“Afternoon, Grace,” he said. “I see you’ve brought some friends with you today.”
“Hello, Mr Wetherstone! This is Sophy and Maya,” said Grace. “Can we come in?”
“Of course!” The old man smiled and led them into the cosy round room. “Welcome to my lighthouse. Come in and make yourselves at home.”
Large red armchairs stood against the curved walls, which were covered with old maps and paintings of the sea. A spiral staircase in the corner wound all the way to the top of the tower.
Grace cut the cherry cake into slices and handed them to everyone. Mr Wetherstone made four glasses of chocolate milkshake in the kitchen upstairs.
“Thank you, Mr Wetherstone,” said Grace, sipping from her glass.
The lighthouse keeper smiled. “Any good news from the harbour, Grace? Has the fishing gone well?”
“There’s bad news!” Grace’s face clouded over. She told Mr Wetherstone about Lady Cavendish and the sea ponies. Sophy and Maya added some details too.
Mr Wetherstone listened and nodded wisely. “So Lady Cavendish is obeying the orders of this knight, Sir Fitzroy, to hunt the magical animals,” he said as Grace finished. “I’m afraid I’m not surprised.”
“But why doesn’t she realise that the sea ponies are amazing?” Grace burst out. “Why can’t she see they should be protected?”
“People don’t understand magic, and some people are afraid of things they don’t understand,” said Mr Wetherstone.
“Maybe there’s a way we can change her mind about the sea ponies,” said Maya hopefully.
Grace shook her head. “I don’t think that will work. She thinks she rules Cala Sands and she never listens to anyone! We have to find a way to stop her. I just don’t know how.”
“You’re kind, clever girls. I believe you’ll find a way.” Mr Wetherstone rose from his seat. “Now, I must buy some oil to keep the lamp in the lighthouse burning tonight. Stay here as long as you like.”
“Thank you!” said Maya and Sophy.
“Thanks, Mr Wetherstone. See you soon!” added Grace.
After the girls finished their cake, they climbed to the top of the lighthouse where the curved window gave them a perfect view of the ocean.
“See that silvery line far out to sea?” Grace pointed into the distance. “That’s the Island of Ixus where the sea dragons live. It’s said to be a really magical place. I want to go there one day when I have my own boat. My cousins won’t let me take the fishing boat because they think it’s too far.”
“It sounds brilliant!” said Maya.
“The whole ocean is amazing!” said Sophy, leaning close to the window. “Lady Cavendish is so silly wanting to spoil things by hurting the sea ponies.”
Maya gave a little shiver. “I wonder how she got the idea for using an extra-large net to catch the poor creatures. Do you think she got her crew to join lots of smaller nets together?”
“Maybe…” Grace stared at the white-flecked waves that danced on the ocean.
“What is it, Grace?” asked Sophy.
Grace rubbed her ear. “It’s that net. I’m just thinking…” She stared out of the window and frowned for a minute before turning to the others. “That’s it! I know how we can ruin all of Lady Cavendish’s plans!”
“How?” said Maya and Sophy eagerly.
“All we need to do is cut that big net,” Grace told them. “We can chop it so the holes are big enough for the sea ponies to swim through. Lady Cavendish will never realise until it’s too late!”
The girls grinned at each other.
“I think that would work really well!” said Sophy.
“It’s a great idea,” agreed Maya. “We just need to wait till her crew have gone home before we sneak on to her boat. We don’t want anyone to see us.”
Grace, Maya and Sophy waited until the sun sank low over the Great Ocean, casting golden light across the rippling water. As daylight faded, they took the path to the village and crept down to the harbour.
The waterfront was empty. The only sound was the creaking of the wooden boats and the slapping of water against the harbour wall.
Grace climbed aboard her cousins’ boat, The Leaping Sea Pony, and rummaged quickly through the tools her cousins kept in a small box. Luckily there was a large pair of scissors. She just hoped they would be strong enough to cut the net.
Sneaking along the harbour, they climbed on to The Royal Stickleback.
