Sea Horses: the Last Secret

by Louise Cooper

  ‘Here it is!’ Hannah waved a large plastic bag, from which huge folds of frothy pink material were escaping. ‘Oh, Mrs Weston, you’ve saved my life!’

  ‘Don’t speak too soon!’ said Nan, smiling. ‘My sewing’s a bit rusty these days. But let’s go up to Tamzin’s room, and we’ll see what we can do.’

  Soon Hannah was standing in front of Tamzin’s bedroom mirror with her arms outstretched, while Nan knelt on the floor pinning the bodice of the Carnival Queen’s dress. Hannah hadn’t stopped talking since she arrived, and now she and Tamzin were discussing the beach fair.

  ‘You know there’s going to be a swimming race?’ Hannah said.

  ‘Yes,’ said Tamzin. ‘Joel’s dad’s going in for it.’

  ‘Oh, brill! My dad’s trailing his boat down, and I’m going with him. We’ll take one of the swimmers out to Lion Rock, then come back alongside. You know, in case they get too tired or have any problems.’

  Tamzin was suddenly alert. ‘I didn’t know your dad had a boat.’

  ‘Yeah, he’s had it for years. I can sail it too… well, not sail exactly – it’s got an outboard engine. But I can handle it.’ Suddenly her eyes lit up. ‘Hey, I’ve had a great idea! Why don’t I see if we can take Mr Richards out? Then you and Joel can come in the boat with us and cheer him on!’

  It was the chance Tamzin had been looking for. She turned quickly. ‘Could I, Nan?’

  ‘I thought you were going to help with the pony rides?’ said Nan through a mouthful of pins.

  ‘I am. But –’

  ‘It’ll only take about an hour, Mrs Weston,’ Hannah chipped in. ‘Anyway, she can’t work all day and not have any fun, can she? Please!’

  Nan took the pins out of her mouth. ‘We-ell… I suppose you could. But only if you wear a life jacket.’

  ‘Dad never lets anyone go in the boat without one,’ Hannah assured her. ‘He’ll see to all that.’

  ‘All right, then. I don’t see why not.’ Nan smiled. ‘It’ll be a completely new experience for you, Tamzin. And quite a change from riding!’

  ‘Oh, riding.’ Hannah pulled a face. ‘You’d never get me on a horse in a million years – they scare me!’

  The idea of being on the open sea in a boat scared Tamzin, but she firmly squashed the feeling down. The opportunity to get close to Lion Rock might never happen again – she wasn’t about to miss it by being afraid!

  Hannah chattered on, though Tamzin was lost in her thoughts and not really concentrating. Then suddenly something grabbed her attention.

  ‘… amazing if we can get him to take us right to the rock,’ Hannah was saying.

  ‘What?’ Tamzin’s heart skipped.

  Hannah grinned. ‘You were miles away! What I said was, it’d be amazing if we could get Dad to take us up close to Lion Rock. There’s a channel right through it now. The earthquake did it. Wouldn’t you just love to see?’

  Tamzin knew that Nan was watching her. Had she guessed? Did she know how desperately important it was to her to see the rock for herself?

  Aloud, she said, ‘Er – yes, it’d be great.’ Then, because she didn’t want even Nan to know how excited she was feeling deep down, she added, ‘Though I’ll probably get seasick and won’t feel like looking at anything at all.’

  ‘Oh, you’ll be fine. Dad always says, if you feel sick just throw up and get it over with.’ Hannah laughed. ‘I was really ill once. The sea was a bit rough and I’d had an enormous breakfast, so –’

  ‘All right, that’s enough!’ Nan interrupted with mock severity. ‘Thank you, Hannah, but I don’t want to hear stories like that on top of my breakfast. Now, stand still and stop fidgeting, or we’ll never get this dress to fit.’

  ‘Sorry, Mrs Weston.’

  Hannah stopped talking and stood still, though every now and then she glanced at Tamzin and her mouth twitched with suppressed giggles. Tamzin grinned back. But she was thinking of something else. She was thinking of the beach fair and Lion Rock. Would Mr Roskear, Hannah’s dad, agree to take her in the boat? He had to, she told herself. He just had to!

