Double Danger

by Summer Waters

  “Don’t panic,” said Emily. “She’s gone outside to talk to the guillemots. She’s so good with them. It’s like the birds understand what she’s saying.”

  Antonia went cold and her hands began to tremble. She quickly handed Emily a cup of tea to stop it from spilling.

  “Thanks.” Emily looked surprised. “I was going to have squash, but tea will make a nice change.”

  Antonia’s mind was a whirl as she finished handing round drinks and biscuits. Jessica liked animals, but Antonia hadn’t noticed she was that good with them. The next-door neighbour’s cat had actively avoided Jess since, as a toddler, she’d coloured his white patches pink with a lipstick borrowed from Mum’s handbag. Wondering what else there was about Jessica she didn’t know, Antonia dumped the tray on a table to go outside. Claudia stopped her.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, I think so. I was just going to check on Jess.”

  “Jessica’s fine,” said Claudia. “I’d leave her be.”

  “But…” Antonia desperately wanted to confide in Claudia that Jessica might be a Silver Dolphin, only her fears sounded selfish and mean.

  Reaching out, Claudia took both of Antonia’s hands in her own. Her face was serious as she stared deeply into Antonia’s grey-green eyes.

  Would it be so very bad?

  Antonia felt her face colour. Were her thoughts that easy to read?

  Yes, no. I mean…I don’t know.

  Antonia blushed deeper, knowing that her own attitude hadn’t been very nice.

  I’m sorry. It’ll be fantastic if Jessica is a Silver Dolphin. It’s just a surprise. So…is she?

  An enigmatic smile played on Claudia’s lips. Frustrated, Antonia forced herself to smile back. Claudia was bound to tell her to work it out for herself.

  What will be, will be.

  “Oh!” Antonia was so surprised, she didn’t realise she’d answered Claudia aloud.

  What did that mean?

  She stared at Claudia, but she only replied by gently squeezing Antonia’s hands.

  “Go and have a drink and a biscuit before they’re all gone,” she said kindly.

  The morning passed quickly. Antonia was so busy she hardly noticed Jessica and when Mum arrived at lunchtime to take her home, Antonia had to admit that having her little sister at Sea Watch wasn’t so bad after all. Surprisingly, that evening when the family were having tea, Jessica was more interested in talking about going swimming on Monday than her time at Sea Watch. She continued to talk about it all weekend, almost driving Antonia mad.

  “Come and help me find a lucky charm,” Jessica called, early on Monday morning.

  Walking into Jessica’s room, Antonia’s eyes widened at the mess. Jessica had emptied the contents of her cupboard on to the floor and was rummaging through a pile of toys.

  “These are no good,” she declared, waving at an abandoned pile of cuddly animals. “They’re too big and they’d go soggy in the water.” She picked up a miniature plastic dog, eyed it speculatively, then tossed it aside. “No, that’s not right, either.”

  “Jess,” said Antonia, squatting down beside her. “Jessica, listen to me. You don’t need a lucky charm to swim well. You need to practise.”

  “You’ve got one,” said Jessica, pushing her brown bobbed hair away from her face.

  “That’s different. My dolphin charm is lucky, but I was a good swimmer before I got it because I practised loads. I still do.”

  Jessica scratched her head. Screwing her face into a pout, she said, “I want a lucky charm too.”

  Antonia sighed. “Well, you haven’t got time to find one now. Mum said to get your swimming things ready. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

  “But I need something to bring me luck.” Jessica looked stricken. “Can I touch your dolphin? I’ll be really careful. Please, Antonia?”

  Antonia stood very still. How could she refuse when it was obviously so important to Jessica? Antonia sort of knew how her sister felt. Touching something for luck was another way of convincing yourself that you had the courage to perform the task ahead of you.

  “Go on then.”

  Jessica’s face lit up. “Thank you, Antonia,” she whispered.

  Slowly she came forward, then stretching out her right hand, touched Antonia’s silver dolphin charm.

  “Oooh!” Jessica kept her fingers on the charm as her eyes closed in ecstasy. “It feels just like a real dolphin.”

