by Ed Clarke
Rhian’s voice trailed off as she caught sight of the perfectly stacked bales in the barn. Mari enjoyed her small moment of victory.
‘Oh,’ said Rhian, a little bemused. ‘In that case, why don’t you both come in and have some breakfast before you start work?’
‘Thanks, Mrs Jones,’ said Dylan. ‘That sounds lovely.’
‘Thanks, Mrs Jones. That sounds lovely.’
Mari was doing a sing-song impression of Dylan talking to her mother. They were back in Mari’s room, munching on fried-egg sandwiches while Gweeb polished off the few worms still left in the box.
‘Hey,’ replied Dylan. ‘I saved your bacon back there.’
‘Yes, well, I’m not sure my bacon needed saving, thanks,’ said Mari. ‘We just need to be a bit more careful.’
‘Being in the farmyard rather than in the fields was already your idea of being careful,’ said Dylan. ‘And then Gweeb nearly burned the place down.’
‘I was being careful, Dylan,’ said Mari. ‘I wasn’t the genius who left the lid off the box.’
‘OK, no, you weren’t,’ he admitted. ‘But now we know more about Gweeb, we have to keep him away from things that can burn, like hay, and things with milk in them. Like cows.’
‘Fine. So I’ll keep him in my room. And, unlike some people, I’ll remember to keep the top on the box and the door shut.’
Dylan shook his head. ‘Keeping him cooped up in that little plastic box all the time is cruel. And he’s clever – what if he does get out?’
Mari looked at Dylan sideways. She could tell he was working up to something. ‘What exactly are you saying?’ she asked.
‘I’m saying he should be somewhere with more space. Where there aren’t any cows. Or hay.’
Now Mari knew what he was getting at. ‘With you, I suppose …’
‘We’re better equipped to look after him, Mari,’ said Dylan.
‘No,’ said Mari, picking up the terrarium protectively. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘Mari, Dad has a proper terrarium in a shed in our back garden. It’s where he keeps sick lizards and stuff. It’s temperature controlled, has UV lights, and there’s room inside for Gweeb to move around.’
‘I need time to finish the tests,’ said Mari. ‘We still need to study Gweeb’s sleeping habits. And his digestion. And we need to take pictures.’
‘And we can still do all that – at my house,’ said Dylan. ‘And my dad has a camera.’
‘But your dad would find him in there,’ said Mari, still looking for any hole in the plan.
‘Unless a poorly reptile comes in, he doesn’t even go into the shed. And before you ask, no, we don’t get many. Round here it’s all cats, dogs and farm animals.’
‘It’s too risky,’ said Mari. ‘He should stay here. With me.’
‘Seems like you’re happy to take other risks. Just not this one. Are you worried you’ll miss him too much?’ said Dylan, with one eyebrow raised.
Mari bristled. ‘I’ve told you, Pterodraco jonathani is not a pet. He is a major scientific discovery.’
‘I think you’re starting to care for an animal –’
‘I am not!’
‘Maybe you prefer living creatures after all,’ said Dylan. ‘You’re becoming more like your mum.’
That was the final straw.
‘Fine, Gweeb can stay with you,’ Mari said. ‘On two conditions.’
‘Oh, so you have two conditions?’
She ignored him. ‘Number one: you’d still be my assistant.’
Dylan held up his hands. ‘You’re the boss.’
‘Number two: I want to see where you’re going to keep him. I need to be satisfied that this place is suitable –’
‘For science?’ Dylan cut in.
‘Exactly,’ said Mari. ‘For science.’
‘No problem,’ said Dylan. ‘Let’s go.’
Apart from the driver, Mari and Dylan were the only people on the bus, but they weren’t taking any chances – Mari had learned her lesson from the train journey to Cardiff. They sat right at the back, with Dylan’s jacket over the travel terrarium to hide Gweeb from prying eyes, and Mari’s arms resting heavily on top, so there was no chance of a reptilian escape. Even so, the journey into the village seemed to take much longer than usual. When their stop finally came, Dylan dinged the bell and they shuffled down the aisle, each holding one end of the terrarium. Mari was relieved the trip had passed without incident.
‘Cheers, Drive!’ said Dylan as they climbed off the bus.
