the trees at the far side. This was obviously the source of the crashing noise Katie had heard coming through the woods.
‘It’s magnificent,’ she smiled.
Harry nodded. ‘I know. Come here – drink some of the water.’
Francis had already run up to the side of the pool and was lapping enthusiastically.
‘It’s got a dog’s tongue in it,’ complained Katie.
‘Don’t be a woose. You can drink from above it if you like.’
‘Don’t birds pee in it?’
‘Do you pee in your sink?’
‘No, although I’ve known some fellows that did.’
The water was the coldest, clearest, most refreshing Katie had ever tasted. It chilled her body right through to her stomach and was sweet and clean. She scooped it up with both hands and felt like throwing it over her face.
‘Good?’ asked Harry, watching her closely.
‘They should bottle this stuff,’ said Katie.
Harry rolled his eyes. ‘They do. But this is nearer the source. It’s best here.’
‘It’s wonderful,’ said Katie, sitting on a rock and letting her fingers trail in the bubbling water. On the other side of the water were four large white birds sipping delicately. They seemed completely unafraid of them, and even Francis ignored them, preferring to drink his fill, then settling back for a quick nap.
‘So,’ said Katie finally, ‘what is it you want me to do exactly?’
‘Stop the golf course.’
‘Oh, no, that much I’ve got. I mean, do you have a plan of action you want me to follow, or do you want me to take the initiative and handle it from scratch?’
‘Hmm,’ said Harry. He didn’t look as though he was quite sure.
‘OK,’ said Katie. ‘Well, there’s a few ways we could go about it. We could confront them directly. Or we could chum up with the local MP and the planning board and try to stop them that way. Or we could aim for more direct action. It’s going to need money for advertising, banners, campaign slogans – the more money we can get together, the louder the fuss can be. And if we can kick and shout and scream and get enough publicity together, well, that would probably be enough to make it not worth their while continuing.’
‘OK,’ nodded Harry seriously.
‘OK what? What do you want me to do?’
Harry threw a small pebble into the water. ‘You’re absolutely sure you can’t just have a quiet word with them and make them all go away?’
‘Do I look like Mike Tyson?’
Harry shrugged.
‘Shut up!’
Smiling, Harry expertly skimmed a stone across the water. Then his face grew serious again.
‘A secret for now, OK?’
Chapter Seven
It was a difficult dilemma, but Katie had given it much thought and, fifteen minutes after she’d reached the boarding house, had decided to spill Harry’s secret to Louise. Because she truly didn’t know quite what to think, and Louise would give her some much needed impartiality. Plus, Louise really wouldn’t care that much so she wouldn’t be prejudiced one way or another. They were huddled in the teashop, which was open until seven, thus meaning if they were quick they had half a chance of getting something to eat for dinner that wasn’t from the Spar and thus entirely composed of nuts, refined sugar, E129, FL98 and glucose extract. No Kelpie today: they’d checked. The steam rose from the tea urns and fogged up the small windows that faced the port. The lights from the boats gleamed in the darkening twilight. From the headland, a lighthouse glowed every few seconds, illuminating the bobbing boats, creaking and chattering to themselves up and down on the waves.
‘God, he’s quite right,’ said Louise, tucking gratefully into a hearty helping of shepherd’s pie. ‘You don’t want to change things around here. I walked six miles today,and only got rained on twice. I got asked out four times when I passed the research institute. Don’t you think they’re good statistics?’
Katie toyed with her shepherd’s pie. She really wasn’t feeling that hungry.
‘It’s magnificent,’ she smiled.
Harry nodded. ‘I know. Come here – drink some of the water.’
Francis had already run up to the side of the pool and was lapping enthusiastically.
‘It’s got a dog’s tongue in it,’ complained Katie.
‘Don’t be a woose. You can drink from above it if you like.’
‘Don’t birds pee in it?’
‘Do you pee in your sink?’
‘No, although I’ve known some fellows that did.’
The water was the coldest, clearest, most refreshing Katie had ever tasted. It chilled her body right through to her stomach and was sweet and clean. She scooped it up with both hands and felt like throwing it over her face.
‘Good?’ asked Harry, watching her closely.
‘They should bottle this stuff,’ said Katie.
Harry rolled his eyes. ‘They do. But this is nearer the source. It’s best here.’
‘It’s wonderful,’ said Katie, sitting on a rock and letting her fingers trail in the bubbling water. On the other side of the water were four large white birds sipping delicately. They seemed completely unafraid of them, and even Francis ignored them, preferring to drink his fill, then settling back for a quick nap.
‘So,’ said Katie finally, ‘what is it you want me to do exactly?’
‘Stop the golf course.’
‘Oh, no, that much I’ve got. I mean, do you have a plan of action you want me to follow, or do you want me to take the initiative and handle it from scratch?’
‘Hmm,’ said Harry. He didn’t look as though he was quite sure.
‘OK,’ said Katie. ‘Well, there’s a few ways we could go about it. We could confront them directly. Or we could chum up with the local MP and the planning board and try to stop them that way. Or we could aim for more direct action. It’s going to need money for advertising, banners, campaign slogans – the more money we can get together, the louder the fuss can be. And if we can kick and shout and scream and get enough publicity together, well, that would probably be enough to make it not worth their while continuing.’
‘OK,’ nodded Harry seriously.
‘OK what? What do you want me to do?’
Harry threw a small pebble into the water. ‘You’re absolutely sure you can’t just have a quiet word with them and make them all go away?’
‘Do I look like Mike Tyson?’
Harry shrugged.
‘Shut up!’
Smiling, Harry expertly skimmed a stone across the water. Then his face grew serious again.
‘A secret for now, OK?’
Chapter Seven
It was a difficult dilemma, but Katie had given it much thought and, fifteen minutes after she’d reached the boarding house, had decided to spill Harry’s secret to Louise. Because she truly didn’t know quite what to think, and Louise would give her some much needed impartiality. Plus, Louise really wouldn’t care that much so she wouldn’t be prejudiced one way or another. They were huddled in the teashop, which was open until seven, thus meaning if they were quick they had half a chance of getting something to eat for dinner that wasn’t from the Spar and thus entirely composed of nuts, refined sugar, E129, FL98 and glucose extract. No Kelpie today: they’d checked. The steam rose from the tea urns and fogged up the small windows that faced the port. The lights from the boats gleamed in the darkening twilight. From the headland, a lighthouse glowed every few seconds, illuminating the bobbing boats, creaking and chattering to themselves up and down on the waves.
‘God, he’s quite right,’ said Louise, tucking gratefully into a hearty helping of shepherd’s pie. ‘You don’t want to change things around here. I walked six miles today,and only got rained on twice. I got asked out four times when I passed the research institute. Don’t you think they’re good statistics?’
Katie toyed with her shepherd’s pie. She really wasn’t feeling that hungry.
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