fur. Fin looked down at the two seal skins that lay near Miranda’s webbed feet. Shuna ran to Miranda and buried her face in the older woman’s hair.
“But I want to help,” Fin called out. “Please, Miranda – please let me.”
But still Miranda shook her head. She placed the scallop shell of seaweed on the sand. Then she slipped her hand into the girl’s and bent down. Hurriedly she lifted up the seal skins and ran, pulling the girl with her to the water’s edge. The shiny black and grey skin she handed to Shuna. The silvery white one she kept for herself. Seawater now frothed round their white ankles. She looked back at her grandson.
Now Fin could see that the sickness had come. Miranda’s eyes, always so bright and clear, were cloudy as though a skin of milk lay over them.
“Let him help, please, Miranda,” the young selkie pleaded. “For the memory of my dead brother, let Magnus Fin help us.”
“Hush, Shuna, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do. If no one helps it will go on and on and on. Then there’ll be no one left to help.” Shuna stared at Magnus Fin, her eyes brim-full with tears. “Please?”
“It is my duty to protect you, Magnus Fin,” Miranda said, “but if you are set upon this journey, then come, but know that I will do what I can to keep the sickness from you. Take the scallop shell. In it is healing medicine from Neptune. I brought it here, but … I was too late.”
Only then did Miranda, flinching, seem to sense there was someone else present. “Tell the human to look away,” she said anxiously. “It’s not for him to witness shape-shifting.”
“Tarkin, close your eyes,” Magnus Fin shouted over to his friend.
Tarkin, though, had already heard Miranda and quickly buried his face in his hands. But, as Mirandaand Shuna slipped into their seal skins, Tarkin made a tiny gap between two of his fingers, and peered out. He watched as the girl and the woman changed into their seal skins.
It shocked him. It stunned him. The soft white human skin of the women seemed to melt into the thick fur. Their arms became flippers. Their legs knitted together and became one. Then the two beautiful seals, now lying flat on the rocks, hauled their round bodies up to the water’s edge then slipped silently into the sea.
“You looked!” Fin gasped, astounded that his best friend would disobey Miranda.
Tarkin said nothing. He could only stare at the place on the rocks where the seals had lain. His face was white. His mouth fell open and his whole body trembled.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” A tremor of anger shot through Fin’s words. “They said not to look. I can’t believe you spied on them. You shouldn’t have done that, you know.”
Still Tarkin was silent. He stumbled to his feet. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to say something. No words came.
“Come on,” said Fin, his Ferrari number plate tucked under his arm, and now the scallop shell of precious seaweed held carefully in his hands, “we’d better get to school.” He stared strangely at Tarkin and shook his head. “Anybody would think you’d been struck dumb!”
Tarkin opened his mouth. He tried to push out a word, a sound even. But nothing came. Not even a whisper.
Magnus Fin was right. Tarkin had been struck dumb.
Chapter 13
“Wait for me, Tarkin!” Magnus Fin shouted, indicating that he was going to put the Ferrari sign and seaweed in his bedroom and he’d be back out in a flash.
Fin ran into the house, flew up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he slid the number plate and scallop shell under his bed. He grabbed his rucksack then turned and ran downstairs three at a time. He couldn’t have been in the house more than a minute, but when he got back outside Tarkin had disappeared.
Fin raced along the track to catch him up. “Tarkin?” he yelled as he ran. “Tarkin, where are you?” But Tarkin must have run like the wind. He was well and truly gone.
Magnus Fin walked
“But I want to help,” Fin called out. “Please, Miranda – please let me.”
But still Miranda shook her head. She placed the scallop shell of seaweed on the sand. Then she slipped her hand into the girl’s and bent down. Hurriedly she lifted up the seal skins and ran, pulling the girl with her to the water’s edge. The shiny black and grey skin she handed to Shuna. The silvery white one she kept for herself. Seawater now frothed round their white ankles. She looked back at her grandson.
Now Fin could see that the sickness had come. Miranda’s eyes, always so bright and clear, were cloudy as though a skin of milk lay over them.
“Let him help, please, Miranda,” the young selkie pleaded. “For the memory of my dead brother, let Magnus Fin help us.”
“Hush, Shuna, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do. If no one helps it will go on and on and on. Then there’ll be no one left to help.” Shuna stared at Magnus Fin, her eyes brim-full with tears. “Please?”
“It is my duty to protect you, Magnus Fin,” Miranda said, “but if you are set upon this journey, then come, but know that I will do what I can to keep the sickness from you. Take the scallop shell. In it is healing medicine from Neptune. I brought it here, but … I was too late.”
Only then did Miranda, flinching, seem to sense there was someone else present. “Tell the human to look away,” she said anxiously. “It’s not for him to witness shape-shifting.”
“Tarkin, close your eyes,” Magnus Fin shouted over to his friend.
Tarkin, though, had already heard Miranda and quickly buried his face in his hands. But, as Mirandaand Shuna slipped into their seal skins, Tarkin made a tiny gap between two of his fingers, and peered out. He watched as the girl and the woman changed into their seal skins.
It shocked him. It stunned him. The soft white human skin of the women seemed to melt into the thick fur. Their arms became flippers. Their legs knitted together and became one. Then the two beautiful seals, now lying flat on the rocks, hauled their round bodies up to the water’s edge then slipped silently into the sea.
“You looked!” Fin gasped, astounded that his best friend would disobey Miranda.
Tarkin said nothing. He could only stare at the place on the rocks where the seals had lain. His face was white. His mouth fell open and his whole body trembled.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” A tremor of anger shot through Fin’s words. “They said not to look. I can’t believe you spied on them. You shouldn’t have done that, you know.”
Still Tarkin was silent. He stumbled to his feet. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to say something. No words came.
“Come on,” said Fin, his Ferrari number plate tucked under his arm, and now the scallop shell of precious seaweed held carefully in his hands, “we’d better get to school.” He stared strangely at Tarkin and shook his head. “Anybody would think you’d been struck dumb!”
Tarkin opened his mouth. He tried to push out a word, a sound even. But nothing came. Not even a whisper.
Magnus Fin was right. Tarkin had been struck dumb.
Chapter 13
“Wait for me, Tarkin!” Magnus Fin shouted, indicating that he was going to put the Ferrari sign and seaweed in his bedroom and he’d be back out in a flash.
Fin ran into the house, flew up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he slid the number plate and scallop shell under his bed. He grabbed his rucksack then turned and ran downstairs three at a time. He couldn’t have been in the house more than a minute, but when he got back outside Tarkin had disappeared.
Fin raced along the track to catch him up. “Tarkin?” he yelled as he ran. “Tarkin, where are you?” But Tarkin must have run like the wind. He was well and truly gone.
Magnus Fin walked
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