Mari shot him a look. They just needed to keep their heads down and get to …
‘Hello, Dy-lan. What’s in the box?’
It was Ffion, sitting at the bus stop, plucking chips from a bag.
‘What’s it got to do with you, Ffion?’ asked Mari, irritated at being ignored.
‘Oh, hello, Mari, nice to see you too.’ Ffion gave Mari her fakest smile.
‘Don’t you need to get on the bus, Ffion?’ asked Dylan, nervously trying to change the subject.
‘Oh, I’m not waiting for it,’ replied Ffion. ‘It’s just a nice place to sit, isn’t it?’
As the bus pulled away, she jumped down from the bench and sidled up to Dylan. The colour seemed to drain from his face.
‘So, what’s in the box?’ she asked again, sweetly.
Dylan’s mouth opened and closed but no words came out.
‘Must be very special,’ she said, ducking down to try and sneak a peek. ‘Why do you need the jacket on top?’
‘We don’t really have time to chat, Ffion,’ Mari cut in. ‘We need to get to Dylan’s house.’
‘Ahh,’ said Ffion, popping another chip in her mouth. ‘That sounds nice. Like a playdate?’
Mari could feel her blood boiling. ‘You know they cook those chips in beef fat, right?’ she said. ‘Or did your dad tell you that’s vegan too?’
Ffion’s jaw froze mid-chew.
‘It’s a sick animal from Mari’s farm,’ blurted Dylan. ‘We’re taking it to my dad. He’s a vet.’
Mari’s heart sank. This was probably the worst thing he could have said. Ffion might always have been mean to Mari, but she adored animals.
‘Oh no! Poor thing!’ said Ffion, with real concern. ‘What’s wrong with it? Can I help?’
She put her hand on Dylan’s shoulder, which made his face flush red. ‘I could carry the box with you, if Mari is getting tired.’
‘I am not in the least bit tired, thank you,’ said Mari, taking the terrarium away from Dylan and cradling it in her arms.
‘Well, at least let me walk with you,’ said Ffion.
‘Ah … OK,’ agreed Dylan.
‘What?’ said Mari incredulously.
‘Thanks!’ Ffion beamed, slipping her arm through Dylan’s.
‘O-O-OK, great. Well, it’s this way,’ he said, pointing.
He set off with Ffion, leaving Mari to trail behind, simmering with anger. How could Dylan risk Gweeb being discovered, just for the chance to chat to Miss Glossy-Hair for five minutes?
‘I suppose it’s quite different from Cardiff here, is it?’ Ffion asked Dylan.
‘Cardiff’s not all that.’ He shrugged, throwing his head back to shake his fringe out of his eyes.
‘Really?’ said Ffion. ‘It must be much more exciting.’
‘Well, here’s been pretty exciting so far, actually,’ said Dylan.
‘Not that exciting surely, Dylan?’ said Mari through gritted teeth.
Dylan coughed. ‘No, well, I mean …’
‘So what is in the box then?’ asked Ffion again.
‘It’s a snake,’ said Mari loudly. ‘A really big one. And it’s hungry.’
Ffion turned to face Mari. ‘Really?’
‘Yep,’ she continued. ‘Dylan’s dad is defrosting a dead mouse for it to eat.’
For a minute Ffion looked so shocked Mari thought she might throw up her chips. But she’d underestimated her.
‘
Oh, I love snakes!’ squealed Ffion. ‘Can I watch it feeding?’
‘I don’t know, Ffion, it’s a bit gruesome,’ said Dylan.
‘Yes,’ added Mari. ‘Particularly for a vegan.’
‘I choose not to eat animals, Mari Jones,’ said Ffion with a patronizing smile. ‘And I respect the fact that a snake can’t make that choice. Besides –’ she turned to Dylan, sapphire eyes blinking up at him – ‘I don’t think I’d be scared if you were with me, Dylan.’
‘Mari’s going to help me today, Ffion,’ said Dylan, puffing out his chest. ‘But maybe another time?’
Mari glared at him.
‘I wish my dad was a vet,’ Ffion enthused.
‘Yes, well, shame he prefers cutting animals up to curing them, isn’t it?’ said Mari. ‘How far to your house, Dylan?’
