Chapter 9
Front Page News
‘What is it?’ asked Jack, staring at the paper.
‘It’s our next clue,’ said Elijah.
Jack screwed up his face. ‘A giant bird? How is that going to help us?’
‘We’re obviously on the right trail,’ said Riki. ‘Something used to be kept in that room. Figuring out what this is will help us find the treasure.’ She rolled up the rubbing and put it in her bag.
‘What’s the plan from here?’ asked Barnaby.
‘We need a smooth exit,’ said Elijah. ‘Into a boat.’
‘He’s right,’ said Riki. ‘We could sail out and down the stream.’
There were three boats resting at the edge of the glowworm grotto. Each could seat about twenty people.
‘Jump in,’ said Elijah. ‘I’ll steer.’ He stepped aboard and grabbed the wires above the boat. Barnaby and Riki followed.
‘Do you know what you’re doing?’ asked Jack.
‘Of course,’ said Elijah. ‘I pull us along on these.’
Jack shook his head. ‘I don’t trust your driving.’
‘Hurry up,’ said Barnaby.
Jack placed one foot on the boat. It drifted out from the dock.
‘Hold the side!’ called Elijah.
‘Got it!’ said Nat. She crouched down and pulled it in. But as Jack moved, the boat lurched, and Nat was yanked forward. Before anyone could stop her, she pitched straight into the freezing black water.
The cold knocked the breath out of her lungs. She gasped, and swallowed a huge mouthful. As she sank into the darkness, her muscles screamed in protest. Desperately, she forced herself upwards and burst into the air.
‘Grab this!’ Jack held out an oar. She reached for it but missed.
‘Nat!’ yelled Barnaby. ‘Hold on!’
Nothing in Nat’s head made sense any more. The cold water slapped her face and she could feel something slimy around her feet. She watched the oar rise up again and swam clumsily towards it. Then, almost in slow motion, the oar came down. She didn’t have the strength to do anything. It crashed onto her head and everything went black.
The first time Nat opened her eyes she was lying on her back at the bottom of a boat, drifting under the glowworms. She thought they were diamonds, and reached out to pluck them from the ceiling.
The next time she came to she was slung over a bony shoulder climbing through the bush. People were yelling and car lights flashed by.
The third time she woke she was much more comfortable; there was a sofa and a warm blanket, but there were strange herby smells and her head hurt desperately. A low voice she recognised wove an incantation over her and she sank back into a deep sleep.
Nat blinked at the light. Sunlight. The warmth on her face made her smile.
‘Dad! She’s awake!’ Jack’s voice. Footsteps bounded up the stairs – quick light steps following heavy, urgent ones.
‘Nat – how are you feeling?’
She blinked to focus on her father’s eyes, searching, concerned. ‘I’m okay,’ she mumbled. ‘You okay?’
Mike chuckled. ‘We haven’t slept for a few days worrying about you.’
‘I’ve been your nurse,’ said Kathleen.
‘Thank you,’ said Nat. She sat up, but the striking pain in her head made her slide back onto the pillows.
‘Yeah – no movement. The doctor said you’d taken a nasty hit from a blunt object,’ said Mike. ‘Barnaby Lima swore that you were out caving, and I believe him, but you’re not stupid enough to go caving without a helmet.’ He looked at her. ‘The doctor also said you were dangerously close to hypothermia. Forget to take your wetsuit too, Nat?’ She smiled weakly. He frowned. ‘Stay put. For at least a couple of days.’ He strode down the stairs with Kathleen, and Nat listened as he drove away on the quad bike with a chorus of barking dogs close behind.
Jack was waiting beside the bed. ‘Sorry about hitting you,’ he said. ‘I honestly didn’t mean to.’
She started to roll her eyes, but even that hurt. The best she could do was point an evil finger at Jack. ‘You did so,’ she said. ‘When you least expect it, I’m going to get you.’
He nodded. ‘Fair enough.’
‘What happened after I got knocked out?’ Nat whispered.
Jack sat down. ‘Hauling you out of the water was such a mission. You’re really heavy!’
‘Thanks,’ muttered Nat.
‘Everyone was so freaked out. Barnaby was yelling about the eels, he almost punched me for hitting you.’
‘I could feel the eels – they were swimming around my legs!’
Jack was the one to roll his eyes this time. ‘You have such an over active imagination. We got you in, and almost lost all of us overboard in the process – you should have seen the boat, it was rocking all over the place. Then Elijah and Riki paddled us out of the cave and up to the outside dock. Barnaby carried you through the paddocks and up to the side of the road, and who should be waiting for us there but old man Te Kaitiaki!’
Nat’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘How did he know?’
‘No idea. He was perched on the back of his truck, puffing his pipe when we came stumbling up with a body. He looked you over, drove us up to his place and then even went back and got our bikes. Riki made us cups of hot milo and Abraham gave you some crazy drink. Then he delivered us back to our homes and told us to lie low.’
‘Lie low? How come?’
Jack grinned. ‘You should see the paper. We’re front page news.’ He passed the local weekly to Nat. ‘Glowworm Cave Break-In,’ announced the headline. ‘And if you’re not happy with small-town stardom, check out the Herald.’ Jack picked up the fat national paper. It had an even more dramatic lead-in. ‘National Tourism Icon Vandalised.’
Nat gulped. ‘Are we in massive trouble?’
‘Not really,’ said Jack. ‘They can’t quite put it together – and they almost certainly haven’t been told the truth anyway. That cave expert guy would have made up some story. So the reporters have got this idea that a professional team snuck into the cave, blew up a wall with high-tech equipment, and stole a boat before they disappeared, avoiding detection.’
‘No way.’ Nat couldn’t believe it. ‘High tech professionals? That’s crazy!’
‘It’s brilliant,’ said Jack.
Suddenly the date of the paper drifted into focus. ‘It’s Monday?’ she asked.
‘No,’ said Jack. ‘That’s yesterday’s paper. You’ve slept the last two days – the doctor’s been up a few times, and Dad’s been beside himself.’
‘I feel pretty strange,’ admitted Nat.
‘That could be the tea.’
‘What tea?’
‘Abraham Te Kaitiaki came up on Sunday morning with a funny brew. Dad said it tasted like pig guts, but he fed it to you anyway. It’s the only thing that seemed to make a difference. He magicked you better.’
‘Cool,’ said Nat. ‘Do you mind if we pick this up later on? I’m kinda sleepy.’
Jack nodded. ‘Sweet as,’ he said, standing up. He half turned round at the door. ‘And sis,’ he said, ‘I really am sorry about hitting you.’
‘Sure you are,’ murmured Nat as she sank into a deep, healing sleep.