by Unknown
‘Oh, yes,’ said Taran darkly. ‘I hate her as much as she hates me, and she knows it. When the crown is whole again, I will bring her from her prison and let her witness my triumph.’
Tullor laughed too, though it came out as an ugly hiss. ‘That will be a splendid joke, madam! When Karwynna sees you wearing the crown, she will not dare to claim that you are anything but the true Queen!’
Karwynna? Morvyr drew in a sharp, shocked breath and dared to open her eyes a fraction. Taran had stopped looking at her and was admiring her own reflection again.
‘I’ve been waiting for years to see her face when I show her the restored crown – my crown,’ she said. ‘I will take great pleasure in that. And, when it’s done, I can see no reason to keep her alive any longer.’
‘Ah, madam,’ Tullor was almost crooning, ‘then it would be my pleasure to deal with her once and for all!’
Taran smiled at him. ‘So you shall, Tullor. It will be a reward for your loyalty.’
‘Thank you, Your Majesty!’ There was horrible anticipation in the eel’s tone.
‘I will rest now,’ Taran said. ‘Go and watch for the boy and his sister, and bring word to me as soon as they return.’
‘As Your Majesty wishes.’ Tullor lowered his head and his body writhed. Then he sank beneath the pool’s surface and disappeared.
Motionless in her watery cell, Morvyr watched as Taran gave a satisfied sigh and lay back on the rock couch. The Queen’s eyes closed, and soon she was asleep. Still Morvyr didn’t move, but her mind was whirling with the shock of what she had overheard. She remembered the terrible time when Taran had launched her plot to overthrow the rightful Queen, Kara. Her attack had taken Kara and her servants by surprise; Kara was killed, and Taran had snatched her daughter and heir, Karwynna. For years the merfolk believed that Karwynna must be dead too. Now, though, Morvyr knew that they were wrong. Karwynna was still alive.
But if Taran succeeded in getting her hands on the two missing pearls, Karwynna would die.
Tears welled in Morvyr’s eyes and mingled with the water in which she swam. It seemed that Taran now had a plan to make Kes and Lizzy bring her the silver pearl. That must not happen! But how could she stop it? She was helpless; she couldn’t reach the twins or Arhans, couldn’t warn anyone! All she could do was wait, and hope against hope that Taran’s plan would fail.
And waiting would be the hardest thing of all.
Chapter Four
‘Well, you really are a talkative pair,’ Mum said when the Baxters were having supper that evening. ‘We’ve hardly had a word out of either of you.’ She looked shrewdly from Rose to Lizzy. ‘Are you both feeling all right?’
Lizzy looked up. ‘What? Er – yes, fine, Mum. I just… haven’t got anything to talk about.’
‘Me neither,’ said Rose.
Dad, who never missed a chance to tease, said, ‘Missing Paul already, Rose? Ah, young love!’ He winked at Mum, who made a mock swipe at him with her fork.
‘Shut up, Dad,’ said Rose. ‘Anyway, they’ll probably be back tomorrow.’
Lizzy looked up quickly. ‘Do you know? Has Paul texted you?’
She was pretending to be casual, but Rose wasn’t fooled. ‘What’s with the big interest all of a sudden?’ she asked curiously. ‘Wanting to see them off, and now wanting to know when they’ll be back. What are you up to?’
‘Nothing. Don’t be stupid!’
‘Lizzy!’ Mum said sharply. ‘That’s enough! You too, Rose. If you want to argue with each other, do it somewhere else.’
Both girls fell silent. Rose had been about to ask Lizzy bluntly what she and Kes had been talking about so secretively at the lighthouse, and how Kes had managed to disappear so quickly and completely. Now, though, she was glad Mum had stopped her in time. Something was going on, she was certain. But, if she pushed, Lizzy would just clam up and say nothing. If she was going to get some answers, Rose told herself, there were better ways to do it.
The meal was finished in awkward silence, and as soon as she was allowed to Lizzy left the room. Rose heard her going upstairs, then the sound of her bedroom door opening. Sulking, probably, she decided. But as she helped clear the table Lizzy came down the stairs again. She didn’t say anything, didn’t even look at Rose, but joined in to do her share of the clearing and washing up.