‘This is me actually,’ said Dylan, stopping outside a white pebble-dashed house.
‘Oh, OK,’ said Ffion, her downcast look obviously fishing for an invitation.
‘Snake’s getting hungry, Dylan!’ said Mari.
Dylan dug around in his pockets for his key but came up empty-handed. He gave another nervous laugh, and bent down to pick up a flowerpot by the front door.
‘Ta-dah!’ he said as he held up a spare key.
He unlocked the door, then replaced the key beneath the pot.
‘OK, so maybe another time?’ Ffion said to him.
‘Yep, he’d love to. Bye!’ said Mari, pushing past Dylan into the house.
‘Bye.’ Dylan waved a little stiffly to Ffion and followed Mari inside.
Mari kicked the door shut behind him. ‘What do you think you’re playing at?’ she asked before Dylan had the chance to take a breath.
‘I’m not playing at anything!’
‘That awful girl is the last person you should be talking to right now.’
‘She is not awful. She’s nice and you should be nicer to her.’
Mari narrowed her eyes. ‘You like her, don’t you?’
‘I do not.’
‘You go all red when she talks to you.’
‘That’s not true.’
‘I’m a scientist, Dylan. I observe things,’ said Mari, pointing at his face. ‘That’s embarrassment triggering your nervous system to widen the blood vessels in your cheeks. Makes them turn red.’
Dylan hurriedly tried to pat away the colour from his face. ‘You just don’t like her because she actually cares about animals. Like any normal person would.’
‘Well,’ she shot back, ‘let’s see how you’re planning to care for Gweeb, shall we?’
Dylan’s house had been converted so that the ground floor was a veterinary surgery. It was closed on Saturday, so the house was quiet apart from the sound of barking somewhere at the back.
‘Follow me,’ said Dylan, leading Mari down the hall and into a long room with a series of pens along one side holding some of his dad’s animal patients. They headed out of the back door to a large shed in the garden. Dylan yanked open the wooden-slatted door and flicked on the light. An overhead fluorescent tube flickered on to reveal a dusty room filled with all manner of veterinary paraphernalia – cages, bags of food, medical equipment and, tucked away on a shelf at the back, a glass tank the size of a large aquarium. Dylan pressed a switch on the wall, and the box lit up to reveal a sandy floor, a few rocks and a dried-out log. He reached over to a nearby shelf to grab a jar full of mealworms and scattered some inside.
‘And now,’ he said, ‘time to welcome Gweeb to his new home.’
‘I’ll do it,’ said Mari quickly.
She prised open the travel terrarium to see that Gweeb was curled up asleep. Very gently she lifted him out and placed him in the terrarium, making sure the heavy lid was securely fixed. She pressed her nose up against the glass. Gweeb slowly raised his eyelids until the full majesty of his deep green eyes was revealed, then lazily stretched out his wings under the heat lamp. Mari had to admit he looked quite content.
‘Let’s take some pictures,’ she said.
‘Here we go,’ said Dylan, holding up a dusty black box with a huge lens, and straps sprouting from every corner.
‘What on earth is that?’ asked Mari.
‘It’s a camera. I think Dad got it as a birthday present once.’
‘When? In 1986?’
‘A camera is a camera,’ said Dylan. ‘It’s even got film in it.’
‘It’s got film in it?’ exclaimed Mari. ‘What are we supposed to do with that?’
‘When you’ve finished taking photos, you give the roll of film to the shop, and they hand you the pictures back the next day.’
‘Good grief,’ said Mari. ‘What a waste of time. Are you sure your dad hasn’t left a phone around?’
‘This is as good as it’s going to get.’
Mari shrugged. ‘OK. Can you make it work?’
‘Of course.’
Dylan fiddled with the lens, nearly dropping the camera in the process. He finally got it pointing in the direction of the tank, and started twiddling all the tiny dials and switches.
‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ asked Mari.
‘Absolutely.’
Dylan turned the zoom lens so that it was fully extended and focused on Gweeb, then took a few steps back, steadied himself, and released the shutter with a satisfying click.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Will that do?’
‘One picture?’ said Mari. ‘This is to illustrate a full scientific article. I’m going to need more than that. When I say so, take a photo.’
