flippers.’
‘Flippers? It’s a man, then?’
‘Not rubber flippers.’ E.D. was beginning to pant. He snuck a look at Gabby, noticing that she wasn’t anywhere near panting. ‘Flipper flippers.’
Gabby ran without speaking for a few seconds. ‘Flipper flippers?’
‘Just look.’
They’d reached the end of the path. The sand on the beach slowed them down but it was much easier now to see what the shape was. A large round head with two big eyes appeared above the water and ducked under again.
‘A seal!’ Gabby said. She ran easily across the sand, leaving E.D. behind.
Now that she was level with it, it was easy to see that the seal was distressed and swimming haphazardly around the jetty. Gabby stepped onto the wood, and walked past the boat moorings, keeping an eye on the animal. She reached the end of the jetty and knelt down. Only then could she see what was worrying the seal.
Caught in a dirty piece of fishing net, a young seal pup lay tangled against the jetty post. It was barking—the noise they had heard from the cliff—and when it saw Gabby, the barking became higher pitched and the little seal struggled harder.
‘Don’t move,’ said Gabby softly to it. ‘You’ll only hurt yourself.’ She looked back along the wooden planks for the hire boat man but his tin shed was locked. E.D. ran up to her, making loud clunking noises on the wooden slats.
‘Shhh,’ said Gabby. She leaned back over towards the seal.
Within minutes, the others had caught up. Hannah arrived last, puffing and red in the face. ‘Oh,’ she said, when she could breathe again. ‘The poor thing.’
‘Can we free it?’ Ling looked as if she was going to be sick. The run had taken a lot out of her and the sight of the trapped seal was making her feel ill.
Before anyone could answer, E.D. started taking off his clothes. He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled something out, placing it between his teeth before wrenching his jeans off. Hannah turned even redder. E.D. gave her an odd grin, not letting go of whatever it was in his mouth, and lowered himself off the end of the ramp into the sea.
Angus and Ling knelt beside Gabby and watched as E.D. swam to the seal. At the sight of him, the little animal tried to twist free but the net was holding fast. E.D. took the object out of his mouth.
‘A pocket knife. Good on ya, E.D.’ Angus spoke softly but E.D. heard. He raised a finger in acknowledgement and went to work on the netting.
It took a long time—a long time to spend crouched on the hard wooden planks; an even longer time in the cold water. E.D. cut carefully, easing the net away from the warm skin of the seal before cutting upwards to avoid nicking the animal. The water was beginning to freeze hisfingers, and he was finding it difficult to keep his body balanced, but he didn’t stop. Next to him, swimming less frantically now, the mother seal watched, with her large head sticking out of the sea. The little pup stopped its barking. It was as if it knew that E.D. was trying to help.
Finally, the ropes gave way, and the baby seal was free. E.D. moved away from it slowly, pulling the net with him. He stayed treading water as the seal gave a flip of its tail. It sank just below the surface, moving slowly, until it sighted its mother. Then it gave a small splash and was gone. The mother seal stayed a moment longer. E.D. saw her looking at him.
‘No worries,’ he said. ‘Any time.’
There was a large splash and both seals disappeared into deeper water.
Chapter 8
Sunday, 19 December, evening
They went back to Spray Cottage without speaking. Angus walked next to E.D., rubbing his shoulders. Despite putting his clothes back on the moment he’d got out of the water, E.D. was shivering. Gabby walked on his other side, taking small peeks at him. She couldn’t stop thinking of how patiently he’d worked on the netting until the seal was free, and how strong he was to tread water all that time.
As they walked
‘Flippers? It’s a man, then?’
‘Not rubber flippers.’ E.D. was beginning to pant. He snuck a look at Gabby, noticing that she wasn’t anywhere near panting. ‘Flipper flippers.’
Gabby ran without speaking for a few seconds. ‘Flipper flippers?’
‘Just look.’
They’d reached the end of the path. The sand on the beach slowed them down but it was much easier now to see what the shape was. A large round head with two big eyes appeared above the water and ducked under again.
‘A seal!’ Gabby said. She ran easily across the sand, leaving E.D. behind.
Now that she was level with it, it was easy to see that the seal was distressed and swimming haphazardly around the jetty. Gabby stepped onto the wood, and walked past the boat moorings, keeping an eye on the animal. She reached the end of the jetty and knelt down. Only then could she see what was worrying the seal.
Caught in a dirty piece of fishing net, a young seal pup lay tangled against the jetty post. It was barking—the noise they had heard from the cliff—and when it saw Gabby, the barking became higher pitched and the little seal struggled harder.
‘Don’t move,’ said Gabby softly to it. ‘You’ll only hurt yourself.’ She looked back along the wooden planks for the hire boat man but his tin shed was locked. E.D. ran up to her, making loud clunking noises on the wooden slats.
‘Shhh,’ said Gabby. She leaned back over towards the seal.
Within minutes, the others had caught up. Hannah arrived last, puffing and red in the face. ‘Oh,’ she said, when she could breathe again. ‘The poor thing.’
‘Can we free it?’ Ling looked as if she was going to be sick. The run had taken a lot out of her and the sight of the trapped seal was making her feel ill.
Before anyone could answer, E.D. started taking off his clothes. He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled something out, placing it between his teeth before wrenching his jeans off. Hannah turned even redder. E.D. gave her an odd grin, not letting go of whatever it was in his mouth, and lowered himself off the end of the ramp into the sea.
Angus and Ling knelt beside Gabby and watched as E.D. swam to the seal. At the sight of him, the little animal tried to twist free but the net was holding fast. E.D. took the object out of his mouth.
‘A pocket knife. Good on ya, E.D.’ Angus spoke softly but E.D. heard. He raised a finger in acknowledgement and went to work on the netting.
It took a long time—a long time to spend crouched on the hard wooden planks; an even longer time in the cold water. E.D. cut carefully, easing the net away from the warm skin of the seal before cutting upwards to avoid nicking the animal. The water was beginning to freeze hisfingers, and he was finding it difficult to keep his body balanced, but he didn’t stop. Next to him, swimming less frantically now, the mother seal watched, with her large head sticking out of the sea. The little pup stopped its barking. It was as if it knew that E.D. was trying to help.
Finally, the ropes gave way, and the baby seal was free. E.D. moved away from it slowly, pulling the net with him. He stayed treading water as the seal gave a flip of its tail. It sank just below the surface, moving slowly, until it sighted its mother. Then it gave a small splash and was gone. The mother seal stayed a moment longer. E.D. saw her looking at him.
‘No worries,’ he said. ‘Any time.’
There was a large splash and both seals disappeared into deeper water.
Chapter 8
Sunday, 19 December, evening
They went back to Spray Cottage without speaking. Angus walked next to E.D., rubbing his shoulders. Despite putting his clothes back on the moment he’d got out of the water, E.D. was shivering. Gabby walked on his other side, taking small peeks at him. She couldn’t stop thinking of how patiently he’d worked on the netting until the seal was free, and how strong he was to tread water all that time.
As they walked
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