  The time leading up to the beach fair seemed to drag by incredibly slowly. Tamzin knew she was wishing a whole week of the holidays away, but she couldn’t help it, and each day she became more strung up. She hadn’t heard any more from Hannah and hadn’t mentioned the boat idea to Joel. She felt superstitious about it. If she told Joel too early, then for some reason it wouldn’t happen – Mr Roskear would say no, or the weather would change and the swimming race would be cancelled. It was the one thing she dreaded.

  The weather didn’t change, though. Every day was hot and sunny, and more and more holiday visitors were arriving. Then at last the waiting was over, and the Saturday of the beach fair dawned.

  Tamzin was up before six o’clock. She was so excited that she had hardly slept, and when she looked out of her window and saw the sun shining in a cloudless sky she rushed downstairs and out into the garden, just to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

  She had a hasty breakfast and by half-past seven she was at the stables, where Joel and his parents were already busy. There were booked customers to prepare for and all the usual stable work to be done before they could get ready for the fair. They hardly stopped for a moment, but at last Mr Richards rode out of the yard with the first group of bookings, and Mrs Richards said that Tamzin and Joel could set off for the beach.

  Four ponies were to be used for the beach rides: Lark and Sally-Ann in the morning, then in the afternoon they would be replaced by Pippin, a lazy and good-natured bay gelding, and Bramble, a handsome little black pony with a white blaze which the Richardses had recently bought. The car park had been closed to traffic; instead a striped marquee stood in the middle, and there were stalls and a large barbecue set up around it. The beach was packed with people. The tide was going out and Tamzin’s heart missed a beat as she saw several boats on the sand. She wondered which one belonged to Mr Roskear, but though she looked around for Hannah she couldn’t find her in the crowd.

  A steward saw the ponies arriving and came to show them the space reserved for the rides. There was already a small queue waiting, and within minutes Lark and Sally-Ann were plodding sedately along the sand with small children on their backs, while smiling parents took photographs.

  For an hour Tamzin and Joel were kept busy. Then there was a lull, which gave them the chance to rest the ponies and have a cold drink each.

  ‘We’re closing the stables this afternoon, so Mum said if we do the morning she’ll come and help after lunch,’ Joel said as he flipped the ring-pull on his can. ‘That way, we’ll get a chance to see the events and join in a few things.’

  Tamzin nodded. ‘Nan’s coming later. She said she’ll give us a hand too.’

  ‘Great! Dad’s in the swimming race, of course, so he’ll be too busy getting ready for that.’

  ‘Do you think he’s got a chance of winning?’

  Joel grinned. ‘Between you and me – no! But even if he comes in last, it’ll be fun.’

  As he said that, Tamzin heard a voice shouting her name. She turned her head. Someone was waving to them, and among all the colours on the beach she saw Hannah’s red-gold hair.

  Tam!’ Hannah hurried over to them, though keeping well clear of the ponies. ‘I’ve been looking for you. Hi, Joel.’ And before either Tamzin or Joel could say hello, she rushed on, ‘I asked Dad, and he says you can come. Both of you, if you want. There’s plenty of room.’

  ‘Come where?’ asked Joel.

  ‘On our boat. Didn’t Tam tell you? My dad’s taking your dad out for the swimming race, so I thought it’d be brill if we all went too. We can be your dad’s fan club!’

  Joel looked at Tamzin. ‘That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me about it?’

  ‘Well…’ Tamzin felt her cheeks reddening and owned up. ‘I thought if I said anything, it might not happen. And I really want to go.’

  Joel seemed surprised. ‘Do you? You’re not wor
ried about going out there in a small boat? It can be a bit scary if you’re not used to it.’

  ‘No, of course I’m not!’ Tamzin lied.

  ‘We’ll look after her,’ Hannah assured him. ‘Look, I’m supposed to be helping with something, so I’d better go. See you at two o’clock. It’s that boat over there,’ she said, pointing, ‘the one with the yellow hull. She’s called My Maid.’

  ‘I know her,’ said Joel. ‘See you later, then. And thanks!’

  As Hannah ran back along the beach, Joel turned to Tamzin. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘Now tell me the real reason why you didn’t say anything before. It couldn’t have anything to do with wanting a close-up look at Lion Rock, could it?’

  Tamzin didn’t know what to say. But her face must have given her away, because Joel smiled. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I know what I said the other day, about putting off finding out what’s there. But I didn’t really mean it. I want to see it too – every bit as much as you.’

