The Secret of Sinbad's Cave

  Chapter 26

  Reconnaissance

  Nat ran as fast as she could and leapt up onto the rocks to see Elijah flailing in the deep water. Without thinking twice, she whipped off her jacket and started pulling off her shoes to jump in after him, but Barnaby grabbed her.

  ‘He deserved it,’ said Barnaby. ‘Don’t help him.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid,’ she said, trying to shake off his grip. ‘It’s cold down there!’

  Elijah looked like the breath had been knocked out of him.

  ‘It’s just cold shock,’ said Barnaby. ‘He’ll be all right in a moment.’

  ‘Don’t be so mean!’ yelled Nat.

  Barnaby let her go. Nat turned to see that Abraham had grabbed him by the collar and was marching him back to the path.

  ‘What kind of stupid behaviour is that, young man?’ demanded Abraham. ‘That’s how people get hurt. You need to get your head on straight. Go for a walk and cool down. I don’t want to see you for at least twenty minutes.’ Barnaby started to protest, but Abraham was adamant. ‘Get!’

  Barnaby sheepishly disappeared down the path, his pet rope still slung over his shoulder.

  Elijah stood shivering in the water, looking like a hosed down monkey.

  ‘It’s cold,’ he said, to nobody in particular. He patted down his pockets and groaned. ‘I’ve lost my wallet. Damn it Barnaby!’

  ‘I’ve sent him off,’ said Abraham.

  Mike looked at Jack. ‘You were in the thick of it – you can give him a hand.’

  Jack’s eyes bulged. ‘I’m not getting in there!’ he said. ‘You heard the man. It’s freezing!’

  Mike only had to advance one step before Jack slipped off his sneakers and crept down the rock to stand next to Elijah.

  As the sun peeked through the leaves, lines of light hit the water and illuminated the entire cavern. The blue green pool seemed to glow. Jack took a deep breath and dived to the bottom of the lagoon. He was a good swimmer and before long he returned, clutching something. Everyone watched as he surfaced, and waved a card.

  ‘What’s that?’ asked Elijah.

  ‘Your school ID,’ said Jack. ‘Everything’s spilled on the bottom. How old was that wallet?’

  Elijah grimaced. ‘It was a present for my tenth birthday. It was pretty shot.’

  ‘Looks like it disintegrated when it hit the water,’ said Jack. He laid the ID on a rock.

  ‘There’s my house key!’ said Elijah, and dived down.

  It caught the light, even from the bottom of the pool. They watched as he retrieved the key, and then one at a time, they started diving for the rest of the wallet’s contents. It wasn’t long before Kathleen became restless.

  ‘You go on with the girls,’ said Abraham to Mike. ‘I’ll stay here.’

  Mike nodded his thanks. ‘Make sure they get every last thing out of there.’

  ‘That’s the idea,’ chuckled Abraham.

  As they wandered away from the lagoon, Mike was still shaking his head at the boys’ hi-jinks. They passed more tourists, and then the path approached the last cave in the reserve. This was called the Flower Grotto because of its delicate formations. The entrance was famous; to reach the cave you had to cross a bridge, and ascend a perilous set of steps that clung to the hillside. The bridge was mossy and quaint, but when they neared it Nat saw that the gate was locked. There was an official looking sign outside declaring the cave temporarily closed.

  ‘That’s odd,’ said Mike. ‘I’ve never seen this cave closed except on Christmas Day. I wonder what’s happening in there.’

  Riki and Nat looked around for more information, but there was nothing. They stood in front of the gate, gazing at the ferns sprouting from the cliff. It was Riki who saw it first.

  ‘Everything’s shaking,’ she said. ‘Look, you can see it in the fronds.’

  Nat watched the big mamaku closest to her. At first she thought a breeze was blowing, but she leaned closer. Each fern was shuddering. She gripped on to the gate, and felt it through her hands; slight tremors, like there were trucks rumbling past.

  ‘Dad,’ said Nat. ‘There are no roads round here, right?’

  ‘Only on the other side of the reserve,’ he said. Nat showed him where to grip on to the gate and he concentrated for a moment. ‘That’s heavy machinery all right,’ he said. ‘But not a truck. More like an industrial drill.’

  Suddenly a rock was dislodged from further up the cliff. It ploughed through the mamaku and landed before them with a gigantic crash. Chips of stone scattered furiously. Mike threw his arms around all three girls and escorted them back to the main path.

  ‘I’ve got no idea what they’re doing in there,’ he said, ‘but they should be more careful.’

  Mike set off to tell a guide what had happened, leaving the girls in the sunshine of the car park. Nat and Riki basked on a picnic table with Kathleen. Pi reappeared to scavenge for bugs. It wasn’t long before the boys returned. Barnaby was still bouncing round like an idiot, although he no longer had his rope. But when she asked him about it, he wasn’t concerned.

  ‘I must have lost it,’ he said, flippantly.

  Nat was perplexed. Barnaby was nuts about his gear; ropes, harnesses and karabiners were his prized possessions. There was no way he could lose a rope and be that happy. It didn’t make sense. She gave him a funny look, but he ignored her. She lay back in the sun. Elijah and Jack started wringing out their clothes beside her.

  ‘Get everything back?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ grunted Elijah.

  Nat stared at him. ‘Shouldn’t you be happy about that?’

  He didn’t reply.

  Abraham took Kathleen’s hand and they walked together on the grass. Soon they were deep in conversation. Nat sat up and watched her sister nodding her head. It looked like Abraham and Kathleen were discussing something important. Nat turned to Riki.

  ‘There’s something odd going on,’ she said.

  Her friend rolled over. ‘Jack’s right about your over-active imagination.’

  ‘It’s just that –’ Nat looked at Elijah and Jack, silently drying in the sun, and at Barnaby, swinging from a tree branch, then to Abraham and Kathleen, heads still together, deliberating.

  ‘What are you on about?’ asked Riki.

  Nat scrutinised her friend. Riki’s blank expression gave nothing away. Nat thought quickly. If they were keeping something from her, it had to be for a good reason. But what?

  ‘I’m not sure,’ said Nat. ‘But someone is definitely up to something!’