“Here it is!” Sophy took hold of the rolled-up net. “I’ll take this end and you two take the other end.”
Carefully, they unwound the extra-large net, which stretched almost across the whole deck.
“Look at the size of it!” groaned Grace. “It’s going to take us a long time to cut all the holes.”
“Shh!” Maya laid a warning hand on her arm.
Two figures with a lamp came down the street that led to the waterfront. The girls froze but the people walked on without turning into the harbour.
“It’s all right, they’ve gone,” said Sophy. “Shall we take turns with the scissors then?”
“Sure! Why don’t I go first?” Grace got the scissors into position and tried to squeeze them shut. She had to use both hands. It took a few goes before she managed to close them over the tough netting.
Sophy and Maya pulled the net straight to make it easier. Grace dug the scissors in again and kept cutting. Soon there was a square of snipped net large enough for a sea pony to swim through.
“Do you really think this will work?” whispered Maya.
Grace smiled and handed her the scissors. “It has to! Here you are! You can have the next turn.”
As she held the net still for Maya, Grace thought of the playful sea horse with the rainbow-coloured mane and tail. She would never let anyone hurt that lovely pony.
The three girls carried on snipping the net as the sky grew darker and darker. A bright full moon rose, casting a pale shimmering reflection on the water. The moonlight made it easier to see. Passing the scissors between them, the girls kept on cutting the net and making the holes wider.
By the time they had each taken four turns their legs ached from sitting on the hard wooden deck. Grace rubbed her hands together. They felt sore from working the scissors.
“I wonder what time it is,” said Sophy with a yawn. “We must have been working for hours.”
“Do you think we’ve cut enough holes yet?” Grace gazed at the net. Large rips were spread all the way across it. Little bits of loose netting were scattered over the deck.
“I think we’ve done a lot.” Maya picked up some scraps of net. “We’d better tidy up these loose bits. If Lady Cavendish sees them she might guess what we’ve done.”
The girls gathered the little bits of net and hid them in an empty bucket by the rigging.
“That was hard work!” Sophy rubbed her eyes. “I’m really hungry.”
“I still have the rest of the cherry cake,” said Grace, producing the parcel of wrapped-up cake from her pocket.
“Let’s eat it in the cabin,” suggested Maya. “It’s getting cold out here.”
They rolled the net to one side. Grace picked up the scissors to make sure they didn’t lose them. Then they climbed down the steps into the cabin.
Grace stared round in amazement. Velvet curtains lined the cabin windows. In the middle was a table covered with a snow-white cloth, and set with golden plates and crystal glasses. “Wow! It’s like a cabin for a queen.”
“Maybe Lady Cavendish thinks she should be the queen,” giggled Sophy.
“Making a cabin look fancy is just silly!” said Grace. “Sailing a boat is about feeling the rise and fall of the waves. It’s about watching the seagulls swooping. It’s about looking for turtles and sea ponies, not sitting down here eating food off golden plates!”
“Did you hear something?” said Maya.
“It was probably my stomach rumbling,” Sophy told her. “Hurry up and share the cake out, Grace.”
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Grace took no notice. Her eyes shone as she thought of all the things she loved about the sea. “You see … sailing is all about sniffing the salty air and seeing miles and miles of ocean all around you—”
Maya twisted round, her face anxious. “I really think I heard something!”
“It’s about watching fish dart between the rocks and feeling the sea breeze on your face and—”
“Sshh, Grace!” said Maya, right into her ear. “I think someone’s coming!”
Sophy bounded to the door of the cabin. “There are people on the deck,” she hissed. “I can’t see how many…”
“What are they doing here in the middle of the night?” said Grace, snapping out of her daydream. “They can’t have heard us. We were so quiet.”
Maya pointed to the pale light seeping through the window. “It’s not the middle of the night any more – look!”
“You’re right. We must have been here the whole night!” Grace peeked round the cabin door. “If Lady Cavendish and her crew have decided to set sail early, there’s no way we’ll get out of here without being seen.”