  Tamzin was saved from answering as a high-pitched voice suddenly demanded, ‘Muuum! Wanna pony wide!’

  A small boy had come up to them and was tugging at his mother’s hand, and several more children were heading in their direction.

  ‘Back to work,’ said Joel. He smiled at the little boy, who had now grabbed a coin from his mother and was holding it out. ‘All right. Let’s put you on Lark, shall we?’

  The subject of Lion Rock was dropped. But Tamzin couldn’t wait for two o’clock to come.

  chapter five

  ‘All competitors for the Lion Rock race, get ready! Swimmers, to your boats please!’

  The voice crackled over the loudspeaker, and from the tide line Hannah beckoned urgently to Tamzin and Joel.

  ‘Come on,’ Joel said. ‘There’s Dad. Look, heading for Mr Roskear’s boat.’ He paused, grinning at Tamzin. ‘Want to change your mind? Last chance!’

  Though her heart was thumping, Tamzin grinned back and shook her head. Nan and Mrs Richards were taking over the pony rides and, as Tamzin handed Bramble’s reins to her, Nan said, ‘Take care now, love. Promise me?’

  ‘Of course, Nan.’ Tamzin kissed her, then followed Joel, who was already hurrying towards the sea.

  Mr Roskear was a tall, lean man with a wind-tanned skin and hair the same colour as Hannah’s. Mr Richards was with him, wearing a wetsuit, goggles and a bright-orange swimming cap.

  ‘Look,’ Joel said to Tamzin. ‘The Martians have landed!’

  ‘That’s enough of your cheek!’ Mr Richards made a mock swipe at him.

  Mr Roskear handed out life jackets and, as Hannah helped her to put hers on, Tamzin stared at the boat, which was rocking gently in the shallows. It looked very small. Even though there were no breakers today but only wavelets running quietly in, she had a sudden bout of nerves. Last chance to change her mind, Joel had said. Part of her wanted to. But Joel and Hannah weren’t scared. She didn’t want to look silly in front of them.

  And there was a far more important reason to go.

  The life jackets were fastened and Hannah was already in the boat. Tamzin took a grip on herself and, before she could turn chicken, climbed in after her.

  The two men and Joel gave the boat a shove, wading in after it. An incoming wave splashed against the bow and it lifted, with a sensation like a horse taking off for a jump. Tamzin clung to the side – the gunwale, she remembered someone telling her – and then the boat rocked again as Mr Roskear jumped in. He pulled the cord of the outboard motor. It started with a harsh chattering noise and Joel and Mr Richards got in too.

  ‘Right!’ said Mr Roskear. ‘Off we go!’

  The engine noise increased as he twisted the handle of the tiller. They started forward, bouncing alarmingly as they met more waves, then they were through the surf and the movement became smoother. Three other boats were setting off too, and several surfers and two of the lifeguards were paddling their longboards out. People on shore waved and gave thumbs-up signs to the swimmers, and the little convoy headed towards the open sea.

  ‘Brill!’ said Hannah, the wind blowing her hair. ‘Can I steer, Dad?’

  ‘Not yet. Too many people this close to shore. Wait till we get further out, then we’ll see.’

  Joel looked at Tamzin. ‘All right?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Then she grinned sheepishly. ‘Think so.’

  ‘If you start to feel sick, fix your eyes on the horizon,’ Mr Richards told her. ‘It stays steady, and that helps.’

  Tamzin nodded. She didn’t think she would feel sick. The boat’s motion was a bit like riding a horse, so it felt almost familiar. What she hadn’t expected was the sheer vastness of the sea. It looked so different from shore; distant somehow, as if it wasn’t quite real. Out here, though, with the beach falling further behind, there was nothing but water, water and more water. The swell rose and fell, lifting the boat as it swept by. Everyone said how calm the sea was today, but it didn’t look calm to Tamzin. It looked very close, and incredibly powerful.

  She tried not to think about that enormous power and instead gazed around. There were at least a dozen other boats heading for the rock, as well as surfers lying flat on their colourful longboards and using their hands as paddles, and two bright-red canoes in the distance. There was even somebody on a jetski, making a wide circle around the boats. Everyone seemed to know everyone else; people waved to each other and Tamzin joined in – but then her hand froze in mid-air as her gaze focused suddenly on Lion Rock.

