her now, she’ll think I’ve abandoned her again, and she’ll give up.
“Oh, Sadie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry….” I hug her tight, trying to pour life into her. She can’t die like this—for nothing. She wasn’t even ill yesterday. She was so full of life.
I put my hand gently on her head and stroke her as reassuringly as I can. “Hold on. You’re going to be all right.” But for the first time ever Sadie twists her head away from my hand. Feebly she struggles to heave herself off my lap.
“Get up, Sapphire. Stand back from her. Give her air,” says a voice behind me.
“Granny Carne!” My words spill over each other in a rush of relief. Granny Carne will know what to do, better even than a vet. “Help me, please help me, I was coming to find you.
Sadie’s so ill , I think she’s dying—”
“Don’t say that word in her hearing. You’ll frighten the spirit out of her. Stand back, and let me see her.” Reluctantly I unwind my arms and settle Sadie gently back on the cold grass. Granny Carne stands very still , looking down at Sadie. She looks more like a tall tree than ever, with Sadie in her shelter. Her fierce eyes gleam. I can’t bear to see Sadie lying like that, so sick and so alone. I start to move—
“No, Sapphire, stand right back. You can’t help her.”
“I can’t stand here and let her die!”
“No one’s letting anyone die, my girl. But what Sadie needs now is Earth power. See the way she lies there, so close to the earth? You ever seen a mother put her baby against her skin when it’s sick, my girl?”
“No.”
“These days everyone learns so much at school that they end up knowing nothing. But Sadie knows.”
“I was going to bring her up to your cottage, but it was too far. She couldn’t walk anymore.”
“Give her time. She’ll come round.”
For a long while it looks as if Granny Carne isn’t doing anything. She stands there, not moving, not taking her eyes off Sadie, watching every breath Sadie takes. Suddenly there’s a small, chirruping whistle. One of the sparrows in the furze maybe. But the whistle comes again, more strongly and sweetly, and I know it’s not a sparrow. It’s Granny Carne. The sound is coming from her lips, and she’s whistling to Sadie. The whistling grows louder, louder. A shiver passes over Sadie’s supine body. And another. Big shivers that shake her whole body, as if she’s suddenly realized that she is freezing to death. Granny Carne’s whistling grows until my ears ring with it. Sadie shivers once more, from her nose to the tip of her tail. Her body looks different. She’s not slumped so much. One of her ears comes forward, as if she’s listening. Her tail thumps feebly against the grass. Slowly, with great difficulty, she opens her eyes again, and this time her eyes meet Granny Carne’s.
They shine with recognition for a second before they close.
“Sadie!”
“She’ll do now,” says Granny Carne. “Give her time.”
“Is she better?”
“Not by a long way,” says Granny Carne gravely. “Her spirit went far from us, on a cold journey.”
“Where did she go?”
“Ingo put her in fear. The spirit in her shrank away from it.
It was like putting water on a fire. This is no ordinary illness, Sapphire. I believe you know that. Ingo came too close to her. A creature of Earth like Sadie can’t survive there.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m not blaming you, my girl. But look at yourself. You’ve got Ingo written all over you today. Don’t tell me you haven’t been there. Don’t tell me you haven’t got Ingo’s music in your ears again. And where you go, that dog’s bound to follow, since she’s yours.”
“But I didn’t take her with me, Granny Carne. I left her up at the top of the steps.”
“That’s no protection for a dog like Sadie. She followed you in her heart. She went in your footsteps until
“Oh, Sadie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry….” I hug her tight, trying to pour life into her. She can’t die like this—for nothing. She wasn’t even ill yesterday. She was so full of life.
I put my hand gently on her head and stroke her as reassuringly as I can. “Hold on. You’re going to be all right.” But for the first time ever Sadie twists her head away from my hand. Feebly she struggles to heave herself off my lap.
“Get up, Sapphire. Stand back from her. Give her air,” says a voice behind me.
“Granny Carne!” My words spill over each other in a rush of relief. Granny Carne will know what to do, better even than a vet. “Help me, please help me, I was coming to find you.
Sadie’s so ill , I think she’s dying—”
“Don’t say that word in her hearing. You’ll frighten the spirit out of her. Stand back, and let me see her.” Reluctantly I unwind my arms and settle Sadie gently back on the cold grass. Granny Carne stands very still , looking down at Sadie. She looks more like a tall tree than ever, with Sadie in her shelter. Her fierce eyes gleam. I can’t bear to see Sadie lying like that, so sick and so alone. I start to move—
“No, Sapphire, stand right back. You can’t help her.”
“I can’t stand here and let her die!”
“No one’s letting anyone die, my girl. But what Sadie needs now is Earth power. See the way she lies there, so close to the earth? You ever seen a mother put her baby against her skin when it’s sick, my girl?”
“No.”
“These days everyone learns so much at school that they end up knowing nothing. But Sadie knows.”
“I was going to bring her up to your cottage, but it was too far. She couldn’t walk anymore.”
“Give her time. She’ll come round.”
For a long while it looks as if Granny Carne isn’t doing anything. She stands there, not moving, not taking her eyes off Sadie, watching every breath Sadie takes. Suddenly there’s a small, chirruping whistle. One of the sparrows in the furze maybe. But the whistle comes again, more strongly and sweetly, and I know it’s not a sparrow. It’s Granny Carne. The sound is coming from her lips, and she’s whistling to Sadie. The whistling grows louder, louder. A shiver passes over Sadie’s supine body. And another. Big shivers that shake her whole body, as if she’s suddenly realized that she is freezing to death. Granny Carne’s whistling grows until my ears ring with it. Sadie shivers once more, from her nose to the tip of her tail. Her body looks different. She’s not slumped so much. One of her ears comes forward, as if she’s listening. Her tail thumps feebly against the grass. Slowly, with great difficulty, she opens her eyes again, and this time her eyes meet Granny Carne’s.
They shine with recognition for a second before they close.
“Sadie!”
“She’ll do now,” says Granny Carne. “Give her time.”
“Is she better?”
“Not by a long way,” says Granny Carne gravely. “Her spirit went far from us, on a cold journey.”
“Where did she go?”
“Ingo put her in fear. The spirit in her shrank away from it.
It was like putting water on a fire. This is no ordinary illness, Sapphire. I believe you know that. Ingo came too close to her. A creature of Earth like Sadie can’t survive there.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m not blaming you, my girl. But look at yourself. You’ve got Ingo written all over you today. Don’t tell me you haven’t been there. Don’t tell me you haven’t got Ingo’s music in your ears again. And where you go, that dog’s bound to follow, since she’s yours.”
“But I didn’t take her with me, Granny Carne. I left her up at the top of the steps.”
“That’s no protection for a dog like Sadie. She followed you in her heart. She went in your footsteps until
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