where only the bravest dare venture. Now, Nathaniel told me—'
'Hold on a moment!' said Max. 'Who's Nathaniel?'
'The chap in the hospital. The one I got the map from.'
'Ah yes – carry on.'
'He told me that the last time he tried to mount an expedition, he found the island exactly where the map said it would be. He and his men landed in rowing boats and started off into the jungle, heading for the peak of a high mountain. Then . . . something happened and they had to make a run back for the beach.'
'Needed the loo, did they?' asked Max.
'No, it wasn't that! He said there was something waiting for them out there . . . something . . . horrible . . . it was—'
'What?' cried Max impatiently. 'What horrible thing was waiting for them? A monster? A demon? A bowl of lumpy porridge?'
Cornelius sighed. 'I don't know,' he said. 'Nathaniel was just telling me about it when he . . . you know . . . popped off.'
'Popped off?' Max looked back over his shoulder with a puzzled expression. 'What does that mean?'
'He died , you idiot,' hissed Sebastian.
'Oh, I see!' Max snuffled. 'Bit inconvenient, I must say. Popping off before he'd told you exactly what was waiting for you.'
'Yes, well, he didn't have a lot of say in the matter, did he?' growled Cornelius.
'No, but still . . . he could have tried to hang on a bit longer.'
'Max, please shut up!' said Sebastian.
'Oh, well, that's charming,' observed Max. 'I was only trying to make some pleasant conversation.'
'If that's pleasant, I wouldn't like to hear you being un pleasant,' said Sebastian. 'Now please, give it a rest and let me think.'
He lapsed into a moody silence and remained that way for much of the day's journey, only venturing to ask a question when they were reaching the top of a ridge and he noticed that Cornelius was leaning out to look back down the incline.
'What's wrong with you?' Sebastian muttered.
Cornelius frowned. 'Stop for a moment,' he said.
Sebastian did as he was told, reining Max to a halt. Cornelius pulled a battered old spyglass from his belt. He stood up on his seat and extended the device to peer back down the trail. He sat still for several moments, squinting into the eyepiece.
'What are you looking for?' demanded Sebastian irritably.
'Not quite sure,' said Cornelius. 'But I have a sneaking suspicion that— Ah-ha! Just as I thought.'
He handed the spyglass to Sebastian and pointed down the trail. Sebastian got to his feet and lifted the device to his eye.
'What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?'
'Just keep watching,' Cornelius told him.
Sebastian moved the focus of the telescope impatiently back and forth before he picked up a distant cloud of dust. He homed in on it and, after squinting for a while longer, was able to discern a cloaked figure mounted on an equine and riding slowly towards them. At first he was unable to make out much detail, but then he realized that it was a woman.
'It would seem that your shape-shifting friend is not quite finished with us yet,' observed Cornelius.
'Leonora?' Sebastian couldn't help it: at the very mention of her something in his heart seemed to leap in exultation. 'I . . . I wonder what she wants?'
'What do you think she wants?' retorted Cornelius. 'Revenge for her brother, no doubt. Not to mention the treasure.'
'Oh no, I don't think she'd be interested in that. No, it's probably just a coincidence that she's heading this way.'
'Oh dear,' observed Max. 'He has got it bad. Isn't there anything we can do for him, Cornelius?'
'What would you suggest? I'm no magician.' Cornelius looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Perhaps if I waited here behind a rock and cut off Leonora's head as she rode by, that might lift the enchantment.'
'You'll do no such thing!' protested Sebastian. 'She has a lovely head and it will look a lot better left on her shoulders.'
'Yes, but, Sebastian, think about it! If
'Hold on a moment!' said Max. 'Who's Nathaniel?'
'The chap in the hospital. The one I got the map from.'
'Ah yes – carry on.'
'He told me that the last time he tried to mount an expedition, he found the island exactly where the map said it would be. He and his men landed in rowing boats and started off into the jungle, heading for the peak of a high mountain. Then . . . something happened and they had to make a run back for the beach.'
'Needed the loo, did they?' asked Max.
'No, it wasn't that! He said there was something waiting for them out there . . . something . . . horrible . . . it was—'
'What?' cried Max impatiently. 'What horrible thing was waiting for them? A monster? A demon? A bowl of lumpy porridge?'
Cornelius sighed. 'I don't know,' he said. 'Nathaniel was just telling me about it when he . . . you know . . . popped off.'
'Popped off?' Max looked back over his shoulder with a puzzled expression. 'What does that mean?'
'He died , you idiot,' hissed Sebastian.
'Oh, I see!' Max snuffled. 'Bit inconvenient, I must say. Popping off before he'd told you exactly what was waiting for you.'
'Yes, well, he didn't have a lot of say in the matter, did he?' growled Cornelius.
'No, but still . . . he could have tried to hang on a bit longer.'
'Max, please shut up!' said Sebastian.
'Oh, well, that's charming,' observed Max. 'I was only trying to make some pleasant conversation.'
'If that's pleasant, I wouldn't like to hear you being un pleasant,' said Sebastian. 'Now please, give it a rest and let me think.'
He lapsed into a moody silence and remained that way for much of the day's journey, only venturing to ask a question when they were reaching the top of a ridge and he noticed that Cornelius was leaning out to look back down the incline.
'What's wrong with you?' Sebastian muttered.
Cornelius frowned. 'Stop for a moment,' he said.
Sebastian did as he was told, reining Max to a halt. Cornelius pulled a battered old spyglass from his belt. He stood up on his seat and extended the device to peer back down the trail. He sat still for several moments, squinting into the eyepiece.
'What are you looking for?' demanded Sebastian irritably.
'Not quite sure,' said Cornelius. 'But I have a sneaking suspicion that— Ah-ha! Just as I thought.'
He handed the spyglass to Sebastian and pointed down the trail. Sebastian got to his feet and lifted the device to his eye.
'What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?'
'Just keep watching,' Cornelius told him.
Sebastian moved the focus of the telescope impatiently back and forth before he picked up a distant cloud of dust. He homed in on it and, after squinting for a while longer, was able to discern a cloaked figure mounted on an equine and riding slowly towards them. At first he was unable to make out much detail, but then he realized that it was a woman.
'It would seem that your shape-shifting friend is not quite finished with us yet,' observed Cornelius.
'Leonora?' Sebastian couldn't help it: at the very mention of her something in his heart seemed to leap in exultation. 'I . . . I wonder what she wants?'
'What do you think she wants?' retorted Cornelius. 'Revenge for her brother, no doubt. Not to mention the treasure.'
'Oh no, I don't think she'd be interested in that. No, it's probably just a coincidence that she's heading this way.'
'Oh dear,' observed Max. 'He has got it bad. Isn't there anything we can do for him, Cornelius?'
'What would you suggest? I'm no magician.' Cornelius looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Perhaps if I waited here behind a rock and cut off Leonora's head as she rode by, that might lift the enchantment.'
'You'll do no such thing!' protested Sebastian. 'She has a lovely head and it will look a lot better left on her shoulders.'
'Yes, but, Sebastian, think about it! If
Similar Books