  It was much closer now – and it was huge.The split was clearly visible, making it look as if two gigantic claws were rising out of the sea and towering skywards. Waves broke at the foot of the rock, and she could see the channel, with water racing and foaming through it.

  Hannah was looking too. ‘Wow!’ she said. ‘That’s quite something!’ She turned to Mr Roskear. ‘Dad, do you reckon we could get through there?’

  ‘Just about, I should think, but only if the sea’s quiet, like today,’ said her father.

  ‘Can we try? Oh, please, Dad – it’d be amazing!’

  ‘If there’s time, maybe.’ Mr Roskear smiled at Tamzin. ‘Unless Tamzin doesn’t want to.’

  Tamzin was still staring at the channel. ‘Oh, no,’ she said. ‘I’d love to see it.’

  She really meant what she said – because a sudden instinct had woken in her. She needed to see the far side of the rock. She didn’t know why, but the feeling was so strong that it was almost an ache inside her. She wasn’t frightened of Lion Rock. Awed, yes. But not frightened.

  The boat sailed closer, until the great bulk of the rock blotted out half the sky. A larger boat with a single mast and a flag saying STEWARD was bobbing nearby, and all the convoy started to manoeuvre round into a line. Someone with an air-horn was standing up in the steward’s boat, and Mr Roskear said, ‘No time to go round the rock today. They’re about to start the race.’

  ‘Everyone ready?’ a voice bawled across the water. ‘OK, swimmers – time for a cold dip!’

  ‘Good luck, Dad!’ Joel thumped his father on the shoulder as all the competitors jumped into the sea. They trod water for a few seconds, then the air-horn blared like a demented donkey, and a cheer went up as the race began.

  The engine chugged as Mr Roskear swung My Maid gently round until they were facing the way they had come. They could see Mr Richards’s orange cap in the middle of a lot of churning water and slowly they started to follow.

  As they headed back towards the beach, Joel eagerly watched the swimmers and the other boats. But Tamzin looked over her shoulder at Lion Rock. What was there? What secret, waiting to be discovered… Or what danger, lying in wait? Because there was danger there. She could feel it, like a cold wind blowing in from the sea. And unless she could find it and face it, the threat of the Grey Horse would still hover over them all.

  Her stomach churned and she began to feel sick. Telling herself that it was only the boat engine fumes blowing in her face, she turned round again and tried to m
ake herself concentrate on happier things. The sea looked wonderful – blue as sapphires, with silver flecks of sunlight dancing and glittering on it. She could hear people in nearby boats laughing and calling to each other, or urging their favourite swimmers on. Mr Richards was doing well, churning steadily through the water. The breeze had a lovely salt smell and the sun was gloriously hot.

  ‘Enjoying it?’ Joel asked over the noise of the engine.

  Tamzin could see a crowd on the beach in the distance, waiting to cheer the race winners. They looked so bright and colourful and happy.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, smiling at Joel. ‘Yes, I really am.’

  Mr Richards came in seventeenth out of twenty-three swimmers.

  ‘Well, at least I finished!’ he said indignantly when Joel and Mrs Richards teased him. ‘And if nothing else, it gave Tamzin her first chance to go out in a boat.’ He smiled at Tamzin. ‘Was it fun?’

  ‘Yes, it was,’ she said. ‘Though it could never be as much fun as riding.’

  In fact her legs were still a bit wobbly from being on the sea. It was the same feeling she used to have after riding, when she was a beginner – ‘slightly achy and slightly shaky’, as Nan put it. But she wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Because it had confirmed what, deep down, she had already known. That she had to solve the mystery of Lion Rock once and for all. And she didn’t have more than a few weeks to do it.

  Nan and Mrs Richards were happy to continue with the pony rides, so Tamzin and Joel were given the rest of the afternoon off. For a while they wandered around the beach without saying much. They watched a tug-o’-war, looked at all the entries in the sandcastle competition and argued cheerfully about which one should win, and had enormous ice creams at the tea tent. Then, finally, Joel broached the subject that had been on both their minds all along.

  ‘Well,’ he said, as they reached a quieter spot on the beach, ‘now you’ve seen Lion Rock up close. So what happens now?’