“Maybe we can sneak past them,” said Sophy.
Heavy footsteps thumped overhead and the girls shrank back from the door.
“We can’t!” whispered Grace. “They’ll spot us for sure and all the work we did on the net will be for nothing. We have to hide!”
Lady Cavendish’s voice drifted into the cabin and the girls looked around in panic. Grace saw a gap between a cupboard and the wall that was big enough to hide in. “Maya, in here!” She pulled Maya into the space and squeezed in next to her, while Sophy hid behind the curtain.
The clacking of high-heeled shoes sounded on the steps. “I want things done properly,” said Lady Cavendish. “Everything should be absolutely neat and tidy. Someone left that net half unrolled. There’s no excuse for it!”
The cabin door creaked open and Lady Cavendish swished inside wearing a long black cloak. Bracelets jangled on her wrists.
“I assure you, My Lady, everything will be done properly,” a man called down from the deck. “We’ll catch these beasts before the day is over. Then we’ll take them to the market in that wooden tank just as you planned.”
“Yes, yes! Off you go and get started,” replied Lady Cavendish.
Grace could hardly breathe. They were going to put the sea ponies in a tank! What a horrible idea. The poor things would be crammed in with no room to move. And after being sold at the market they could end up anywhere! This was even worse than she’d thought.
Leaning out a bit, Grace managed to see round the side of the cupboard. Lady Cavendish had sat down and placed a small telescope on the table. She took off her velvet cloak. Then she opened a basket by her feet and picked out some crackers, which she began to spread with a strange green paste. Grace thought it looked a bit like mushed-up seaweed.
Lady Cavendish ate the crackers one after the other, very slowly. Grace started to fidget. How long would they have to stay squeezed into this gap, hardly able to breathe? Maya nudged her but Grace couldn’t stop wriggling. She desperately wanted to scratch her head but there was no room to stretch out and do it.
At last Lady Cavendish stopped eating and left the cabin. The girls tumbled out of their hiding places.
“I thought she’d never go!” gasped Maya.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t try to sneak off the boat?” asked Sophy. “Hiding is going to be pretty tricky, especially if she keeps coming down here for a picnic!”
There was a shout from the deck above, followed by a bumping noise. The ship rocked as it moved across the harbour.
“It’s too late!” Grace’s eyes gleamed. “Now we’re stowaways! We may as well have some fun.” She picked up Lady Cavendish’s telescope. “They won’t be able to spot the sea ponies so easily without this. Where shall we hide it?”
Maya’s mouth dropped open. “Grace, how do you dare?”
“Well, she’s planning to capture the sea ponies so we should do everything we can to stop her, even if it is a bit sneaky!” said Grace firmly.
“I guess you’re right,” said Maya. “So where shall we put it?”
“Here!” Sophy pulled open the cupboard, which was full of more golden plates and lacy napkins.
Grace shoved the telescope right at the back behind a stack of silver knives and forks. Then she turned back to the table. “What other pranks can we play? Let’s make Lady Cavendish as muddled as possible. Then she won’t have time to hunt for the sea ponies!”
Grace, Maya and Sophy stared round the cabin, wondering what other tricks they could play on Lady Cavendish to delay her hunt for the sea ponies!
“We could hide her crackers,” suggested Maya.
“We could tie her cloak to the sail rope,” said Sophy.
The girls went round the cabin, messing everything up. Even the green paste, which Lady Cavendish had spread on her crackers, was naughtily smeared on to the golden plates to give them a strange mouldy look.
Giggling, the girls sneaked up the cabin steps and hid behind some wooden crates that were piled up on the deck. A moment later Lady Cavendish went down to the cabin and gave a terrible shriek.
“Who’s made all this mess?” She climbed back to the deck and glared at the crew. “It looks as if an animal has been in the cabin. Someone even stole my crackers! Which of you did this?”
The men shook their heads.
“I’m sure no one went down there, My Lady,” said a sailor with a beard.
