by Lauren Child
‘An hour before what?’ said Hitch.
‘An hour before it’s too late.’
Chapter 45.
You can count on me
IT DIDN’T HURT EXACTLY, but it made her finger feel odd, sort of numb.
How strange.
Suddenly the cave was plunged into darkness and Ruby found herself suspended in blackness, utter and total blackness… except… What was that? What were they? Floating in front of her were beautiful, iridescent umbrellas. They seemed to be hovering in space, but of course they were not; they were in the water with her, all around her, under her, beside her, drifting past her. Dragging their lazy tentacles as they gently twirled by.
Now and again she felt a small shock, as strong as it was miniature, like a tiny jolt of electricity. She went to close her fingers but couldn’t. She wiggled her fingers but they didn’t move. Her brain was no longer in control of her hand. She was slowly being paralysed.
These were jellyfish, glow-in-the-dark, beautiful Parasol jellyfish. Their sting was by no means fatal, not even life-threatening; you could be stung a hundred times, two hundred times at least, and recover. The sting caused temporary paralysis, not a problem if you lost the use of a leg or an arm for a while, but what if you lost the use of both legs, both arms? What then?
Ruby realised she would know the answer before long. And she understood why the Count had sniggered at the irony of it as he destroyed her anti-sting serum.
Only her right leg seemed to be functioning in any useful way, but she was tiring, her body was failing her and drowning would soon be her fate. The one thing that could have saved her was trickling through the cracks of the rock floor.
A voice came out of the darkness.
‘Alas, I am afraid myself and Mr Darling must leave you; so much to do before we retrieve the rubies and return home. I’m sure you understand, do forgive me. Although…’ He paused. ‘…You won’t be completely alone. In just a few minutes our hungry friends will be joining you; it’s feeding time you see and they follow a very strict routine. Farewell Ms Redfort.’
‘I knew it!’ shouted Ruby valiantly. ‘Sharks, so corny – every evil genius uses sharks.’
‘Corny they might be Ms Redfort,’ the Count called back, ‘but they are very effective.’
She heard the footsteps retreat, the elegant ones and the heavy ones, as the two men exited the drowning cave. She thought of her mother and subconsciously began to hum the lullaby, Martha Fairbank’s song. It echoed eerily round the chamber, floating through the island passages. A sad tune and a soon to be forgotten one, never more to be passed down from mother to child.
Like Ruby herself, it would soon be lost.
She took her last breath as her legs and arms finally became inert. Her face dipped beneath the surface and she was aware that there was just one minute, one second before she either began to drown or was eaten alive. The following spiralling thoughts twirled through her mind.
Why had she told Clancy not to go back to shore? At least she would have some chance of being rescued. Maybe he would have had the sense to call the coastguard, the sheriff, Mrs Digby, anyone. But then no, Clancy would never have made it, he was certain to get lost; it was just as well not to have even the hope of a chance, she couldn’t count on him. Sure, he was a good friend, but he was useless in an emergency. I mean take this situation for example. What good would he be even if he was here? He would never come anywhere near the water; she would be eaten alive before he would even think of coming to her aid. Yes, all in all it was just as well he wasn’t here. At least she could wriggle off this mortal coil without him yacking at her all the time.
Ruby was so busy trying to distract herself from the inevitable that she hadn’t noticed that something strange was happening. She was rising above the glowing things, she was floating in space – no, wait a minute, the glowing things were sinking. The part of her right foot that could still feel was now touching the bottom of the pool, the water no longer above her nose.
The water level was lowering.
She looked up and saw a shimmery figure standing by the pool. Someone small. It wasn’t Mr Darling, no – it looked like, sort of like a boy.
Clancy?
It couldn’t be…
But it was.
Ruby tried to smile but her face was sort of numb. ‘I thought you were meant to be scared of sharks,’ she mumbled.
‘And I thought you were meant to be some kinda secret agent,’ he replied.
Chapter 46.
