tunnel, I think. Can we get through?"
"We can try."
Questrid turned the boat and headed toward the tunnel entrance. "Yeah, plenty of room," he called out.
"What's that?" Copper nodded toward a tall, thin column that rose out of the water.
"Just a sort of tall stone," said Questrid.
"Odd place for a tall stone," said Copper, "right in front of the tunnel like that. Funny shape too, with that big stone on the top, like a hat." She looked up at the silent men, standing around the cavern walls. "Why aren't they doing anything? I hate this quiet. Why are they just watching us? What d'you think they're planning?"
"I've got a bad feeling in my seams," hissed Ralick.
Copper gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Questrid shrugged. "Nothing, I don't think. They're probably just mad that we're getting away—if it is a way out," he added. "We're nearly there now."
They were just five meters from the tunnel when a mighty roar went up and suddenly the cave was filled with sound and activity.
"NOW!" roared Granite, and as if by magic, a vast net swung down in front of the tunnel entrance, blocking off their escape.
Copper shrieked.
Ralick shrieked very quietly.
"No!" cried Questrid. The oars fell from his grasp and the little boat dipped and spun in a crazy circle, like a beetle flipped on its back. Quickly Questrid caught the oars again and began rowing back toward the center of the lake.
"What are we going to do?"
Copper looked over to Granite. He hadn't moved. He waved at them, grinning.
"Thank you for falling so neatly into my trap," he called. "I knew you had the bracelet somewhere. I knew you'd go to Amber and try to set her free. Greedy, greedy little Stick. Now, come over here and bring it to me."
"Ignore him," said Questrid.
Copper took the bracelet out of her pocket. It was fizzing and sparkling.
"It's really crackling," she said. "It seems to draw energy from being here. It was never like this before."
"As if it's turned on," agreed Questrid. "This is how it was when it was near your mother, wasn't it? Do you think we can use it somehow? I mean, if it's magical enough to get Amber out of the ice, like Granite says, then it must be magical enough to get us out of this. But how?"
"COPPER!" Granite's rough voice interrupted them. "You're wasting time! Come here!"
Copper ignored him. She let the bracelet dribble through her fingers, marveling at the way it trickled like gold water and the way tiny dots of gold flew off like sparks from a fire. "It's so beautiful."
"Yes, but make it do something," urged Questrid.
"What?" Copper scanned the charms hopefully. "There are two babies, a dog, a bird, a heart, a hammer . . ."
"HAMMER?"
"Yes, a teeny-weeny hammer, Questrid, it can't possibly do any good."
"Of course it will!"
Copper grinned. "Of course it will. Amber made it for a purpose. Now, what do people hit with hammers?"
"A nail?" came Ralick's whispered suggestion.
"Yes, but we haven't.. ."
"Are you talking to me, Copper?" said Questrid.
"No. Yes! That's it! Row back to that funny, tall stone thing, Questrid. It's not a funny stone at all. It's a nail!"
"What? D'you really think so?"
"Yes. A nail for hammering."
Ignoring the jeers and shouts from the Rockers, they rowed back to the giant nail-like stone.
Questrid tried to steady the boat as Copper got to her feet.
Holding the tiny hammer in her fingers, she leaned toward the column. The boat bobbed up and down.
"Shall I?"
"STOP!" roared Granite. "Don't do that! You don't know what it might do! Stop. STOP!"
Copper smiled grimly. "Good, he's worried. I think this was a good idea."
Carefully, she struck the top of the rock with the tiny hammer.
Immediately a clear sound like the chime of an expensive clock rang out around the cave and the nail seemed to sink ever so slightly into the water.
"Do it again," said Questrid.
"NO!" yelled Granite.
"Yes," urged Questrid.
Copper hit the rock again.
This time there was a dull, distant noise like thunder
"We can try."
Questrid turned the boat and headed toward the tunnel entrance. "Yeah, plenty of room," he called out.
"What's that?" Copper nodded toward a tall, thin column that rose out of the water.
"Just a sort of tall stone," said Questrid.
"Odd place for a tall stone," said Copper, "right in front of the tunnel like that. Funny shape too, with that big stone on the top, like a hat." She looked up at the silent men, standing around the cavern walls. "Why aren't they doing anything? I hate this quiet. Why are they just watching us? What d'you think they're planning?"
"I've got a bad feeling in my seams," hissed Ralick.
Copper gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Questrid shrugged. "Nothing, I don't think. They're probably just mad that we're getting away—if it is a way out," he added. "We're nearly there now."
They were just five meters from the tunnel when a mighty roar went up and suddenly the cave was filled with sound and activity.
"NOW!" roared Granite, and as if by magic, a vast net swung down in front of the tunnel entrance, blocking off their escape.
Copper shrieked.
Ralick shrieked very quietly.
"No!" cried Questrid. The oars fell from his grasp and the little boat dipped and spun in a crazy circle, like a beetle flipped on its back. Quickly Questrid caught the oars again and began rowing back toward the center of the lake.
"What are we going to do?"
Copper looked over to Granite. He hadn't moved. He waved at them, grinning.
"Thank you for falling so neatly into my trap," he called. "I knew you had the bracelet somewhere. I knew you'd go to Amber and try to set her free. Greedy, greedy little Stick. Now, come over here and bring it to me."
"Ignore him," said Questrid.
Copper took the bracelet out of her pocket. It was fizzing and sparkling.
"It's really crackling," she said. "It seems to draw energy from being here. It was never like this before."
"As if it's turned on," agreed Questrid. "This is how it was when it was near your mother, wasn't it? Do you think we can use it somehow? I mean, if it's magical enough to get Amber out of the ice, like Granite says, then it must be magical enough to get us out of this. But how?"
"COPPER!" Granite's rough voice interrupted them. "You're wasting time! Come here!"
Copper ignored him. She let the bracelet dribble through her fingers, marveling at the way it trickled like gold water and the way tiny dots of gold flew off like sparks from a fire. "It's so beautiful."
"Yes, but make it do something," urged Questrid.
"What?" Copper scanned the charms hopefully. "There are two babies, a dog, a bird, a heart, a hammer . . ."
"HAMMER?"
"Yes, a teeny-weeny hammer, Questrid, it can't possibly do any good."
"Of course it will!"
Copper grinned. "Of course it will. Amber made it for a purpose. Now, what do people hit with hammers?"
"A nail?" came Ralick's whispered suggestion.
"Yes, but we haven't.. ."
"Are you talking to me, Copper?" said Questrid.
"No. Yes! That's it! Row back to that funny, tall stone thing, Questrid. It's not a funny stone at all. It's a nail!"
"What? D'you really think so?"
"Yes. A nail for hammering."
Ignoring the jeers and shouts from the Rockers, they rowed back to the giant nail-like stone.
Questrid tried to steady the boat as Copper got to her feet.
Holding the tiny hammer in her fingers, she leaned toward the column. The boat bobbed up and down.
"Shall I?"
"STOP!" roared Granite. "Don't do that! You don't know what it might do! Stop. STOP!"
Copper smiled grimly. "Good, he's worried. I think this was a good idea."
Carefully, she struck the top of the rock with the tiny hammer.
Immediately a clear sound like the chime of an expensive clock rang out around the cave and the nail seemed to sink ever so slightly into the water.
"Do it again," said Questrid.
"NO!" yelled Granite.
"Yes," urged Questrid.
Copper hit the rock again.
This time there was a dull, distant noise like thunder
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