  Chapter Seven

  The swimming trip went very well. For the first time ever, Jessica swam a whole width of the pool without armbands. She was overjoyed and convinced that Antonia’s dolphin charm had brought her good luck.

  “You did it yourself, Jess,” Antonia told her.

  “Yes, but your charm helped,” said Jessica stubbornly.

  Antonia wished she could share her sister’s excitement, but her stomach was a bubbling pot of emotion. She could hardly eat the sausage and chips Mum treated them to at one of the beachside cafés. As soon as she was home, she shut herself in her bedroom and stared out of her attic window. Now the summer holidays had officially started, Sandy Bay was busier than ever, with hoards of swimmers near the shoreline and a scattering of motorboats further out. Antonia was so deep in thought, she completely missed the sensation that Spirit was about to call. The first moment she realised that he needed help was when her dolphin charm juddered to life. The charm vibrated against her neck, then broke into a high-pitched whistle. Antonia jumped guiltily, shocked that she was so wrapped up in her own troubles, she’d tuned out her sixth sense. The charm whistled again and Antonia heard another sound. The soft whispering noise she’d heard before, but like the first time, it disappeared before she could work out what it was.

  Spirit, she whistled. I hear your call.

  She rushed out of her room, almost colliding with Jessica, who was carrying two of her doll’s house people.

  “Will you play with me?” Jessica offered Antonia a doll.

  “Later.” Antonia dived round her sister and fled down the stairs.

  “What’s all the thumping?” Mum came out of the kitchen and frowned at Antonia.

  “Sorry, I just remembered something. I need to go to Sea Watch to sort it out.”

  “What, right now? Can’t you just ring them?”

  “Er, it’s something I need to do,” Antonia stammered. Self-consciously, she covered her dolphin charm with a cupped hand. Her mother shouldn’t be able to see it moving or hear the ear-splitting whistle, but Antonia wasn’t taking any chances.

  Mum sighed. “I don’t know! You spend more time at Sea Watch than at home these days. Go on then, but don’t stay too long. I want you back for tea.”

  “Thanks, Mum.” Antonia gave her a quick hug, then pulled on her sandals.

  “Slow down,” said Mum, restraining Antonia with her hand. “If it’s that urgent, I can take you there in the car.”

  Antonia pulled open the front door, looking at Mum over her shoulder.

  “Thanks, but I’d rather walk,” she said.

  Jessica stood halfway down the stairs. Their eyes met. Jessica held the look and Antonia felt a flush of red creeping up her neck.

  “Got to go,” she said, jumping outside and shutting the door firmly behind her.

  Closing her mind to any unwelcome thoughts, Antonia ran all the way to Gull Bay. It was the nearest beach and hopefully quieter than Sandy Bay beach, a well-known tourist spot. The sun shone from a clear blue sky and beads of sweat trickled down her face. Her dolphin charm was beating quickly and Antonia sensed that Spirit’s call was urgent. Hoping it wasn’t the seahorses again, Antonia jumped down on to the sand. She pulled off her sandals and walked briskly to the furthest edge of the cove. There were no tourists sunbathing here. Antonia left her shoes under an overhang of rock where the cliff met the beach. She looked around, but everyone further up the beach was too busy having fun to notice her. Casually, she sauntered into the sea. The water was cool and re
freshing, and she shivered with delight. When it reached her waist, Antonia swam. Almost immediately her legs melded together. Knowing she mustn’t be seen, Antonia had to fight the urge to leap in and out of the water with sheer delight. Instead she dived down and swam underwater to find Spirit.

  Antonia sensed she was being called towards the seahorse colony. She continued swimming underwater until she was clear of first Gull Bay, and then Sandy Bay. Her dolphin charm thrummed against her neck and anxiety made her swim faster. What had happened this time? It was a relief finally to spot four heads bobbing in the water. The three black shiny ones Antonia recognised as Spirit, Dream and Bubbles. The fourth head was Cai’s. So where was Star? Antonia powered on, and was slightly out of breath as she joined her friends.

  There was no friendly greeting from Spirit or banter from Cai about how he’d beaten her again. The situation was obviously too serious. Spirit nudged her hand with his nose and clicked, “Follow me,” before diving underwater.