M is for Martha
CLANCY HELD OUT HIS HAND AND RUBY GRABBED IT. He pulled her up and half out of the pool just as one grey swimming beast pushed its way through the opening. It came directly at her, aiming for her legs, which still trailed in what remained of the water.
‘No you don’t buster!’ Clancy hissed as he heaved with all his might, pulling the deadweight that was Ruby free of the water and far from the pool’s edge.
The shark snapped its jaws and swam away.
‘You look a bit pale Ruby, you OK?’
‘I guess I’ve been better. How did you find me?’
‘I heard you singing. Can you run?’
‘I’m not sure I can stagger!’ croaked Ruby.
‘Can you crawl at least?’
‘Doesn’t crawling involve the use of at least two limbs?’ Ruby was spread flat on the floor.
‘Could you crawl if I told you that the Count might be making his way back down here and could find us at any minute?’
Ruby’s eyes widened. ‘I can run,’ she said.
But this was certainly an exaggeration. She couldn’t actually stand without falling over and Clancy found himself half carrying, half dragging her along the cave passages. He wanted to put as much space between them and the drowning pool as he could manage – not easy, for though Ruby was not what anyone could call heavy and though Clancy was remarkably strong considering his build, it was awkward to carry someone who had no ability to hold on.
Several times he nearly dropped her and she was accumulating bruises that fortunately for now she could not feel.
Finally, they stumbled into a huge cave that had passages peeling off in several directions. Clancy picked a route and staggered, with Ruby on his back, up some roughly cut steps that led to a cramped cave… and a dead end.
For now it felt safe though – at least no one would be passing this way. Clancy set Ruby on the ground like a sack of vegetables and then slumped down next to her.
‘Boy! Am I glad to see you,’ said Clancy. ‘I wouldn’t want to be in this place alone.’
‘Oh, it’s not so bad if you don’t mind jellyfish and murderers for company,’ replied Ruby, her speech slurred, her face still half paralysed. ‘What happened?’ she wheezed. ‘Suddenly fancy a little dip?’
‘Ah, just missing your good conversation,’ said Clancy.
‘That all?’ said Ruby. ‘Because I’m not feeling particularly blabby right now.’
‘Well also, something there in the ocean wanted me out of the boat and I didn’t like the way things were headed – I thought it might be safer in here with the madman and his large assistant-in-madness.’
‘Well, I’m glad you managed to work out the scuba gear.’
‘I didn’t,’ said Clancy. ‘The tank was empty.’
‘You just didn’t know how to work it,’ said Ruby.
‘I turned it to the right like you did,’ Clancy snapped.
‘But did you push the valve down first?’ she asked.
‘No,’ said Clancy.
‘Well, there you go,’ said Ruby. ‘The tank was full.’
‘Oh,’ said Clancy.
‘So how did you get here?’ Ruby slurred.
‘With this.’ Clancy held up the breathing buckle. ‘I found it in the boat – you left it. Some agent you are.’
‘Well, you should be grateful; it saved your life,’ said Ruby.
‘Don’t you mean yours?’ said Clancy.
�
��OK, so I’m grateful. But now what?’
‘Well, I was kinda counting on you for the escape plan. I believe you are the secret agent here,’ said Clancy.
The movement in Ruby’s neck was coming back and her left arm was tingling. She wiggled her fingers: her hand was working. Her legs though were still useless. She looked around her.
‘Clance, do you have a flashlight on you? It should be attached to your scuba belt.’
‘This?’ he said.
‘Yeah,’ said Ruby. ‘Shine it around a bit.’
As he moved the beam across the surface of the rock, Ruby began to make out markings scratched in the cave wall.
What are they?
‘M,’ said Ruby.
‘What?’ said Clancy. ‘What do you mean, M?’
‘Martha,’ whispered Ruby. ‘She was here – she told the physician how she scratched her initial into the rock when she was exploring the caves while the pirates slept.’
‘Why?’ said Clancy.
‘So she wouldn’t get lost duh brain.’ They stared at the carving; it was amazing to see that 200-year-old letter clearly etched into the wall.
‘Are you feeling brave?’ said Ruby.