She reached inside the tank and stretched Gweeb out to his full length. ‘Now,’ she said.
Click!
Then she lifted his wings, placed him in the palm of her hand, and allowed him to twist his tail around her finger.
Click!
She ran through a few more positions, showing off Gweeb’s crest and claws.
Click, click, click!
‘That enough?’
‘Just one more,’ said Mari, lifting Gweeb out of the terrarium and holding him next to her cheek.
‘Smile,’ said Dylan.
‘No, Dylan,’ replied Mari. ‘This picture needs to look like a scientist with the most important discovery they have ever made.’
She put on her most serious, grown-up face but, before Dylan could take the shot, Gweeb licked her without warning. His tiny tongue tickled her cheek and made her burst into a giggle.
Click!
‘Perfect,’ said Dylan. ‘That’s the end of the roll.’
Mari laid Gweeb softly back in the tank, where he returned to basking under the heat lamp.
‘OK, I’ll take the film to the photo shop,’ said Mari, holding out her hand. ‘Are you sure they won’t look at the pictures?’
‘Don’t worry, it’s all done by a machine,’ said Dylan. ‘But are you sure you’re OK leaving Gweeb with me?’
Mari looked back at the little dragon. He seemed pretty comfortable, and the terrarium was more secure than her wardrobe.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I suppose I am.’
Dylan handed over the roll of film.
‘I should be getting home,’ said Mari. ‘Mum will be wondering why I’m not doing all the jobs she’s asked me to do.’
‘What are we doing tomorrow then, boss?’
‘There’s one last thing I need to know before I can write the article,’ said Mari. ‘What was going on down by the cliffs this morning when Gweeb flew off? What did that behaviour mean?’
‘He was definitely looking for something,’ Dylan replied.
‘If he was,’ said Mari, ‘we need to know what.’
‘But it’s not safe to take him out on the cliffs again,’ said Dylan. ‘You said there were too many people around.’
‘There’s a cove at Llanwerydd Point,’ said Mari. ‘It gets cut off from the rest of the beach at high tide, but you can reach it by an old path. It’s perfectly safe but no one goes that way any more.’
‘Soun
ds like a plan,’ said Dylan. ‘See you tomorrow at …?’
‘High tide,’ said Mari. ‘Two p.m. On the cliff path that leads to the castle. Pick up the photos in the morning and you can bring them with you.’
She tapped on the side of the terrarium. ‘Goodbye, Gweeb. See you tomorrow.’
To her surprise, he stretched out his tail to knock on the glass from the other side. She couldn’t stop herself grinning.
‘Strictly science with you two, is it?’ said Dylan.
Mari didn’t rise to the bait. ‘See you tomorrow. Don’t be late.’
‘What time is it, Mum?’
Rhian pulled her phone out of her back pocket. ‘It’s a quarter to two. You could wear that watch I gave you, you know.’
‘Or you could get me a phone.’
‘Hand me the pliers, please,’ replied Rhian.
They were fixing the fence in the corner paddock. Or at least Rhian was. Mari was worrying whether she had enough time to get to Llanwerydd Point for two o’clock, and whether Gweeb had survived his first night with Dylan.
‘The pliers, Mari.’ Mari pulled something out of the toolbox by her side and passed it to her mother, who let out a sigh. ‘Those are wire cutters.’
‘Here, sorry.’ Mari handed over the pliers instead.
‘Am I holding you up?’ asked Rhian.
‘I have to meet Dylan again. For the school project.’
Rhian raised her eyebrows. ‘Well, you seem to be seeing more of the son than I am of the father.’
Mari grimaced. ‘Could we talk about something else? Or maybe nothing at all?’
Rhian looked up. ‘I’m sorry, Mari.’ She seemed to be struggling to think of anything else to say. ‘How’s school?’
Mari groaned. ‘Look, I have to go – now.’
‘Can we talk about this whole thing tonight? Properly?’
‘Do we have to?’ said Mari. ‘It’s not going to change anything, is it?’
Rhian sighed, resigned. ‘I suppose not, Mari. I suppose not.’
Mari started off across the paddock. Her mum called after her, ‘Don’t be back late. And watch the –’
‘Tides. I know, Mum.’
Mari strode on without looking back. There was science to do. A future to build.