  Antonia glanced at Cai and he pulled a face to show he knew as little as her.

  “Hurry, Silver Dolphins,” urged Bubbles.

  They swam after Spirit through the clear water until the eelgrass beds came into sight. Antonia fixed her attention on the waving stems of grass and at once she spotted Star. She was coasting slowly above the eelgrass. Her eyes were anxious and she held her head unnaturally still, as if moving might be dangerous.

  “Star!” cried Antonia, hurrying towards her.

  Sensible Star barely moved. A trickle of blood stained the water around her. Wedged on her nose, like an old-fashioned gas mask, was a broken glass bottle.

  Chapter Eight

  Antonia stroked the side of Star’s face while quickly [assessing how bad the accident was. “What happened?” she asked.

  “We came to check on the seahorses,” said Spirit. “And we discovered more rubbish in the eelgrass beds—mostly cans and bottles. I was going to call for you when Star noticed one of the seahorses giving birth right in the middle of it all. She was worried the babies might drift inside the bottles and cans and get stuck, so we decided to clear the immediate area. Most of the things were easy to move, but we didn’t notice the broken bottle. Star was pushing a can caught up in the eelgrass when she slipped and ended up getting her nose stuck in it.

  “The cut isn’t that deep,” said Antonia eventually. “The big problem is how to remove the bottle without making it worse.”

  “Butter,” said Cai automatically.

  “Pardon?” asked Antonia.

  “Butter,” repeated Cai. “That’s what my West Indian grandma would suggest.”

  “Butter, of course!” exclaimed Antonia. “Mum used it on Jess once when she got her arm stuck in between the bars on the garden gate. It made her arm slippery enough to pull free. But we haven’t got any butter.”

  “There’s seaweed, though,” said Cai thoughtfully. “Seaweed’s slippery. You stay with Star, while I go and find some.”

  “We’ll come too,” clicked Bubbles and Dream.

  Spirit stayed with Star, swimming in an anxious circle around her. Antonia clicked soothing noises while stroking Star’s face. Gradually, the panic left Star’s eyes and she relaxed. In no time at all, the water began to vibrate. Cai, Bubbles and Dream returned, the dolphins triumphantly towing strips of seaweed from their fins and Cai carrying a square polystyrene container.

  “You’ll never guess what we found,” said Cai, swimming to Antonia’s side.

  “Butter?” she asked hopefully.

  “Nope. Tomato ketchup.” Cai flipped open the lid of the container to reveal the congealed remains of a beefburger, liberally coated in ketchup. “We found this floating in the sea. There were several containers. It looks like there’s been some kind of party. Ketchup’s slippery. I thought it might work better than the seaweed.”

  “It’s worth a go,” said Antonia. She smeared the ketchup on her fingers, disdainfully wrinkling her nose as she rubbed it on to Star’s face. It was a tricky job to get the ketchup under the broken glass without cutting herself.

  Star never flinched. In a dignified silence, she held herself still as Antonia worked the ketchup around her silvery nose. When there was no more left in the carton, Antonia surveyed her handiwork.

  “I think that should do it,” she clicked. “Are you ready, Star?”

  Star gave a slight nod of her head.

  “Do you want help?” asked Cai, tucking the polystyrene container under his arm.

  “Yes, please,” said Antonia.

  Together they eased the bottle from Star’s nose. It stuck at first, but by gently twisting it this way then that, the bottle gradually slid free. Its broken sides were razor-sharp and Cai carefully stowed it inside the food container. Antonia examined Star’s nose. She had a deep scratch across the top and blood oozed from the wound, mixing with the sour tomato ketchup. Star shook her head and blood spun into the water.

  “Hold still,” said Antonia. She put her hands along the cut and imagined it healing.

  Mend.

  In her mind, Antonia saw the wound closing up.

  Suddenly, a warm feeling spread down her hands and into her fingers. Then, as her fingers started tingling, Antonia pressed more firmly down on the wound.

  Heal.

  The tingling sensation gave way to a warm glow that spread through Antonia’s hands. She held them on Star’s nose for a minute longer, then carefully pulled them away. There were ketchup stains on Star’s face, but her nose had healed, only a faint line showing where the cut had been.

