Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission by Janis Mackay Page B

up the brae to school alone that morning. Now, as if his planned return under the sea that evening wasn’t enough to worry about, there was a missing best friend as well.
    “Where’s that American pal of yours then?” boomed Mr Sargent when he was marking the register.
    This time it was Magnus Fin’s turn to shrug his shoulders.
    “Off to get a hair cut by any chance? Hmmm?”
    “He’s got a sore throat, I think,” Magnus Fin said, hoping that Tarkin’s sudden loss of voice was nothing more sinister than that.
    The clock on the classroom wall moved closer and closer to the time of low tide. It was ten o’clock – long division, then two o’clock – French, then half past three.
    “Happy St Andrew’s day,” boomed Mr Sargent as the bell rang and everyone made a quick dash for the door. “And don’t forget your maths homework for Monday.” But nobody heard that. In seconds the classroom emptied. It was the weekend. Children ran across the playground, cheering and skipping, kicking balls and yelling.
    Aquella caught up with her cousin on the way down the brae. “Hey! Where’s Tarkin gone?” she asked, out of breath.
    “He’s got a sore throat,” Fin said, without looking her in the eye. Aquella instantly knew something was up. The cousins walked on together, Fin sneaking glances at his watch. Four hours to go. Fin had to be careful what he thought. Aquella could read his mind. But it was hard to control your thoughts. As soon as Fin tried not to think about going under the sea, he thought about going under the sea. Aquella tugged his sleeve.
    “You think I’m stupid?”
    Fin glanced round at her. “I never said that.”
    “You really think I don’t know?”
    Fin played dumb. “Know what?”
    “Now you’re the stupid one. Know everything! You think I didn’t see Shuna? And Miranda? You think I don’t know about the sickness? Honestly, Magnus Fin. I’ve been down to the beach; I’ve seen the dead seals. Dead selkies if you want to know. You think cos I’m a land girl now I can just turn my back on the sea?”
    Fin didn’t know what to say. He coughed and lookeddown. He didn’t know she felt homesick. She seemed happy. She was in a girl’s band. She had friends. Sarah and Kayla hung about with her. Everybody seemed to love Aquella. She was kind and gentle and popular. But as she stared at Magnus Fin her green eyes blazed. She wasn’t so gentle now.
    “You think I like being left out? You think I can just crawl out of the sea and forget about my whole life and family and friends? Oh, Fin, I cry myself to sleep. I miss the sea so much. Sometimes I think I’ll never get used to squeezing my feet into shoes and eating vegetables. And now the sickness has come to them and there’s nothing I can do about it, because if I get salt water on my skin I’ll shrivel up.” By this time large tears were rolling down Aquella’s face.
    Fin knew about the skin thing. Skin was important for selkies. Aquella had to go a year and a day on dry land, without so much as a splash of seawater, for her skin to fully adapt to air. Fin laid a hand on her shoulder for comfort.
    They had reached the track now that led to the cottage. Both of them stared out over the water. “Mostly I close my eyes so I don’t see the sea. Sometimes I even put my hands over my ears so I don’t hear it. I’m afraid I might wake up in the middle of the night and just go – back into the sea.”
    Magnus Fin patted her back. He felt like crying himself. He had no idea it was so hard for her. Poor Aquella. She looked at him, wiping her tears with her long black hair. “But I stay, Fin. I stay because it’s good to be a land girl. And I stay because I wouldn’t be good to anyone shrivelled up.” She managed a tiny smile.“But at least tell me what you’re going to do, what you’re planning. I know I’m a selkie without a skin, but maybe I can do something .”
    Fin glanced again at his watch then at Aquella. “I’m going