Emily Eyefinger and the Secret from the Sea by Duncan Ball

and the crack slammed closed.

    â€˜Fussy!’ Emily cried. ‘Where are you?!’
    Aunt Olympia came running.
    â€˜What happened?’ she cried. ‘Where’s Fussy?!’
    â€˜He fell down a crack. He fell down into the ruins below!’
    The ground shook again, this time knocking Emily and Aunt Olympia off their feet. And when they got up they were knocked down again. The earth was shaking all the time now.
    â€˜We’ve got to get off the mountain!’ Aunt Olympia yelled. ‘It’s sinking again!’
    â€˜But what about Fussy?’ Emily cried. ‘We can’t go without him!’
    â€˜Emily! We have to! If we stay here we’ll be killed. Quick! Follow me!’
    Emily and Aunt Olympia scrambled down the mountainside. Rocks rolled down around them as they ran, skidding and jumping, and jets of steam shot up high in the air. Towards the bottom ofthe mountain they just tumbled and slid till they landed in the water next to the plane.
    â€˜We have to get away from the shore!’ Aunt Olympia said, as they climbed into the plane. ‘Quick before a rock hits us.’
    They paddled as fast as they could. Rocks kept falling into the water, splashing noisily. As Aunt Olympia and Emily watched, the mountain got smaller and smaller, disappearing under the sea. Waves crashed against the plane. Emily hoped she’d see Fussy racing down the mountain.
    But he didn’t appear.
    â€˜We’ve got to get the plane into the air!’ Aunt Olympia yelled.
    â€˜But what about Mr Fusspot?’ Emily said. ‘We can’t just leave him here.’
    â€˜Have to,’ Aunt Olympia said. ‘Have no choice.’
    Emily was crying now from all three eyes and she could see tears escaping from under Aunt Olympia’s flying goggles. Soon the two of them were in their seats and the engine was going.They watched as the last bit of the mountain sank beneath the sea.
    Now a huge wave started moving out from where the mountain disappeared.
    â€˜Hang on, Emily!’ Aunt Olympia yelled.
    She turned up the engine and the plane raced over the water ahead of the giant wave. Just as the wave slammed against its tail, the tiny plane took to the air and the rest of the wave passed beneath them.
    As they flew through the night Emily couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about Fussy and the wonderful times she’d had with the mischievous monkey.
    Finally they were safely home and Emily started unpacking the plane. It was then that she noticed something. She looked closely with her eyefinger into the back of the plane and there looking at her were two shiny eyes.
    â€˜Fussy!’ she cried. ‘It’s you! We thought we’d lost you!’
    The little monkey climbed out and looked around him.
    â€˜Good old Mr Fusspot,’ Aunt Olympia said. ‘I knew you’d look after yourself.’
    â€˜You’re safe now, Fussy,’ Emily said.
    When Emily picked him up, she saw her camera hanging around his neck.
    â€˜And you brought my camera back. You were very naughty to take it but I forgive you.’
    Â 
    Later, back at Aunt Olympia’s house, Aunt Olympia said that it had been the best and the worst trip of her life.
    â€˜It was wonderful to see a whole city just appear like that,’ she said, ‘but I lost all the things I collected.’
    â€˜At least we didn’t lose Fussy,’ Emily said, looking at the photos she’d taken. ‘And we have lots of pictures of the ruins. Hang on, what’s this?I didn’t take this last one. Fussy must have! Have a look!’
    And there it was, a perfect photo of a beautiful sculpture — the statue of the Sea Goddess.
    â€˜Fussy,’ Aunt Olympia said. ‘You’re such a clever boy.’
    Emily looked up to the top of the bookcase and there was Mr Fusspot with his hands on his head smiling down at her.

 

Acknowledgements

    Yet again the author would like to thank