  “Bubbly!” squeaked Bubbles, slapping his tail on the water. “Well done, Silver Dolphin.”

  “Cai helped too,” said Antonia generously. He might not be able to heal animals magically, but she was anxious that Cai’s part in the rescue was recognised.

  “Thanks, Silver Dolphin,” said Bubbles, high-fiving him with a fin.

  Spirit, then Dream, rubbed their noses against Cai’s and Antonia’s, and Star stroked Antonia’s hair with a fin. “Thank you, Silver Dolphin.”

  “It was nothing,” said Antonia modestly, although her hands were as limp as an old pair of socks and she was suddenly very tired.

  Bubbles started to laugh. Soon he was rolling barrel-like in the water, his mouth open in a wide smile.

  “What?” asked Cai.

  “Mum,” chuckled Bubbles. “She’s always warning us to be careful, when really she’s the one who should take more care.”

  Spirit and Dream burst out laughing, and even Star smiled. “So I was right to fuss,” she clicked. “Accidents happen when you least expect them.”

  Bubbles and Dream clicked with laughter until Spirit called them to order. “The Silver Dolphins haven’t finished their work. There’s the rubbish to clear up from the eelgrass beds.”

  “Can we help the Silver Dolphins?” asked Bubbles.

  “Please, Dad?” added Dream.

  Spirit shook his head. “One accident is enough. The Silver Dolphins are more used to glass than we are. Besides, your mother needs to rest. We must return to the pod.”

  “Sorry, Silver Dolphins!” Bubbles sighed. “Next time, we’ll help you.”

  Antonia and Cai watched as the dolphins swam away. They were a magnificent sight—four silver arrows leaping in and out of the sea in a sparkling fountain of water.

  “Back to work,” said Antonia when the dolphins had become fast-moving specks in the distance.

  They dived down to inspect the eelgrass beds, passing a pile of cans that Spirit and Star had already moved out of harm’s way. Cai reached out to pick up a bottle and startled a pair of seahorses hidden in the vegetation. They flitted quickly in the opposite direction. Antonia stared in delight, loving their miniature shape and the way their necks curved like real horses.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  She would have loved to touch one, but knew she couldn’t. “We must look like giant monsters to them,” Antonia added, making Cai chuckle.

&
nbsp; They cleared up the litter in silence, until Cai picked up a glass bottle, now full of sea water.

  “Definitely a party,” he commented.

  “But where was it held?” asked Antonia. “The beach is tiny and you can’t reach it unless you come by boat.”

  Cai picked up another bottle. “There’s a shell stuck in this one,” he said, upending it so the shell plopped out. “I think the rubbish must have been thrown from the top of the cliff.”

  “Then we must find out who’s doing it and make them stop,” said Antonia. “The seahorses won’t stand a chance if this continues.”

  “Good idea. Let’s go for a walk on the cliffs when we’ve finished here,” said Cai.

  Antonia shook her head.

  “It’s going to take ages to shift this lot and I promised Mum I’d be home for tea. She might ground me again if I’m late.” “Do you want me to go on my own?” “No,” squeaked Antonia. “I want to come too. We could go tomorrow morning, if you’re free?”

  “OK,” said Cai. “Meet me at Sea Watch first. Come early and I’ll ask Aunty Claudia to cook us bacon sandwiches before we start.”

  Chapter Nine

  “There you go,” said Claudia, setting down a plate stacked with freshly-cooked bacon sandwiches and handing round mugs of tea.

  “Thanks.” Antonia moved the map that she and Cai had been studying. “Mmm, these look delicious.”

  “Just what we need before we go out catching villains,” agreed Cai.

  Putting down her own mug of tea, Claudia regarded him sternly.

  “You are not to catch anyone. If you find out who is throwing rubbish into the sea, then you come straight back and tell me.”

  Cai gave her a cheeky grin. “I knew that really.”

  “Seriously,” Claudia continued. “Promise me you won’t take matters into your own hands. If you discover anything, then let me deal with it. I’ll pass the information on to Jack, the coastguard. That’s what he’s here for.”

  “I promise,” said Cai.