‘Depends. Are you asking me to go back in the water?’ replied Clancy.
‘No,’ said Ruby. ‘At least not right now.’
‘Then I’m feeling brave,’ said Clancy. ‘Not happy exactly, but definitely brave.’
‘Good,’ she said. ‘Because we need to follow the trail of Martha’s initials until we reach the cave where the sea monster lurks.’
‘Right,’ muttered Clancy. ‘Why is it I feel like I’m in ancient Greece? Would you quit saying “sea monster” and “lurks”? It’s putting me on edge.’
‘OK, the cave where the octopus “hangs out” is the place where the “goodies” got stashed,’ hissed Ruby. ‘I just wanted to warn you that this octopus is more of a “monster” than the usual cephalopod.’
‘I know that,’ said Clancy. ‘I think I saw it from the boat. And I have to say it makes me feel a tad cowardly.’
‘So let’s go,’ said Ruby. ‘Before you start blubbing.’
‘I could leave you here, you know,’ said Clancy. ‘You should be careful – you’re the one with jello legs.’
‘Actually, I believe my legs are coming back to me – I might even be able to run if the situation demands.’
‘Great!’ said Clancy. ‘That’s OK then, we’re bound to make it outta here in one piece!’
‘Quit with the sarcasm Clance.’
They made their way back down the steps and followed the etched initials until they reached a place where the letters went off in either direction.
‘So which route should we take?’ Ruby pondered.
She turned right and they walked on, stopping every few yards so she could examine the letters. As she followed them, they seemed to get less careful, more hurried. Ruby guessed that these were made later as Martha travelled further from the relative safety of the apple barrel, a sign that perhaps she felt she needed to be quick now, get back while there was still time.
‘I think it’s the other way,’ Ruby said, abruptly turning round.
It turned out that her instinct was exactly right because barely twenty minutes later Clancy and Ruby found themselves in a huge cave illuminated by the pinkish glow of the rising sun. It shone through the cave opening and cast a silver light on the dark water that lapped in a deep-looking tidal pool.
‘This is the cave,’ said Ruby to herself. A perfect hideout, until the rockslide had closed it up. Though it wasn’t closed any more: the Count’s pirate band must have worked hard to clear the rocks, for now it was exactly as Martha had described it, a sheltered cove. You could sail right in and be hidden from view.
‘Smells bad,’ said Clancy, holding his nose. He looked around him. Stacked at one end was a whole load of supplies and equipment. The bad guys had been busy. ‘So how does your mom’s lullaby go again?’
Ruby sang:
‘Oh my rubies, your mother’s jewel,
You lie there still as a tidal pool.’
Clancy peered into the pool. ‘Well, I don’t think they’re in here and if they are, then I don’t think we’re gonna find them.’
‘They aren’t in it, they’re above it,’ said Ruby. ‘Martha said that the pirates placed the casket on the very highest ledge, the most difficult to reach.’
‘Not very practical,’ said Clancy.
‘On the contrary my friend, a very practical solution if one of your “colleagues” gets greedy in the night and tries to double-cross the rest of your pirate band.’
As the sun continued to rise, some adventurous rays crept further into the cave and the interior began to glow gold.
‘It has to be that ledge there,’ said Ruby, pointing at a perilous crag of rock that jutted high from the cave’s wall. ‘It’s the highest and most difficult to reach.’
‘But Rube, don’t you think the Count will have already taken it by now?’ suggested Clancy. ‘I mean why would he leave it?’
‘Because it’s safe,’ explained Ruby. ‘It’s been there for nearly 200 years and no one’s found it. My guess is that the Count decided to leave it there until he’d dispensed with the pirates; he didn’t want them getting their thieving hands on the real treasure.’ She was pretty confident about this and was already beginning to scale the cave wall. It wasn’t an easy climb and Clancy stood underneath her, flapping his arms and telling her she was most likely going to fall.
She scrambled onto the ledge, wriggling forward on her stomach. She was sweating and it wasn’t just to do with the effort of it. Time was a factor and time was getting scarce.
