The Secret of Sinbad's Cave

  Chapter 36

  The Pirate’s Cache

  On Sunday morning, Nat slept in. She didn’t want her holiday to end. But because she spent as long as she could snuggled under her duvet, the shower was cold and she didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Plato before she was swept into the car with Jack and Kathleen. She almost forgot Pi, but Mike held the door open for the fantail.

  ‘This guy’s going with you,’ he said. ‘He drives me nuts with his chirping. Have you got everything? The talk starts at ten.’ He went to tie up the dogs, and Nat shook her head.

  ‘Doesn’t he get that Wylie’s not going to turn up?’ she asked.

  ‘He’ll figure it out,’ said Jack. He was back to his usual grumpy self, and was already in the front seat with his crutches.

  Down in the village, people were milling around the museum, chatting in small groups. Nat waved to a few people, looking for Riki and the Limas, but they hadn’t arrived yet. She perched on a bench with Kathleen and waited. It wasn’t long before her sister became restless.

  ‘I’m going to go play in the park,’ she said, pointing towards the stream bend.

  She disappeared across the road. Nat watched as she stomped through the shallows in her colourful gumboots, with the fantail flying alongside.

  Nat didn’t see Riki until she sat on the bench beside her.

  ‘Gidday mate,’ said Riki, and grinned as Nat jumped. ‘How’s it going?’

  ‘Pretty good – apart from the going home part.’

  ‘How was your Dad about everything?’

  ‘Really cool,’ said Nat. ‘He hasn’t said that much actually. I think he’s grateful we’re all okay. The doctor said Jack’s foot will recover fully.’

  ‘Wicked,’ said Riki.

  They were interrupted by an outburst in the gathering crowd.

  ‘I’m just saying!’ said a man with red hair, ‘all the ghosts in the village got woken up yesterday afternoon and I’d bet Abraham Te Kaitiaki’s behind it!’

  ‘He’s right,’ said a distinguished woman. ‘In the hotel they made an awful din.’

  A tall man leant forward. ‘I thought it was just the old fellow at my place. You’re saying it was all of them?’

  Nat watched as Abraham talked to the upset individuals and calmed the situation. The crowd returned to their chatting, although Nat noticed an increase in people checking their watches. It was now ten past ten, and there was still no sign of any speaker.

  ‘Give him a few more minutes,’ called an authoritative voice. Nat recognised it as Mr. Lima. That meant that Elijah and Barnaby were here. Seconds later the boys and Jack all squashed onto the bench.

  ‘No Mr. Wylie huh?’ said Barnaby.

  ‘Strange that he wouldn’t turn up for his own lecture,’ added Elijah. ‘Something tragic must have happened.’

  ‘He got what he deserved,’ said Jack. ‘Serious scumbag material.’

  Nat spotted Steve Forrest, from the Department of Conservation, in the crowd and could hear him talking to an old farmer. ‘You wouldn’t believe what my men found last night,’ he confided. ‘A hidden cavern and the remains of an enormous Harpagornis moorei.’

  ‘The Haast eagle?’ said the man. ‘That’s impossible!’

  ‘Amazing, isn’t it?’ said the DOC man. ‘They’re going to have to rewrite the science books after this one.’

  Nat grinned. She caught Mr. Forrest’s eye and he winked at her.

  The crowd laughed and joked amongst themselves, and as they realised that no-one was turning up to deliver a lecture, they dispersed. Mr. Lima and Mike stood by their trucks with Jack and Elijah. Barnaby looked to his Dad, and then back to Nat. They could hear Mr. Lima calling.

  ‘I have to go,’ said Barnaby. ‘But I can’t wait till next holidays.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Nat. They looked at each other. ‘See you then,’ she added.

  ‘Yep,’ said Barnaby, taking a few steps back. He stopped, ran forward and threw his arms around her, almost knocking her over. ‘You’re the best,’ he whispered, and then took off, sprinting all the way.

  ‘Well,’ said Nat, blushing.

  ‘He really likes you,’ said Riki.

