Nim had seen pictures of cars, but she’d never heard the noise or smelled the smell. The smell was hot and the noise was hotter, and just when she thought it couldn’t get any louder there was a high-pitched siren, a roaring noise like a sea lion bull, and a huge red truck screamed past.

  Selkie didn’t like this place with all its strange noises, and she wanted to get through it as fast as she could. She galumphed off the path onto the road.

  Cars honked and brakes screeched.

  ‘Selkie!’ shouted Nim, dashing into the road after her.

  ‘Wait!’ shouted Daniel, grabbing Nim’s arm.

  ‘What part of DON’T WALK! don’t you understand?’ shouted a taxi driver at the people dashing across while the cars stopped for Selkie.

  Selkie barked crossly and flopped back up onto the path.

  ‘It’s Nim and the sea lion!’ shouted a woman on the opposite side of the street.

  ‘Is that who you’re supposed to be?’ a man called. ‘Are you supposed to be Nim?’

  ‘Great publicity stunt!’ cheered another man.

  Then the cars stopped, and so did the flashing sign of a little red man walking. As everyone stepped onto the road the sign below lit up to show a little white man walking.

  So that’s how they know when to do it! thought Nim, as she stepped up onto the sidewalk on the other side.

  They hurried on through a little park, ignoring the flowers and cool splashing fountain. At the end of the park was an enormous bull.

  Selkie barked and wouldn’t go on.

  ‘It’s okay!’ Nim coaxed. ‘He’s just a statue!’

  Selkie froze into her statue trick, and the people who were lined up to have their pictures taken with the bull ran over to take pictures of Selkie, too.

  ‘Is that a real sea lion?’

  ‘Is it safe?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Nim, and a woman rushed up to stand beside her while her friend took a picture. Fred reached over and gulped the top off her ice-cream cone.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Nim, though Fred wasn’t sorry at all.

  There was a whisper of excitement, and more people kept coming and taking more pictures.

  ‘Got to keep moving, guys!’ Daniel said.

  ‘Where are you going?’ a long-haired man called.

  ‘Papyrus Publishing.’

  ‘Have you got the address?’ asked a grandmotherly woman, writing it on the back of her shopping list. ‘My son works there.’

  ‘That’s a long way uptown,’ said a woman in a red suit. ‘How’re you going to get them there?’

  ‘You could take the subway!’ suggested the long-haired man.

  ‘You can’t take a sea lion on the subway!’ said the red-suited woman. ‘You need to call one of those cabs that takes dogs.’

  ‘My sister uses those to take her dogs to day care,’ said a carpenter walking past. ‘I’ll call her and get their number.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Daniel, ‘but we’ve already got a ride.’ They crossed the road to a woman opening the back door of a van covered with pictures of dogs and the sign Carla’s Canine Cakes.

  CARLA KISSED DANIEL, hugged Nim, patted Selkie and almost patted Fred, all at once and all while she was talking. ‘Glad to help out. I thought Daniel must be kidding, but you’re for real all right. You can tell me your story on the way – where is it you need to go?’

  Daniel gave her the address, ruffled Nim’s hair, and jogged back to the dock where the tugboat was waiting.

  ‘We’ve got a few deliveries to do on the way,’ said Carla. ‘Cakes can’t wait! I’ve stacked up the boxes so the sea lion can fit – Selkie, is it? – Selkie, can you hop right in there, honey? Just don’t squish the boxes!’

  Selkie flopped in to the back of the van, in front of the stacked cake boxes. It was cool, and if she sat up high she’d be able to see out the back window. She gave a honk of approval.

  ‘And what about this little guy?’ Carla asked, pointing to Fred.

  ‘He’s not going to climb all over the boxes, is he?’

  ‘He might,’ said Nim.

  ‘Okay, Freddy, in the front with Fritz. And you too, Nim. Fritz, stop barking, I’m sure Fred’s much nicer than he looks. Buckle up and off we go; we’ve got a bunch of cakes to get where they’re going.’

  Fritz was a dachshund, a short-legged long-bodied dog about the same size and shape as Fred. At first he squeezed himself against Carla, but then he wiggled up against Nim. Fred sneezed jealously; Fritz barked in surprise and then crawled across Nim to the side window so he could stand and look out, carefully ignoring Fred.

  Fred did the same, carefully ignoring Fritz.

  A bus went by. It was completely covered by the same Nim’s Island picture as the water taxi.

  Carla laughed. ‘Would you look at that! How do you feel about people staring at you all over Manhattan?’

  ‘A bit strange,’ said Nim, because it seemed more polite than saying it made her feel sick.

  ‘So?’ asked Carla. ‘Spill the story. What’s a kid doing in New York City all on her lonesome? Or another way to put it, what’s a kid doing with a
sea lion and an iguana and their picture on a bus? You know, I see a lot of strange things driving around this town, but I’ve never seen that before. Now, where did I put the address for that Dalmatian cake? There it is, under your feet, just grab it for me, will you?’

  A yellow car with a Nim’s Island sign on the back blared its horn.

  ‘Hey!’ Carla shouted back. ‘I’ve got the real thing in here, so just watch who you’re honking.’

  Fritz barked in agreement. Fred sneezed.

  ‘Here we are!’ Carla exclaimed a few minutes later, turning into a side street and stopping with a jolt. ‘We’ll have to get Selkie out so I can reach the cake … will you guys be okay while I run it up? It’s only half a block, twelfth floor, this says – won’t take me more than ten minutes.’

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ said Nim.

  But Selkie had seen a pond.

  It was a wide shallow pond in a small park, with a splashing fountain in the middle. Two boys and a girl were standing in the fountain, and a mother and baby were slapping at the shallow water at the pond’s edge. Selkie galumphed down the sidewalk, through a big marble arch, and cannonballed in. The pond was even more shallow than she’d realised, and instead of sinking down she skidded right across to the other side.

  The baby laughed and clapped his hands. His mother whisked him up and stood ready to run.

  ‘She won’t hurt him!’ Nim called, jogging across with Fred and Fritz close behind.

  ‘Okay,’ said the mum, and after a while she put the baby down again to splash and watch.

  Selkie rolled on her back and Nim splashed water over her dusty belly. Fred waded across to the fountain. Fritz followed him, until Fred climbed into the jet of spray and was bubbled up and over the edge.

  ‘Cool!’ said one of the boys.

  ‘Is he yours?’ asked the other.

  ‘And the sea lion?’ asked the girl.

  ‘They’re my friends,’ said Nim.

  ‘Do you belong to a circus?’

  ‘We don’t belong to anyone,’ said Nim. ‘We’re just us.’