Part 7 (1/2)

Li, Hex and Amber looked around for Paulo. He was still in the water had he been dragged down when the whale submerged? But no, there he was, hanging onto his kayak. He heaved himself up with his arms and folded his long legs back into the vessel. He pulled up the plastic skirt that kept the water out around his waist, and the seal spooked and scooted away.

Amber saw out of the corner of her eye a network of white bubbles on the surface, like a lace doily. It was the whale's blowhole. She glanced at Hex. 'Get outta here!' she yelled. The two friends paddled like mad in different directions. Moments later the whale exploded onto the surface, drenching them.

Hex stopped paddling and looked back. From the side the whale's mouth was like two giant mussel sh.e.l.ls, its dark glossy back like a small submarine as it arced through the water. Beyond, Amber bobbed on the water like a doll in a shoe. The whale slipped into the water again.

The kayakers watched the water, enchanted, poised to flee if the whale came up again. But the water remained still. The whale had gone.

Ahead was a small island, a rocky hump about ten kilometres long. It stuck out of the water like a tooth. Birds wheeled in the air above it and tiny figures moved on the rocky outcrops, as though the surfaces were covered in ants. Amber, as lead scout, pointed her oar towards it. That was where they were going.

Back in formation, they paddled closer. Bird lime streaked the cliffs like white paint, making the cracked grey rock underneath look forbidding. The island was covered in seals. A family of them humped awkwardly down a rocky incline into the water. They looked like people trying to crawl in sleeping bags, thought Amber. The moment they hit the water they transformed into torpedoes, their streamlined bodies looping up and down through the waves, their skin glistening like s.h.i.+ny rubber.

The kayaks picked up speed. The current was getting stronger as the sea became shallower, but Amber had expected this. An experienced sailor, she had planned the route so that a novice like Tiff could cope. She checked her wrist-mounted compa.s.s and led the group to the left, around the end of the island. Gannets soared off the cliffs above them.

Tiff shrieked. She pointed with her oar and Alex's head snapped round, looking for the danger. A small dorsal fin was slicing through the surface near Alex's boat.

'Shark!' she shouted, although most of the sound was lost in the cries of sea birds.

It wasn't a shark. Alex tried not to smile. He let go of one oar and mimed a dolphin swimming.

Tiff mouthed something at him in reply. He didn't bother to lip-read.

A dark hole appeared in the white-streaked rock. Amber adjusted her course so that they were heading straight for it. A cave. They paddled closer to the rocks. Little eddies of foam splashed up against them. Then they slipped inside the dark hole and the sound changed.

The roaring wind and the calling birds were m.u.f.fled. Instead they could hear the soft splash of their paddles, the water lapping against the rock walls.

'Ah, peace and quiet,' sighed Amber. It was the first time they'd been able to talk.

'Where do we have lunch?' said Paulo. His curly hair was plastered to his head after his dunking.

At the end of the cave was a small sandy beach and a cl.u.s.ter of rocks. The group climbed out of their kayaks into the water and secured them carefully, then flopped down on the sand, stretched their cramped limbs and enjoyed freedom.

Amber crawled over to her kayak and pulled a waterproof bag out of the foot. 'Chocolate, guys?'

Paulo didn't need to be asked twice. As soon as Amber offered the bar of Galaxy his hand whipped it away. She pa.s.sed another bar to Alex.

'Hope you haven't got any fish-paste sandwiches,' said Li. 'We could get pecked to death.'

Tiff refused the chocolate and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. 'Who's picking us up?'

'No one's picking us up,' said Alex. 'We're going back the way we came.'

'I can't,' said Tiff. 'I'm knackered.'

Amber didn't think Tiff looked any more tired than usual, just bored. She shouldn't have found the trip that taxing. 'You could wait for a pa.s.sing s.h.i.+p,' said Amber coldly. 'Flag down a lift.' She was fed up with Tiff and her difficult moods.

'Have some chocolate,' said Hex, pa.s.sing her a bar. 'It'll make you feel better.'

Amber got to her feet and went over to her kayak. She didn't need anything, she just wanted to get away from Tiff. Otherwise she might say something she'd regret. She pretended to inspect the kayak but instead she looked into the water as the waves rose up the little beach and withdrew again.

There was a shape in the water, coming towards the sh.o.r.e. In the gloom it was difficult to see it properly. As it came closer she caught a glimpse of eyes and a snout. She stood up. 'Hey, guys, I think there's an otter here.'

Li picked her way over and peered into the water. 'I can't see any movement,' she said.

The waves came up the beach and withdrew again. Again the glimpse of dark eyes, closer still. But it looked like it was drifting, not swimming. 'It's dead,' she said.

She picked up her paddle and reached into the water. A wave brought it close and she held it. She turned to the others. 'It's a deer.'

Alex got up and clambered over. 'A deer?' He remembered what he'd seen in what he thought was a fis.h.i.+ng boat.

Li looked at the wet hide. There was a long incision in the pale fur along its abdomen. It flapped open. 'And uh this is weird. It's been gutted.'

'Gutted?' repeated Amber.

Alex bent down and gingerly pushed the flap of skin aside.

Tiff shrieked. 'Ugh, you are gross.'

'Just checking,' he said, and carried on.

Inside was a big red cavity where the heart, lungs, liver and intestines had been.

'It's quite fresh,' said Alex.

'Well, it can't have been in the water long,' said Paulo, and popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. 'The birds will have it in no time.'

'But where did it come from?' asked Hex.

'Sainsbury's,' muttered Tiff. 'Who cares?'

Li gave Alex a significant look. Alex knew what it meant. The boat they had seen earlier, taking delivery of deer carca.s.ses.

'Conference later,' she said quietly. 'When we've got rid of Little Miss m.u.f.fet.'

'What are you whispering about?' said Tiff.

Li pushed the deer back out with her oar. 'Just saying a prayer while we bury this dead deer.'

Instead of floating out, the deer came back in. The waves deposited it at Tiff's feet. The head bobbed and touched the toe of her boot.

The friends stood, waiting for the tantrum. But Tiff simply kicked the deer's nose away. 'Dead things. In a cave on a desolate rock. What a surprise. I'm having such a good time here. When are we going?'

Amber looked out towards the cave mouth. Where before there had been a clear blue sky, there was now a wall of grey. 'Picnic over, guys. We'd better get back. It's got rather misty out there.'

11.

SEA F FRET.