  Nat glanced back to Kathleen and leapt to her feet. Her sister was jumping up and down as Pi flew circuits around her. Abraham followed their gaze.

  ‘Let’s go for a walk,’ he suggested.

  They crossed the road. Kathleen was waving something in the air. Nat broke into a run.

  ‘Look what I found!’ called Kathleen. ‘It was caught on the corner of the stream.’

  Nat took the small bundle and set it down in the grass. It was an old canvas dry bag. The seams were fraying and the surface was wearing thin.

  ‘Where did this come from?’ she asked.

  ‘This stream flows directly from the reserve,’ said Abraham. ‘I’d say it was in the cave with our eagle, and all the disturbance set it free.’

  Nat unfastened the bag and slid out a rectangular tin container. It was tightly sealed, and took some jiggling to pry open. On the inside of the lid were a series of names, but each had been crossed off, apart from the last.

  Nat read them aloud. ‘McGuire. Ching. Belzoni. Carter.’

  ‘What’s inside?’ asked Kathleen.

  The contents of the container were protected by a series of plastic bags. One by one, Nat opened them, until finally she held a small leather satchel. She pulled the ties and it fell open in her hands. Inside was a collection of old papers. She pulled one out; it was a map. Another had a series of directions. A couple of the parchments were in languages Nat didn’t even recognise. She looked at Abraham in astonishment.

  ‘Here is your real treasure,’ he said. ‘A cache of clues and maps that has been sought after and prized for a very long time.’

  ‘This is what you told us about,’ said Nat, breathless with the discovery. ‘Should I keep it?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Abraham. ‘It is known as McGuire Cache. McGuire was a dread pirate, so some simply call it the Pirate’s Cache. Legend has it she travelled the world and ransacked ancient libraries to gather these clues together.’

  ‘And what happened to her?’ asked Riki.

  Abraham shook his head. ‘Nobody knows.’ He rested his hand on Riki’s shoulder. ‘Nat and I are going to take a walk under the kaiwaka trees. Tell Mike we won’t be long.’

  Riki nodded and grinned at Nat. ‘Thanks for all your help.’

  Nat threw her arms around her friend. ‘No probs.’

  ‘Till next holidays, right?’

  Nat smiled. ‘For sure.’

  As Riki and Kathleen skipped across the park, Abraham and Nat turned and wandered along the riverbank.

  ‘So where’s the Tiger’s Mask?’ asked Nat. ‘After that split second in the Glowworm Cave, we never saw it again.’

  ‘Don’t you fret,’ said Abraham. ‘We’ll find it.’

  ‘And what about the rest of the treasure?’ asked Nat.

  Abraham smiled. ‘What about it?’

  ‘I wanted to save my horse’ said Nat. ‘but it turns out I could save all the horses in the whole country. What should we do with it?’

  ‘Keep it,’ said Abraham. ‘You will need it.’ He stopped and looked at her. ‘There is a path opening up for you Nat. If you become one of the Protectors of the Last Valley, there will be much excitement and opportunity.’

  ‘I’m in,’ said Nat, without hesitating.

  Abraham chuckled. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘do not be so quick to agree. There is also danger.’

  ‘Can I bring my friends?’ asked Nat.

  ‘Of course,’ said the old man. ‘You’re all tangled up in this together.’

  ‘Then I’m definitely in,’ said Nat. ‘Can you tell me more next holidays?’

  ‘Oh yes. There is much to tell,’ said Abraham. ‘But it might be time for you to go.’

  Nat looked across the park. Next to the deserted museum was her mother. Mike was standing beside he
r, and seemed to be doing a lot of talking. Jack was already loaded into the front seat, and Kathleen was waving to her.

  ‘Go,’ said Abraham. ‘I’ll see you in winter.’

  Nat hugged the old man. ‘Thank you so much for everything.’

  ‘You’re welcome,’ said Abraham. ‘I will look forward to your return.’

  Nat hugged the cache of clues and maps to her chest and ran across the park. She couldn’t wait until the next holidays.