broke, and the sail ripped free, flapped, and winged into the murk. Steering was useless. We could not see land. Soaked, cold, we lay and vomited.
In the middle of the night the raft tilted. The animalsmust have broken out of their pens, run to one side, but I was too miserable to lift my head. We were going to drown anyway, the sooner the better. Then I thought of the trials we had overcome, and heaved on to hands and knees.
The southerly had dropped. There was the smash of breaking water somewhere, the animals’ cries. I shook Taur who moaned to be left alone. At the misery in his voice, its unusual quietness, I grinned and felt much better. I pulled myself up, bumped my head on the broken mast, and crawled forward. The dogs whimpered and followed. Jak ran and leapt out of sight. I croaked his name, he barked back, and Jess knocked me down following him. The other dogs ran over me.
I made out a boulder high above, and drove the animals on to some flat rocks where they stood, heads down, knees wobbling. The raft tilted, lurched, slid backwards into the sea, but this time I leapt with a rope, lashed it to something in the dark.
“Taur!” No reply. I felt around. He must have rolled into the water when the raft tilted. Then I heard him laugh. He had found a basket of cooked food, was gulping a potato. “Gurgh!” he called, and something that meant at least we were alive. I growled but was thankful. In the dark he shoved a chunk of meat into my eye, and I was surprised to find myself hungry. More cheerful, we climbed on to the rocks, fed the dogs and, surrounded by the animals, warming each other, we slept.
I woke to a roar. “Urgsh!” The animals had disappeared. Taur stood on top of the boulders. I crawled beside him. Beyond, the sheep and goats, misery forgotten, grazed across a grassy flat divided by a stream.
“Glawgh!” Taur pointed east. I looked and recognised the North Land. The southerly wind and incoming tide had carried us on to Marn Island, on to the very boulder spit where we had almost landed before. All that previous dayand night, the magic island had drawn us toward itself, rejected and pushed us away, and drawn us back.
I looked for signs of the Salt People, but the coast was too far off. Still the thought of yesterday’s smoke signals worried me, as if they were tall eyes in the sky that could see us even on Marn Island. I shivered and told myself to be sensible.
The Salt People might be on their way to the South Land, seeking the green stone. With luck they might continue to the broken ruins of Elltun, giving no thought to us. At worst they were hunting us, in which case they would probably search the inlet. Once they saw the donkeys and other animals, would they think of the island?
There was no sense keeping it secret. I told Taur of the smoke signals. Guffawing, smacking my back with his huge hand, he said he had watched them coming closer for several days, but kept it quiet since he did not want to upset me. We laughed at the dogs’ wondering faces as we capered, shouted, stored our goods, and took possession of our island kingdom.
Chapter 9
Our Island Kingdom
The south end of Marn Island was a rock tower soaring vertical out of the sea, its only approach a natural causeway, steep and razor-backed. On its flat top Jak whimpered, and Taur took my arm and shook his head as I leaned on the dizzy air, looked down at the silent clash of white-scrawled currents far below.
We traversed the cliffs of the western side. From above, the logs like skeletons now looked a bleached, piled forest. Cliffs studded with seabirds’ nests finished the north end. The air was flecked white and grey by gulls circling, diving around the rock pillars. North lay a shapely island of blue and distant peaks. The eastern side of Marn Island sloped south to the grassy flat where Het trotted forward, tail up, to sniff and greet us.
Except on the exposed cliff tops, the north end of the island was protected from
In the middle of the night the raft tilted. The animalsmust have broken out of their pens, run to one side, but I was too miserable to lift my head. We were going to drown anyway, the sooner the better. Then I thought of the trials we had overcome, and heaved on to hands and knees.
The southerly had dropped. There was the smash of breaking water somewhere, the animals’ cries. I shook Taur who moaned to be left alone. At the misery in his voice, its unusual quietness, I grinned and felt much better. I pulled myself up, bumped my head on the broken mast, and crawled forward. The dogs whimpered and followed. Jak ran and leapt out of sight. I croaked his name, he barked back, and Jess knocked me down following him. The other dogs ran over me.
I made out a boulder high above, and drove the animals on to some flat rocks where they stood, heads down, knees wobbling. The raft tilted, lurched, slid backwards into the sea, but this time I leapt with a rope, lashed it to something in the dark.
“Taur!” No reply. I felt around. He must have rolled into the water when the raft tilted. Then I heard him laugh. He had found a basket of cooked food, was gulping a potato. “Gurgh!” he called, and something that meant at least we were alive. I growled but was thankful. In the dark he shoved a chunk of meat into my eye, and I was surprised to find myself hungry. More cheerful, we climbed on to the rocks, fed the dogs and, surrounded by the animals, warming each other, we slept.
I woke to a roar. “Urgsh!” The animals had disappeared. Taur stood on top of the boulders. I crawled beside him. Beyond, the sheep and goats, misery forgotten, grazed across a grassy flat divided by a stream.
“Glawgh!” Taur pointed east. I looked and recognised the North Land. The southerly wind and incoming tide had carried us on to Marn Island, on to the very boulder spit where we had almost landed before. All that previous dayand night, the magic island had drawn us toward itself, rejected and pushed us away, and drawn us back.
I looked for signs of the Salt People, but the coast was too far off. Still the thought of yesterday’s smoke signals worried me, as if they were tall eyes in the sky that could see us even on Marn Island. I shivered and told myself to be sensible.
The Salt People might be on their way to the South Land, seeking the green stone. With luck they might continue to the broken ruins of Elltun, giving no thought to us. At worst they were hunting us, in which case they would probably search the inlet. Once they saw the donkeys and other animals, would they think of the island?
There was no sense keeping it secret. I told Taur of the smoke signals. Guffawing, smacking my back with his huge hand, he said he had watched them coming closer for several days, but kept it quiet since he did not want to upset me. We laughed at the dogs’ wondering faces as we capered, shouted, stored our goods, and took possession of our island kingdom.
Chapter 9
Our Island Kingdom
The south end of Marn Island was a rock tower soaring vertical out of the sea, its only approach a natural causeway, steep and razor-backed. On its flat top Jak whimpered, and Taur took my arm and shook his head as I leaned on the dizzy air, looked down at the silent clash of white-scrawled currents far below.
We traversed the cliffs of the western side. From above, the logs like skeletons now looked a bleached, piled forest. Cliffs studded with seabirds’ nests finished the north end. The air was flecked white and grey by gulls circling, diving around the rock pillars. North lay a shapely island of blue and distant peaks. The eastern side of Marn Island sloped south to the grassy flat where Het trotted forward, tail up, to sniff and greet us.
Except on the exposed cliff tops, the north end of the island was protected from
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