lid. A necklace of pearls stared up at him – round, white, gleaming pearls. Imitation, he was sure. “Take me,” they said. Tarkin stretched out his hand, his heart racing. His mother would never notice they were gone. He’d never seen her wear them. She probably didn’t even like them. In a flash they were in his pocket.
“You sure you’re OK, honey?”
Tarkin swung round. His mother was at the door. Had she seen him?
“Yeah, just…” He had to think quick, “looking for my scarf. It’s kinda windy outside. I don’t know where I left it.”
“I ain’t seen it,” she said, walking over to her dressing table. Tarkin’s heart thumped. “But here, honey.” She pulled open a drawer just inches from the jewellery box. “Take one of Frank’s. He won’t mind.”
“Thanks,” said Tarkin, grabbing it and making a dash for the door. “Gotta run, don’t want to be late.”
And run he did – but not to school. He ran all the way through the village, over the bridge and along to the beach, with Frank’s yellow scarf flapping round his neck, and his mother’s pearls jingling in his pocket.
Chapter 12
When the bell rang for playtime Magnus Fin had a sore head. He had spent the Gaelic lesson, then the reading time, then the maths lesson, being as normal as he could. It was hard work looking interested all the time. Now, with the bell clanging loudly and children making a dash for the playground, he needed fresh air. He needed to slip away from the beady eyes of Mr Sargent. And he needed to find out what was up with Tarkin, who still hadn’t appeared.
Children were spilling out of school, unwrapping nut bars or biting into rosy apples. Ellie and Iona begged Aquella to play skipping with them. Fin sped off across the playground.
“Hey! Where are you going?” Jake shouted after him. “We need you in goal.”
Fin shook his head. He didn’t like being goalie. Anyway, he needed to find Tarkin. “Playing hide and seek,” Fin shouted, which was kind of true. He jumped over the wall, then as fast as he could, raced down the road that wound to the beach. Normally it took him seven minutes. If he ran super-fast he could do it in five. He practically flew down.
In no time he was pounding the sandy track he knew so well. He scanned the bay and the beach. His eyes went to his rock, the high black one that jutted out tosea. He saw a figure, hunched down on the edge of it. It was Tarkin. Fin’s heart missed a beat. The water was deep there. And Tarkin couldn’t swim. No matter how many swimming lessons Fin had given him, Tarkin still hadn’t got the hang of it.
“Stop!” Fin yelled at the top of his voice. “Don’t jump!”
But Tarkin ignored him. He was leaning so far over he would surely fall in.
In seconds Fin had reached the skerries. He leapt over the rocks. Tarkin hadn’t moved. Maybe he hadn’t heard him? Fin was close to him now. Trying to keep his voice calm he said, “Whatever you do, don’t jump!”
Tarkin jerked his head up and cried out in fright. As he did so, the pearl necklace that he had been swinging back and forth, slipped from his fingers and fell into the sea.
“What are you doing, Tarkin?” Now Fin was by his side. “You’re not a selkie. You can’t go through the door. I mean, sorry but you can’t even swim.”
But Tarkin could only stare down into the water. “You made me drop them.”
“Drop what?”
“I wanted to attract her attention. I wanted to give her a present. Oh man, I can’t believe it. They’ve gone.”
Magnus Fin glanced at Tarkin’s watch. They had to get back. “What’s gone? Tell me!”
Tarkin hung his head. “The pearl necklace. It was a present for the mermaid. I wanted to give her something special.”
Fin stood up, hoping Tarkin would too. “She’ll find them, Tark. They’re in the water now, and she lives inthe water. She’ll get them. Don’t worry. Look, we’d better get to school. It was you who said we had to act normal
“You sure you’re OK, honey?”
Tarkin swung round. His mother was at the door. Had she seen him?
“Yeah, just…” He had to think quick, “looking for my scarf. It’s kinda windy outside. I don’t know where I left it.”
“I ain’t seen it,” she said, walking over to her dressing table. Tarkin’s heart thumped. “But here, honey.” She pulled open a drawer just inches from the jewellery box. “Take one of Frank’s. He won’t mind.”
“Thanks,” said Tarkin, grabbing it and making a dash for the door. “Gotta run, don’t want to be late.”
And run he did – but not to school. He ran all the way through the village, over the bridge and along to the beach, with Frank’s yellow scarf flapping round his neck, and his mother’s pearls jingling in his pocket.
Chapter 12
When the bell rang for playtime Magnus Fin had a sore head. He had spent the Gaelic lesson, then the reading time, then the maths lesson, being as normal as he could. It was hard work looking interested all the time. Now, with the bell clanging loudly and children making a dash for the playground, he needed fresh air. He needed to slip away from the beady eyes of Mr Sargent. And he needed to find out what was up with Tarkin, who still hadn’t appeared.
Children were spilling out of school, unwrapping nut bars or biting into rosy apples. Ellie and Iona begged Aquella to play skipping with them. Fin sped off across the playground.
“Hey! Where are you going?” Jake shouted after him. “We need you in goal.”
Fin shook his head. He didn’t like being goalie. Anyway, he needed to find Tarkin. “Playing hide and seek,” Fin shouted, which was kind of true. He jumped over the wall, then as fast as he could, raced down the road that wound to the beach. Normally it took him seven minutes. If he ran super-fast he could do it in five. He practically flew down.
In no time he was pounding the sandy track he knew so well. He scanned the bay and the beach. His eyes went to his rock, the high black one that jutted out tosea. He saw a figure, hunched down on the edge of it. It was Tarkin. Fin’s heart missed a beat. The water was deep there. And Tarkin couldn’t swim. No matter how many swimming lessons Fin had given him, Tarkin still hadn’t got the hang of it.
“Stop!” Fin yelled at the top of his voice. “Don’t jump!”
But Tarkin ignored him. He was leaning so far over he would surely fall in.
In seconds Fin had reached the skerries. He leapt over the rocks. Tarkin hadn’t moved. Maybe he hadn’t heard him? Fin was close to him now. Trying to keep his voice calm he said, “Whatever you do, don’t jump!”
Tarkin jerked his head up and cried out in fright. As he did so, the pearl necklace that he had been swinging back and forth, slipped from his fingers and fell into the sea.
“What are you doing, Tarkin?” Now Fin was by his side. “You’re not a selkie. You can’t go through the door. I mean, sorry but you can’t even swim.”
But Tarkin could only stare down into the water. “You made me drop them.”
“Drop what?”
“I wanted to attract her attention. I wanted to give her a present. Oh man, I can’t believe it. They’ve gone.”
Magnus Fin glanced at Tarkin’s watch. They had to get back. “What’s gone? Tell me!”
Tarkin hung his head. “The pearl necklace. It was a present for the mermaid. I wanted to give her something special.”
Fin stood up, hoping Tarkin would too. “She’ll find them, Tark. They’re in the water now, and she lives inthe water. She’ll get them. Don’t worry. Look, we’d better get to school. It was you who said we had to act normal
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