Now, this really was strange, Rose thought. All day Lizzy had repeatedly disappeared up to her room. She never stayed there for more than a few minutes, but she kept on doing it, and Rose couldn’t work out why. Was she phoning someone on her mobile? And, if so, who was it? If – or when – she did it again, it might be worth trying to find out.
The chance came when the washing up was done and Dad was drying the last of the plates. Rose saw Lizzy slip away and up the stairs, and after a few seconds she went after her.
Lizzy’s door was ajar, and Rose expected to hear her talking on her mobile. But there was no sound from inside the room. Doubly curious now, Rose tiptoed to the door and cautiously put her eye to the narrow gap.
Lizzy was standing by the window. She had picked up the big spiral shell that she’d brought home from the beach a couple of weeks ago, and she was holding it to her ear. Rose was baffled. Was that why Lizzy kept coming up here? It wasn’t just strange, it was downright weird! And there was such a look of concentration on Lizzy’s face. Was she pretending the shell was a phone? She must have gone completely nuts!
Suddenly Lizzy lowered the shell and put it down on the window ledge. She turned, and Rose dashed along the landing to the bathroom before her sister could emerge and see her. She was only just in time. But, peering round the bathroom door, she saw the deep frown on Lizzy’s face as she went back downstairs.
Rose was no nearer to solving the mystery by bedtime, and the following day Lizzy seemed more distracted than ever. She still repeatedly went to her room, though Rose didn’t risk following her again in case she should be caught.
Lizzy, though, was completely uninterested in Rose. As the day went on and there was no signal from Kes, she grew more and more tense. How much longer would she have to wait? Where was the Regard? Had anything gone wrong?
Then, just before teatime, she picked up the shell yet again and heard, among the rushing sea sounds, Kes’s voice.
‘Lizzy… Lizzy… The harbour. Dusk. The harbour…’
Lizzy’s heart leaped with excitement and relief. This must mean that the trawler was coming in! She rushed downstairs and almost cannoned into Rose, who was reading a text on her mobile and not looking where she was going.
‘Careful!’ Rose said, flailing her arms to regain her balance.
‘Sorry.’ Then Lizzy stopped, staring at the phone in her sister’s hand. ‘What are you reading? A text?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Who’s it from?’
Rose gave her a sharp look. ‘None of your business,’ she said, and walked away. Lizzy stared after her. Was the text from Paul? Was the boat back in mobile range, and had he told Rose when they would arrive? She ached to ask but didn’t dare; it would look too obvious. She would just have to wait a while longer.
Mr and Mrs Baxter were going out that evening. A film they wanted to see was showing in Penzance and Mrs Baxter said that she couldn’t remember the last time they had been to the cinema together, and alone.
‘Last time, we had to get a babysitter for you two,’ she told the girls. ‘It must have been years ago! I’m so glad that Rose is old enough now to look after Lizzy.’
Rose raised her eyes heavenward in mock despair, and Lizzy said indignantly, ‘I’m old enough to look after myself!’
‘Maybe, but I still wouldn’t leave you at home alone all evening. So, no going out tonight, Rose, all right?’
‘All right,’ Rose said with a long-suffering air. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t planning to. Paul’s getting back soon, but he says he’s too tired to see me tonight.’ She shrugged. ‘So I might as well be stuck here as anywhere else.’
Pau
l’s getting back… So Rose’s text was from him. It was the confirmation Lizzy had been hoping for, and she felt herself relax. Just a few more hours, that was all.
When their parents had gone, Rose flopped down in front of the TV. For a while Lizzy sat with her, trying to distract herself by staring at the screen. But she was nervous and fidgety, so as soon as it was late enough not to arouse suspicion she stood up, stretched her arms very obviously and said, ‘I’m going to bed. ’Night, Rose.’
Rose apparently wasn’t concentrating. ‘Yeah,’ she said vaguely. ‘’Night.’
Upstairs in her room Lizzy waited impatiently for dusk. At last the sun flared down behind the house and shadows in the streets and harbour merged into grey. She couldn’t bear to delay any longer and, pulling on a jumper, she tiptoed down the stairs and peered warily into the sitting room. Rose was sprawled on the sofa, punching out a text on her mobile. The TV was still on but with the sound turned down, and Rose was now listening to music on her iPod. Relieved, Lizzy backed away and went through the kitchen and out by the back door. There was a little alleyway behind the garden gate, and from there she could get round to the street. It was safer and quieter than using the front entrance.