Grace, Maya and Sophy stayed hidden behind the wooden crates.
“Someone must know what happened.” Lady Cavendish scowled at her crew. “Get down there and clear it up straight away.”
Some of the sailors trooped into the cabin to follow her order. After a lot of banging, clanking and complaining, they climbed out again.
“It’s done, My Lady,” said the sailor with the beard. “May I take the telescope now? It’ll help me spot the sea ponies.”
Lady Cavendish disappeared into the cabin, muttering to herself. “I don’t believe it!” she cried. “I left the telescope here on the table. Who’s stolen it?”
Two of the men followed her into the cabin to help her look but they all came out empty handed. The bearded man climbed the rigging without the telescope and Lady Cavendish marched crossly up and down the deck.
Grace, Maya and Sophy began to feel cold crouching behind the wooden boxes. The sun rose in the sky and the harbour shrank in the distance.
“We’re a long way from land,” whispered Sophy. “Do you think they’ll find the sea ponies without a telescope, Grace?”
“I don’t know,” replied Grace. “I wish there was a way to warn the ponies not to come near this boat.”
As the morning went on, the girls began to hope that the crew were searching in the wrong place. The wind and waves grew stronger. Lady Cavendish stood at the stern of the ship, glaring out to sea.
“Sea ponies ahoy!” shouted the man in the rigging. “There are twelve of them on the starboard side.”
Lady Cavendish rushed to the right hand side of the ship, eagerly scanning the waves. Grace peered over the top of the crates and her heart sank. A dozen sea ponies with gleaming white coats came leaping and galloping through the water. When they saw the ship they swam towards it, neighing to each other.
“Get ready with the net!” shouted Lady Cavendish.
Three of the crew hoisted the net between them. The sea ponies swam closer, their bright tails swishing through the water. Two of the creatures sprang into the air, the water glittering on their tails.
“Now!” screamed Lady Cavendish.
The men threw the net out into the ocean. It fell across a large stretch of water, trapping four sea ponies. The animals struggled underneath the mesh. One of them had a rainbow pattern on its mane and tail.
“No! You can’t do that!” Grace cried, dashing out from behind the boxes.
“Grace!” hissed Sophy. “W
ait and see if our plan works.”
Grace took no notice. She leaned over the side of the boat, staring at her beloved rainbow pony. Twisting and turning, the four captured animals kicked the net with their hooves. The free sea ponies circled around the trapped ones, calling anxiously.
Lady Cavendish was glaring at the trapped sea ponies and didn’t notice Grace, who was hidden by the sail. “What are you waiting for?” she called to the men. “Pull the net back in!”
Maya and Sophy crept out of hiding and joined Grace.
“Maybe we didn’t make the holes large enough.” Grace twisted her hands together. “Maybe the sea ponies can’t find them.”
“Sea ponies!” Sophy called to the magical creatures. “There are big holes in the net that you can swim through.”
The sea ponies looked up in surprise as they understood Sophy’s words. There was a shout from behind as some of the crew spotted the girls. Sophy, Maya and Grace took no notice of the sailors.
“All you have to do is find one of the big holes,” called Maya. “Then just dive through.”
Grace clasped her hands together tightly. She wished she could call to the sea ponies too but she didn’t have a special stone that let her talk to magical animals. They wouldn’t understand her at all. A lump came to her throat as she watched the trapped creatures struggling under the net. “Please, please find the holes we made,” she whispered. “You can do it! I believe in you.”
The free sea ponies called to the trapped ones. Their neighs and whinnies grew more and more urgent.
“It’s all right!” Maya’s eyes sparkled. “They’ve spotted the holes in the net.”
The men began to draw the net tighter. The four trapped sea ponies wriggled and squirmed, looking for the holes where the girls had cut the mesh. The free sea ponies circled round them, calling out encouragement.
One captured pony struggled free and swam to join the others. The magical creature jumped with happiness at its escape and flicked water high in the air with its nose.
The Sea Pony Page 2
