how long she could keep on pressing against the walls to hold herself up.
‘Talk to me!’ she called.
‘No more water’s coming down the tunnel,’ said Edmund, but it was the fifth time he’d told her that, and it didn’t sound as hopeful as it had at first.
He started going through the daypacks again, just in case he’d missed something that could possibly help. It was better than doing nothing. He knew he couldn’t do anything without the ropes and climbing gear – but he didn’t know how long he could just sit and wait for them.
‘Do you remember the story in Winnie the Pooh ?’ he asked. ‘When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s door and Rabbit reads him stories till he’s thin enough to get out?’
Tiffany made a strange sort of sound. Edmund couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.
‘I’m going to see if anyone’s coming yet,’ he called. ‘Don’t go away! I mean … I’ll be right back!’
Scuttling down the dark tunnel like a skater bug, he skidded around the curve towards the pale light of the outside world. He slid faster until one leg shot into nothing, and caught himself just before he whooshed right down the hill.
He peered out into the rain like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. Below the muddy hill, he could see the cliffs he’d fallen off last time, and the pond he’d landed in. There was the rock bridge too, but some of it was narrow and all of it was high and he didn’t know how Tristan could have crossed it with Ollie. Edmund shuddered and peered out further.
All he could see was green: trees and bushes and whatever else was hiding in the rainforest. ‘Nim!’ Edmund shouted. ‘NIM!’
His voice was puny against the thunder of the waterfall and rain. There was no answer.
He slid back into the tunnel and the darkness. ‘They’ll be coming soon, Tiffany,’ he called as he came back around the bend.
There was no answer here either.
Edmund rushed to the edge of the hole. ‘Tiff!’ he shouted. ‘Are you okay?’
He knew it was a silly question, but he needed to hear her say something. Anything – even if it was just to tell him he was being stupid.
When she still didn’t answer he knew that now she was really not okay.
S OMEONE WAS CRASHING through the forest below Nim.
I hope it’s not Leonora and Lance! she thought.
The crashing came closer – and Selkie galumphed out from the trees. For a long moment, Nim hugged Selkie and Selkie whuffled over Nim – and right in the middle of that hugging, whuffling moment, the rain stopped. The sun came out and sparkled diamonds on the wet leaves and dripped hope through the branches. Nim shook out her wet hair, picked up the heavy coil of rope that had slipped off her shoulder, and they started off again, as fast as they could through the mud.
Five minutes later they reached the pond at the bottom of Waterfall Cliffs. Nim stared across at the great rock bridge arching over it to the cliff.
‘What if we get all the way up there and we’re in the wrong place?’ she said.
Selkie nuzzled her, telling her that everything would be all right. Sometimes Selkie forgot that Nim wasn’t a little sea lion pup whose problems could be fixed with nuzzles and love. She didn’t know that the only thing that mattered was getting to Tiffany in time, and they couldn’t do that if they couldn’t find the tunnel.
Nim looked up, but they were too close under the cliffs to see to the top. She hurried on around the edge of the pond, past the main bats’ cave. A few bats were flying confusedly in front of the entrance as if they were trying to decide whether or not to go in. When Nim looked more carefully, she could see the baby bats clinging to their mothers.
‘They got out in time!’
Except that there weren’t very many bats here, and there’d been more than she could count in the nursery cave.
‘Maybe they’ve already settled further into this cave. Selkie, you go in and check – it might go deeper than we
‘Talk to me!’ she called.
‘No more water’s coming down the tunnel,’ said Edmund, but it was the fifth time he’d told her that, and it didn’t sound as hopeful as it had at first.
He started going through the daypacks again, just in case he’d missed something that could possibly help. It was better than doing nothing. He knew he couldn’t do anything without the ropes and climbing gear – but he didn’t know how long he could just sit and wait for them.
‘Do you remember the story in Winnie the Pooh ?’ he asked. ‘When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s door and Rabbit reads him stories till he’s thin enough to get out?’
Tiffany made a strange sort of sound. Edmund couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.
‘I’m going to see if anyone’s coming yet,’ he called. ‘Don’t go away! I mean … I’ll be right back!’
Scuttling down the dark tunnel like a skater bug, he skidded around the curve towards the pale light of the outside world. He slid faster until one leg shot into nothing, and caught himself just before he whooshed right down the hill.
He peered out into the rain like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. Below the muddy hill, he could see the cliffs he’d fallen off last time, and the pond he’d landed in. There was the rock bridge too, but some of it was narrow and all of it was high and he didn’t know how Tristan could have crossed it with Ollie. Edmund shuddered and peered out further.
All he could see was green: trees and bushes and whatever else was hiding in the rainforest. ‘Nim!’ Edmund shouted. ‘NIM!’
His voice was puny against the thunder of the waterfall and rain. There was no answer.
He slid back into the tunnel and the darkness. ‘They’ll be coming soon, Tiffany,’ he called as he came back around the bend.
There was no answer here either.
Edmund rushed to the edge of the hole. ‘Tiff!’ he shouted. ‘Are you okay?’
He knew it was a silly question, but he needed to hear her say something. Anything – even if it was just to tell him he was being stupid.
When she still didn’t answer he knew that now she was really not okay.
S OMEONE WAS CRASHING through the forest below Nim.
I hope it’s not Leonora and Lance! she thought.
The crashing came closer – and Selkie galumphed out from the trees. For a long moment, Nim hugged Selkie and Selkie whuffled over Nim – and right in the middle of that hugging, whuffling moment, the rain stopped. The sun came out and sparkled diamonds on the wet leaves and dripped hope through the branches. Nim shook out her wet hair, picked up the heavy coil of rope that had slipped off her shoulder, and they started off again, as fast as they could through the mud.
Five minutes later they reached the pond at the bottom of Waterfall Cliffs. Nim stared across at the great rock bridge arching over it to the cliff.
‘What if we get all the way up there and we’re in the wrong place?’ she said.
Selkie nuzzled her, telling her that everything would be all right. Sometimes Selkie forgot that Nim wasn’t a little sea lion pup whose problems could be fixed with nuzzles and love. She didn’t know that the only thing that mattered was getting to Tiffany in time, and they couldn’t do that if they couldn’t find the tunnel.
Nim looked up, but they were too close under the cliffs to see to the top. She hurried on around the edge of the pond, past the main bats’ cave. A few bats were flying confusedly in front of the entrance as if they were trying to decide whether or not to go in. When Nim looked more carefully, she could see the baby bats clinging to their mothers.
‘They got out in time!’
Except that there weren’t very many bats here, and there’d been more than she could count in the nursery cave.
‘Maybe they’ve already settled further into this cave. Selkie, you go in and check – it might go deeper than we
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