‘Mum left it to me.’
‘Liam says it was his. His mum left it to him,’ answered Nova.
The silence that followed was only broken by the merest of sighs from Mr Jackman.
‘Who’s Liam?’ asked Raye, irritated. ‘The boy I met earlier?’
‘You’ve met him?’ Nova asked, astounded. ‘So you saw him?’
‘Of course I saw him, but he’s gone now.’
‘I’ve wanted so much to find him. I’ve waited so long. But I never gave up hope. I always knew I’d find him – one day’ Mr Jackman didn’t look happy at
the prospect though. Far from it.
‘My turn now,’ said Liam suddenly. ‘Nova, tell him I saw the letter he was writing this afternoon. Tell him he won’t succeed and all he’ll do is put himself in
danger if he goes through with it.’
‘Through with what?’ Nova asked.
‘Just tell him!’ Liam roared.
‘Excuse me all over the place!’ Nova glared, before turning back to Mr Jackman. ‘Liam says he saw what you were writing earlier. He says that you won’t succeed and all
you’ll do is put yourself in danger – so don’t do it!’
Mr Jackman turned in what he thought was Liam’s general direction. ‘It’s the only way I’ll be able to find you,’ he said.
Nova could tell that Mr Jackman couldn’t see Liam and was just guessing at his location, but his expression was indescribable. Such hope and misery and joy and despair warring with each
other for dominance on his face.
‘Liam, I have to find you. I can’t think of anything else.’
‘Nova, tell him to go home. Tell him I don’t want him here,’ said Liam, adding to, and for, himself, ‘He can’t do anything for me. No one can.’
‘Look, what am I? An answering machine?’
‘Please, just tell him,’ said Liam, suddenly looking dog tired.
‘Mr Jackman, he wants you to go home. He thinks you should leave here now,’ Nova said, unable to keep a trace of resentment from creeping into her voice.
‘Have you all gone loopy or what?’ said Raye belligerently. ‘Nova, if you’ve got together with Mr Jackman or that stupid Liam to wind me up for a joke, then I can tell
you now, I’m not laughing.’
‘Raye, I never—’
‘Save it!’ Raye turned and strode off without another word.
‘I’m not leaving, Liam. Not without you,’ said Mr Jackman, looking in Liam’s approximate direction.
‘And that, Nova, is why I didn’t want him to know I was here in the first place,’ Liam told her bitterly.
‘Don’t blame me.’ Nova tried to defend herself.
‘Whose fault is it then? If you weren’t such a Mouth Almighty, he might’ve given up and gone home.’
‘You’re the one who just poured coffee in his lap.’ Nova couldn’t believe her ears.
‘Liam, what happened? I need to know,’ urged Mr Jackman.
Casting a look at Nova that could kill, Liam faded from view. Nova sighed. So much for trying to help.
‘He’s . . . he’s gone, hasn’t he?’ Mr Jackman said slowly.
‘Yes,’ Nova replied.
‘I mean it,’ Mr Jackman told her fiercely. ‘I’m not leaving this hotel without him. If he wants to get rid of me, he’ll have to tell me what I want to know. Next
time you see him, you tell him that.’
And with that, Mr Jackman marched past Nova and out of the dining room.
21. Liam
I got up slowly. For a terrifying moment, I had no idea where I was. No idea what the darkness around me could be. Where was I? I did have my eyes open, didn’t I? I
blinked a couple of times to make sure. And then I remembered.
The cave-in.
I looked around again. I still couldn’t see anything. It was much too dark. But then an odd thing happened. The tunnels got strangely lighter. But not with daylight or even moonlight.
This was like something I’d never seen before. It was like lying in my bed at home when it was dead dark and dead quiet, and slowly but surely being able to make out the outlines and the
familiar silhouettes of the things around me. Only here, in this tunnel, I could see more
‘Liam says it was his. His mum left it to him,’ answered Nova.
The silence that followed was only broken by the merest of sighs from Mr Jackman.
‘Who’s Liam?’ asked Raye, irritated. ‘The boy I met earlier?’
‘You’ve met him?’ Nova asked, astounded. ‘So you saw him?’
‘Of course I saw him, but he’s gone now.’
‘I’ve wanted so much to find him. I’ve waited so long. But I never gave up hope. I always knew I’d find him – one day’ Mr Jackman didn’t look happy at
the prospect though. Far from it.
‘My turn now,’ said Liam suddenly. ‘Nova, tell him I saw the letter he was writing this afternoon. Tell him he won’t succeed and all he’ll do is put himself in
danger if he goes through with it.’
‘Through with what?’ Nova asked.
‘Just tell him!’ Liam roared.
‘Excuse me all over the place!’ Nova glared, before turning back to Mr Jackman. ‘Liam says he saw what you were writing earlier. He says that you won’t succeed and all
you’ll do is put yourself in danger – so don’t do it!’
Mr Jackman turned in what he thought was Liam’s general direction. ‘It’s the only way I’ll be able to find you,’ he said.
Nova could tell that Mr Jackman couldn’t see Liam and was just guessing at his location, but his expression was indescribable. Such hope and misery and joy and despair warring with each
other for dominance on his face.
‘Liam, I have to find you. I can’t think of anything else.’
‘Nova, tell him to go home. Tell him I don’t want him here,’ said Liam, adding to, and for, himself, ‘He can’t do anything for me. No one can.’
‘Look, what am I? An answering machine?’
‘Please, just tell him,’ said Liam, suddenly looking dog tired.
‘Mr Jackman, he wants you to go home. He thinks you should leave here now,’ Nova said, unable to keep a trace of resentment from creeping into her voice.
‘Have you all gone loopy or what?’ said Raye belligerently. ‘Nova, if you’ve got together with Mr Jackman or that stupid Liam to wind me up for a joke, then I can tell
you now, I’m not laughing.’
‘Raye, I never—’
‘Save it!’ Raye turned and strode off without another word.
‘I’m not leaving, Liam. Not without you,’ said Mr Jackman, looking in Liam’s approximate direction.
‘And that, Nova, is why I didn’t want him to know I was here in the first place,’ Liam told her bitterly.
‘Don’t blame me.’ Nova tried to defend herself.
‘Whose fault is it then? If you weren’t such a Mouth Almighty, he might’ve given up and gone home.’
‘You’re the one who just poured coffee in his lap.’ Nova couldn’t believe her ears.
‘Liam, what happened? I need to know,’ urged Mr Jackman.
Casting a look at Nova that could kill, Liam faded from view. Nova sighed. So much for trying to help.
‘He’s . . . he’s gone, hasn’t he?’ Mr Jackman said slowly.
‘Yes,’ Nova replied.
‘I mean it,’ Mr Jackman told her fiercely. ‘I’m not leaving this hotel without him. If he wants to get rid of me, he’ll have to tell me what I want to know. Next
time you see him, you tell him that.’
And with that, Mr Jackman marched past Nova and out of the dining room.
21. Liam
I got up slowly. For a terrifying moment, I had no idea where I was. No idea what the darkness around me could be. Where was I? I did have my eyes open, didn’t I? I
blinked a couple of times to make sure. And then I remembered.
The cave-in.
I looked around again. I still couldn’t see anything. It was much too dark. But then an odd thing happened. The tunnels got strangely lighter. But not with daylight or even moonlight.
This was like something I’d never seen before. It was like lying in my bed at home when it was dead dark and dead quiet, and slowly but surely being able to make out the outlines and the
familiar silhouettes of the things around me. Only here, in this tunnel, I could see more
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