She closed the door with a gentle click and hurried away.
In the house, Rose sat up and looked thoughtfully towards the hall. Her busy-ness had been a pretence. She had heard Lizzy creeping downstairs and seen her peeking round the door, and when she vanished again Rose took out the earpiece of her iPod (which wasn’t switched on anyway) and listened carefully. Then she’d heard the back door open and shut. OK; as she had expected, Lizzy was up to something. So maybe now she really could find out what it was.
Lizzy did not look back as she hastened on to the harbour, but, if she had, she might have glimpsed a shadowy figure following her cautiously along the street.
The harbour was quiet. A few evening sightseers were strolling about, and Lizzy stopped on the quay and gazed over the scene. The last reflections of light on the sea were fading as darkness crept across the bay, and there seemed to be no activity around the fishing boats. For a few moments she wondered if she had arrived too early. But Kes had said dusk… Then suddenly she saw two familiar figures, one tall and the other much smaller, on the quay wall. Jack and Kes were there!
She ran to them. ‘You’ve found each other – oh, I’m so glad!’
‘So am I.’ Jack’s eyes were misty with emotion. ‘Now I’ve got both my children back at long last!’
Kes, too, was shiny-eyed; even his fear for Morvyr couldn’t dim the joy of being reunited with his father. But, after the first happiness and excitement, they all sobered as they started to talk about what they should do.
Kes had already repeated his story to Jack, and to the twins’ relief Jack felt the same way as they did.
‘We’ve got to give Taran the pearl,’ he said. ‘I hate the thought of it, but there’s no other choice. Rescuing Morvyr is more important than anything else.’
Kes frowned. ‘But will she keep her promise and set Mother free? I don’t trust her.’
‘Neither do I,’ Lizzy agreed.
Jack sighed. ‘We can’t be sure, of course. But I don’t think she’ll cheat us. She knows that Morvyr hasn’t got the black pearl, so what’s the point in keeping her prisoner? And once you’ve given her the silver pearl you two are no more use to her either.’
‘I suppose so,’ Kes said reluctantly. ‘But I’m still scared.’ He glanced at his sister. ‘And I don’t like the idea of Lizzy having to come too. We’ve got to take the pearl through its own special gateway, so that Taran will know it’s not a fake. The gateway’s far out past Land’s End; Arhans told me. Even if the dolphins help, it’s a very long way for Lizzy to swim. But Taran said she has to bring it herself.’
‘Mmm…’ Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully. ‘I might have an answer to that. Kes, if I took Lizzy to the gateway by boat, do you think Arhans and her friends would show us the way?’
Kes’s face lit up. ‘Yes, I’m sure they would! And it’d be great if you were with us, Father – I’d feel so much safer!’
‘Me too,’ Lizzy added; then her smile faded. ‘But if you mean Mr Treleaven’s boat, it’s very small. Could you take it a long way out to sea?’
‘I’m not talking about his sailing-boat,’ said Jack. ‘I’m talking about Regard.’
She stared at him. ‘The trawler? What about Mr Treleaven, though? He’d have to come too, wouldn’t he?’
‘Yes, he would.’ Jack’s eyes met hers, very steadily. ‘I know what you’re thinking, but you needn’t worry. Jeff has always been a good friend of mine. A very good friend.’
‘You mean…’ Her eyes widened. ‘He knows?’
Jack smiled and put a finger to his lips. ‘I’m not saying what he does or doesn’t know. Just trust me. All right?’
‘All right,’ said Lizzy dubiously.
‘That’s my girl. Then all I have to do is persuade Jeff to invite you out on a little day-trip. Do you think your parents will agree, if he rings them tomorrow?’ She nodded. ‘Good. Then you’d better get on home, before anyone misses you. I’ll get everything fixed up as soon as I can. And when we go out don’t forget your wetsuit!’
Lizzy hurried back through the dark streets with her mind whirling. From what Jack had said, it seemed that Mr Treleaven knew and accepted the truth about his past, or at least some of it. But how much? For instance, did he know that she and Kes were Jack’s children? Or about Morvyr? Or the black and silver pearls? It was strange and wonderful to think that someone else might share their secret and, what was more, believe it.
