waves, it would be better too.
It wasn’t, of course. In the confined space the waves bounced off the walls, swirled and jostled, slapping playfully at the sides of the boat. MacNee turned green just as Drummond said, ‘There’s one little detail I didn’t mention to the constable.’ He picked up the torch and shone it up.
The skull grinned down. Drummond moved the beam to the wall behind, focusing it on a limb pinned to the wall, caught by the iron staple. The hand bones had fallen and only an arm bone was left, and round it, also resting on the metal, was an unmistakably modern man’s wristwatch.
At which point MacNee, to his utter humiliation, vomited.
‘Cat, if you’re taking anything more, it won’t fit into the car,’ Bill said. ‘You’ll be home again in a week or two. You’re not needing everything you’re going to want for the next five years.’
‘I’m not!’ Cat said defensively. ‘I just don’t know exactly what I’ll want yet and if it’s too much I can always bring it home again. Anyway, this is the last.’
She held out a cardboard box. Bill looked doubtfully at it, then at the boot.
‘It’ll have to go inside between the two of you.’ Cat, shrugging, put it into the car where Cammie was already sitting waiting.
‘Go up and take another look round, why don’t you?’ he suggested. ‘I bet there’s like another trunk or two of clothes you really reallyneed. And of course this is a mega-cool way of spending a morning – sitting in the car.’
Cat pulled a face at him. ‘I’m ready now, anyway. Where’s Mum?’
‘Give her a shout,’ Bill said.
Cat disappeared back into the house. ‘Mum! We’re ready!’ she shouted.
Marjory called back, ‘I’m right there.’ Pressing the button to start the dishwasher, she headed out of the kitchen.
Then the phone went.
MacNee watched as Drummond, smirking, swung the boat round and headed back. He was standing on a ledge just to the side of the cave; above him a steep slope of rocks and rough grass, below him the sea.
Drummond had been reluctant to leave him there, but anything was better than sailing right round the island again, no doubt giving Drummond even more humorous copy for his rag – though at least he’d directed the man to lose his camera before they’d set out. From the other side of the island, it really would only be five minutes back to Innellan, and he’d have time to recover while he waited for Fleming to be brought out and shown the site.
He glanced up again. There were plenty of footholds, but they weren’t necessarily stable and he was no mountaineer. And the further he climbed, the greater the drop below.
But it was dry land. MacNee comforted himself with that. He’d made his decision: Drummond mustn’t come back to find him still there, being feeble about climbing as well as sailing.
Welcome what thou can’st not shun
, he reminded himself, having his usual recourse to Scotland’s Bard. Reaching above his head, he tested a handhold and began the climb.
The worst thing was the nausea and dizziness. It hadn’t stopped when the boat did, and soon he was having to cower into the slope, taking deep breaths before attempting the next step. It made MacNee careless; he put his foot on a tuft of grass which had grown on a loose stone. With a cry and another lurch of his suffering stomach he felt it give beneath his weight and bounce down, down into the waves below.
His desperate grip on a more stable rock above saved him. He thought he might be sick again from sheer terror, but with an act of willpower controlled it and after a moment or two found a safer foothold. Doggedly, he began the climb once more. There wasn’t much else he could do.
Don’t look down. Test. Don’t startle when you test and it breaks off. Don’t pass out. Look up. The top’s nearer now, nearer … With one last, frantic effort he heaved himself up on to the level ground beyond, digging his nails into the friendly
It wasn’t, of course. In the confined space the waves bounced off the walls, swirled and jostled, slapping playfully at the sides of the boat. MacNee turned green just as Drummond said, ‘There’s one little detail I didn’t mention to the constable.’ He picked up the torch and shone it up.
The skull grinned down. Drummond moved the beam to the wall behind, focusing it on a limb pinned to the wall, caught by the iron staple. The hand bones had fallen and only an arm bone was left, and round it, also resting on the metal, was an unmistakably modern man’s wristwatch.
At which point MacNee, to his utter humiliation, vomited.
‘Cat, if you’re taking anything more, it won’t fit into the car,’ Bill said. ‘You’ll be home again in a week or two. You’re not needing everything you’re going to want for the next five years.’
‘I’m not!’ Cat said defensively. ‘I just don’t know exactly what I’ll want yet and if it’s too much I can always bring it home again. Anyway, this is the last.’
She held out a cardboard box. Bill looked doubtfully at it, then at the boot.
‘It’ll have to go inside between the two of you.’ Cat, shrugging, put it into the car where Cammie was already sitting waiting.
‘Go up and take another look round, why don’t you?’ he suggested. ‘I bet there’s like another trunk or two of clothes you really reallyneed. And of course this is a mega-cool way of spending a morning – sitting in the car.’
Cat pulled a face at him. ‘I’m ready now, anyway. Where’s Mum?’
‘Give her a shout,’ Bill said.
Cat disappeared back into the house. ‘Mum! We’re ready!’ she shouted.
Marjory called back, ‘I’m right there.’ Pressing the button to start the dishwasher, she headed out of the kitchen.
Then the phone went.
MacNee watched as Drummond, smirking, swung the boat round and headed back. He was standing on a ledge just to the side of the cave; above him a steep slope of rocks and rough grass, below him the sea.
Drummond had been reluctant to leave him there, but anything was better than sailing right round the island again, no doubt giving Drummond even more humorous copy for his rag – though at least he’d directed the man to lose his camera before they’d set out. From the other side of the island, it really would only be five minutes back to Innellan, and he’d have time to recover while he waited for Fleming to be brought out and shown the site.
He glanced up again. There were plenty of footholds, but they weren’t necessarily stable and he was no mountaineer. And the further he climbed, the greater the drop below.
But it was dry land. MacNee comforted himself with that. He’d made his decision: Drummond mustn’t come back to find him still there, being feeble about climbing as well as sailing.
Welcome what thou can’st not shun
, he reminded himself, having his usual recourse to Scotland’s Bard. Reaching above his head, he tested a handhold and began the climb.
The worst thing was the nausea and dizziness. It hadn’t stopped when the boat did, and soon he was having to cower into the slope, taking deep breaths before attempting the next step. It made MacNee careless; he put his foot on a tuft of grass which had grown on a loose stone. With a cry and another lurch of his suffering stomach he felt it give beneath his weight and bounce down, down into the waves below.
His desperate grip on a more stable rock above saved him. He thought he might be sick again from sheer terror, but with an act of willpower controlled it and after a moment or two found a safer foothold. Doggedly, he began the climb once more. There wasn’t much else he could do.
Don’t look down. Test. Don’t startle when you test and it breaks off. Don’t pass out. Look up. The top’s nearer now, nearer … With one last, frantic effort he heaved himself up on to the level ground beyond, digging his nails into the friendly
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