As she sat there catching her breath, Ruby scanned the rock wall and there, almost invisible, lodged in a small crevice, was a decorative casket of oak, reinforced with ornate iron bands.
Very carefully, she lifted it from its hiding place, undid the catch and slowly, slowly, creaked the lid open.
So that’s what all the fuss is about. She held her breath for seven or eight seconds before lifting Eliza Fairbank’s rubies from the treasure chest.
My, were they beautiful. Ruby held them in front of her – they sparkled even in the semi-darkness.
‘So did you find anything?’ hissed Clancy.
‘Yeah, I found something all right,’ said Ruby.
‘Well, could you get yourself back down here before someone finds us!’
‘OK, OK,’ muttered Ruby. She threaded the ruby necklace through the back of her dive belt and stuffed the casket into her backpack. It was awkward and difficult to manage the climb with the bulky bag; she glanced down at the drop below.
‘Do you think you can catch this?’ she hissed.
‘No problem,’ said Clancy. He caught the bag without trouble and Ruby began to edge her way over the perilous ledge, feeling around for a foothold.
‘Get on with it,’ urged Clancy. ‘You need to be quick.’
But as bad luck would have it, it was already too late.
‘I hear something,’ she whispered.
Clancy looked up at her queryingly.
It was whistling.
Clancy’s eyes widened.
Ruby’s heart skipped a beat.
The tune was familiar. It had been sung by her mother and her mother’s mother, and her mother before that, notes that echoed right back to Martha Lily Fairbank herself: the lullaby of the rubies.
Chapter 47.
Where's an apple barrel when you need one?
THERE WAS NO TIME TO HIDE, no apple barrel here, just time to imagine the end.
Clancy squeezed himself behind a rock – if he stood on one leg, he was almost out of view. He closed his eyes in a hopeless attempt to disappear. Ruby balanced there, both hands clinging to that ancient ledge, her feet not quite securely positioned on the slippery wall. Silently, she begged the sun to stop rising, for the cave to remain in semi-darkness.
The footsteps
echoed round the walls and there he was, this shadow of a man. This Count, this conjurer of fear who could make even a battle-hardened warrior tremble. He looked around and saw nothing… but he felt something; something was not right. Breathing. He was sure something was breathing, maybe two things. And then a drip. It came from above. The smallest of droplets from Ruby’s still wet hair, just enough to make him look up.
He seemed almost pleased. ‘Ms Redfort, not dead? Once again you surprise me – you really are quite the Houdini. Don’t tell me you escaped all on your own?’
Ruby said nothing, but her eyes told the truth; the slightest glance in the direction of one slender rock was enough to betray her friend.
The Count set down his attaché case and then very slowly walked towards the rock. He stepped to one side, he stooped and there he saw the wobbling left foot of Clancy Crew.
‘And your little helper… why, it’s Master Crew! We met at the museum function – isn’t that so?’ He said this with a wave of his hand as if remembering some pleasant and perfectly happy occasion. As if this was not the same occasion when he had attempted to steal a priceless jade Buddha and in the process almost succeeded in murdering Clancy’s dearest friend.
The Count pulled a silver flashlight from his pocket and shone it up so that he might see Ruby better. The light bounced off the rock and behind Ruby there was a sparkling reflection, like a mirrorball flickering across the ceiling of the cave. Ruby saw his puzzled expression and then understanding.
‘The rubies,’ he said. ‘How fitting that you Ruby Redfort, heir to the Fairbank fortune, should retrieve them.’ He beckoned her down. ‘I was planning to use a ladder, but you have saved me the trouble.’ When she reached the cave’s floor, he held out his hand. Ruby, without drama, without words, took the ruby necklace from her dive belt and handed it to the Count.
He examined the rubies carefully, reverently. ‘Flawless,’ he uttered, turning them over and over in his elegant hands. ‘Exquisite beyond words.’ His long, perfectly manicured fingers glided across each stone. Clancy and Ruby stared on; the Count was no longer aware of their presence so wrapped up was he in the rubies’ beauty.