Reaching the alley that ran behind her house, she turned into it and headed towards the back garden gate. Rose, who was just a few metres behind her, had counted on that, and quickly she let herself in at the front door. When Lizzy crept from the kitchen to the hall and peeked round the half-open door, she saw her sister still sprawled on the sofa with her earphones on, apparently fast asleep. Smiling with relief, Lizzy glided noiselessly up the stairs and to her bedroom.
While, downstairs, Rose opened her eyes and stared at the wall without seeing it. She had a great deal to think about. A very great deal indeed.
Chapter Five
The next day Mr Baxter went to the college where he was to start teaching next month, to talk with the Head of Department about the coming year’s curriculum. While he was ‘out of the way’, as she put it, Mrs Baxter decided to redecorate their bedroom, which was painted a ghastly shade of pinky-beige. To her surprise, Lizzy offered to help.
‘Aren’t you going to the beach?’ Mum said. ‘It’s another lovely day; surely you don’t want to be stuck indoors?’
‘I don’t mind,’ said Lizzy. ‘Honest, Mum, I’d like to help.’
‘Well, I’m not going to turn down an offer like that!’ Mum grinned at her. ‘Come on, then. But wear something that you don’t mind getting painty.’
In old shorts and T-shirts they had soon shifted the bedroom furniture and were at work washing down the walls. Lizzy was thankful that Rose was out with Paul. Her sister had been asking a lot of curious questions lately, and this readiness to stay at home would have made her very suspicious. The truth was that Lizzy didn’t want to go anywhere until Mr Treleaven phoned about the boat trip. There was no guarantee, of course, that he would agree to Jack’s idea. But, if he did, Lizzy wanted to be here when he rang Mum to talk about it.
They were washing the last wall when the phone shrilled loudly. Lizzy nearly jumped out of her skin, but luckily Mum didn’t notice and picked up the bedroom extension.
‘Hi, Janice,’ she said. ‘Yes, fine, thanks – and you?’
Lizzy let out her breath with a rush. It was Mum’s friend from the hospital where she worked part time. Mum chatted for a minute or so, then said, ‘Yes, I’ll be there. Thanks. Bye,’ and hung up.
‘Someone in the department’s off sick, so they want me for an extra day this week,’ she sa
id as she picked up her sponge again.
‘Oh, right.’ Lizzy didn’t know what else to say, and put extra energy into the washing. They left the walls to dry for half an hour, with the window wide open, then it was time to start on the painting. The phone didn’t ring again, and Lizzy tried not to think about it, but to concentrate instead on telling herself how nice the new light sea-blue colour was going to look.
They broke for lunch, which was ham and salad and coleslaw. As they were finishing it, and Mum was saying how much faster the bedroom was coming on with two of them working, the phone did ring. Again Lizzy jumped, but Mum still didn’t notice.
‘Hello?’ she said into the receiver. Then: ‘Oh, hello, Mr Treleaven.’
Lizzy’s heart missed a beat so violently that it hurt. This is it, she thought.
‘On your boat?… Tomorrow? Well, the only thing is, how long were you planning to go for?… Oh, I see; just a day-trip… Yes, of course; I don’t see why not. I’m sure they’ll both love it.’
Lizzy froze. Both? What did she mean, both?
‘Lizzy’s here now,’ Mum went on. ‘Rose is out, but as soon as she comes in… Oh, of course, Paul’s already told her. Well, that’s very kind of you, Mr Treleaven. And very exciting for the girls! We’ll speak later – goodbye.’
She turned to Lizzy with a broad smile. ‘You’ve got an invitation,’ she said, ‘to go out for a day-trip on Mr Treleaven’s boat tomorrow.’
‘Oh…’ Lizzy tried her best to look surprised. ‘That’s… wonderful.’
‘Well, I must say you don’t sound very pleased,’ said Mum. ‘I thought you’d be thrilled.’
Hastily Lizzy pulled herself together. ‘I am, Mum, really – it’s great! I just – didn’t expect it.’ She hesitated. ‘Did he say Rose as well?’
‘Of course! Paul’s her boyfriend, so she’s hardly going to be left out, is she? You’ll have to make sure you’ve both got warm clothes and life jackets. And I’ll do you packed lunches, all right?’