“You are upset, Kitto,” she said.
Kitto grabbed Van’s shoulder to hoist himself to his feet, crutch in one hand.
“I do not know what I am,” he said, meaning it in many ways. He took a few hobbled steps along the beach. He spun around and nearly lost his balance.
“Lies,” he said, glaring at Sarah. “Lies! Father had plenty. Never told me my name, never told any of us his past. And you, Mum”—Kitto steeled himself—“you had your lies too. I never . . .” His thought eluded him and he shook his head violently. “And you treat me like a child, like I was Duck! You never trusted me to know any of this.”
“That is not true, I simply—”
“Is there anything else, Mum? Anything else I should know about you?” Kitto’s tone had taken on more than a bit of venom.
Sarah stood, her face flushed.
“No, Kitto, I should think that one dark secret is all that I have.”
Kitto looked down, suddenly ashamed. But there was more he felt he needed to say.
“I am not a child, and I will not be treated like one any longer.” He spun away again and hobbled his way down the beach.
Van and Sarah watched Kitto go.
“Shall I stop him?” Van said.
“No. When he is upset, it is best to leave him.” Sarah turned out toward the sea and scanned the impossibly distant line of the horizon. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes moistened with tears.
----
CHAPTER 6:
----
The Cave
“H ow much farther is it?” Kitto said. It had been ten minutes since Ontoquas had caught up to him as he hobbled along the beach, seething with an anger he did not fully understand.
“Soon.” They were now just coming upon a rocky rise that jutted out into the water. The island here did not slope steadily from forest to beach as it did elsewhere, but instead tumbled sharply from a hundred feet up at the island’s pinnacle to a jumble of craggy rocks upon which the waves thundered and sent up wisps of spray. Kitto’s stump burned from the effort of the walk.
“It is here. There.” Ontoquas made a sweeping gesture with her hand that indicated they were going around the promontory.
“Do we swim, or climb over?”
Ontoquas stepped into the water and motioned for Kitto to follow.
“Good,” Kitto said, and tossed his crutch high up on the beach where it would be safe from a rising tide. Hehopped into the wash, then lowered to hands and knees and crawled his way into the surf.
Ontoquas was out deep enough to swim now, and Kitto made for her. He welcomed the flow of the water along his body. He had always loved to swim; it was one of the few physical activities that he could do as well with his clubfoot as any other boy. And he found now, even without the last ten inches of his leg, his body could still glide gracefully along. After several strokes he caught up to Ontoquas. They had come just far enough so that Kitto could begin to see around the rocky promontory. It bent along for a good stretch, then eventually gave way to a smooth beach beyond.
“Where are we going?”
Ontoquas pointed toward a place along the rocky expanse, perhaps forty yards before the sandy beach resumed. The rocks at the water’s edge seemed shrouded in shadow.
“That is the cave?”
“Yes. You like cave. I show you.” Ontoquas continued on, swimming a path that paralleled the island for some time. Kitto kept pace easily, careful to keep his kicks gentle. Shortly, Ontoquas began to angle toward the dark outcropping of rock. Closer they swam toward the crag. Closer.
Kitto pulled up from his stroke to better look. They were now only ten yards from where the waves washed up against the rocks, and sure enough he could see the top of a dark opening just above the lapping water.From farther back it looked simply like dark rock, but this close he could see that it formed a kind of tunnel. A strange feeling passed over him, sending goose bumps up his spine.
I know this place, he thought. Was that possible?
He paddled forward to come alongside
Kitto grabbed Van’s shoulder to hoist himself to his feet, crutch in one hand.
“I do not know what I am,” he said, meaning it in many ways. He took a few hobbled steps along the beach. He spun around and nearly lost his balance.
“Lies,” he said, glaring at Sarah. “Lies! Father had plenty. Never told me my name, never told any of us his past. And you, Mum”—Kitto steeled himself—“you had your lies too. I never . . .” His thought eluded him and he shook his head violently. “And you treat me like a child, like I was Duck! You never trusted me to know any of this.”
“That is not true, I simply—”
“Is there anything else, Mum? Anything else I should know about you?” Kitto’s tone had taken on more than a bit of venom.
Sarah stood, her face flushed.
“No, Kitto, I should think that one dark secret is all that I have.”
Kitto looked down, suddenly ashamed. But there was more he felt he needed to say.
“I am not a child, and I will not be treated like one any longer.” He spun away again and hobbled his way down the beach.
Van and Sarah watched Kitto go.
“Shall I stop him?” Van said.
“No. When he is upset, it is best to leave him.” Sarah turned out toward the sea and scanned the impossibly distant line of the horizon. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes moistened with tears.
----
CHAPTER 6:
----
The Cave
“H ow much farther is it?” Kitto said. It had been ten minutes since Ontoquas had caught up to him as he hobbled along the beach, seething with an anger he did not fully understand.
“Soon.” They were now just coming upon a rocky rise that jutted out into the water. The island here did not slope steadily from forest to beach as it did elsewhere, but instead tumbled sharply from a hundred feet up at the island’s pinnacle to a jumble of craggy rocks upon which the waves thundered and sent up wisps of spray. Kitto’s stump burned from the effort of the walk.
“It is here. There.” Ontoquas made a sweeping gesture with her hand that indicated they were going around the promontory.
“Do we swim, or climb over?”
Ontoquas stepped into the water and motioned for Kitto to follow.
“Good,” Kitto said, and tossed his crutch high up on the beach where it would be safe from a rising tide. Hehopped into the wash, then lowered to hands and knees and crawled his way into the surf.
Ontoquas was out deep enough to swim now, and Kitto made for her. He welcomed the flow of the water along his body. He had always loved to swim; it was one of the few physical activities that he could do as well with his clubfoot as any other boy. And he found now, even without the last ten inches of his leg, his body could still glide gracefully along. After several strokes he caught up to Ontoquas. They had come just far enough so that Kitto could begin to see around the rocky promontory. It bent along for a good stretch, then eventually gave way to a smooth beach beyond.
“Where are we going?”
Ontoquas pointed toward a place along the rocky expanse, perhaps forty yards before the sandy beach resumed. The rocks at the water’s edge seemed shrouded in shadow.
“That is the cave?”
“Yes. You like cave. I show you.” Ontoquas continued on, swimming a path that paralleled the island for some time. Kitto kept pace easily, careful to keep his kicks gentle. Shortly, Ontoquas began to angle toward the dark outcropping of rock. Closer they swam toward the crag. Closer.
Kitto pulled up from his stroke to better look. They were now only ten yards from where the waves washed up against the rocks, and sure enough he could see the top of a dark opening just above the lapping water.From farther back it looked simply like dark rock, but this close he could see that it formed a kind of tunnel. A strange feeling passed over him, sending goose bumps up his spine.
I know this place, he thought. Was that possible?
He paddled forward to come alongside
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