nighttime bedroom once more Well not really Becca didn’t really think seals slept here but she pointed to the water swelling up around the islet Merlin jumped to his feet and clambered over the cobbles and conglomerate up over the driftwood dried grasses and prickly plants He leapt towards the distant beach as if if he moved fast enough he’d be able to soar across the widening channel between Seal Rock and the island But even a deer in full flight couldn’t have leapt so far Ow There was a tumbling knocking sound and a sea-lionish noise from Merlin Ow he repeated That log rolled away right under my feet Becca and Jane looked at him He was sitting in a pile of smelly fur clutching his ankle Can you walk Becca asked I don’t know Merlin said But it’s all right It’ll be better in a while We can’t leave you marooned here Becca said And wounded said Jane I don’t need rescuing You can’t stay here all night Becca said And even if you could swim across how would you get back home I’ll be fine Merlin said Ow There’s no point wiggling your ankle Jane said It won’t get better if you don’t rest it what the aunts would say RICE Becca told him Rest ice compression elevation That’s Would you really stay here all night Jane asked
It seemed like a long time for Merlin to sit on a rock in the sea all evening and all night too because the night tide wouldn’t be low enough for someone to get across without swimming a long way And swimming in the dark alone was a bad idea I could work it out eventually Merlin sighed But I’m supposed to be somewhere this evening And Mrs Barker’s pressure pump needs attention Becca and Jane lifted Gull into the sea Welcome aboard said Jane Watch out for the boom Can you swim Becca asked Of course I can swim Merlin answered That’s good Becca said because we don’t have a spare life jacket Gull sank a little as he climbed in Ow he cried and fell over the centerboard Push off as hard as you can Becca said Jane We need all the momentum we can get Becca gave Gull a great shove and hopped aboard Don’t you have oars Merlin asked Becca thought of the oars standing at attention against the shed waiting for her to bring them down and put them in Gull just in case they were needed Which they were in this windless world and what a pity she and Jane had forgotten them Or if she was really the skipper she had forgotten them And now she was allowing a life-jacketless passenger aboard as well But what else could she do
The sea spread out around them a mirror for blue sky and summer heat Its only motion was the slow underwater surge of incoming tide And there was no doubt about it Becca thought as time drifted by Oars would have been handy We’re not so far out she said They can probably see us with binoculars said Jane They didn’t say anything about the naked eye Becca said Are you in trouble asked Merlin Not yet Becca said What if we whistle for a wind Would that We could sing Jane suggested It’s more breathy The boom swayed with lazy twitches and Merlin cleared his work throat How about a sea shanty he asked Betsy had a baby and she dressed it all in white Heave away Johnny all bound to go Jane joined in Becca listened The tide came in one morning and it crept up to the door It took that little baby and twas never seen no more Heave away Johnny all bound to go Becca’s skin shivered She didn’t know why Maybe it was Merlin he had a clear soaring voice She never would have guessed that he could sound like that looking at his dirty T-shirt and grubby jeans his freckly face and his teeth that she remembered might clack at any moment because some of them were false The song reminded Becca of something but she couldn’t think what while she was worried about getting her ship and crew and
passenger back home to harbor you think of an arriving song We’re not leaving she said There’s the whole summer Can’t Becca saw a ripple feather the water but it vanished almost at once and the water went sleek again Gran’s bay seemed farther off than ever I really do have to be somewhere this evening Merlin said Even though Mrs Barker can probably wait for her pressure pump Can’t we hurry up Becca waggled the tiller We could be engines she said We could hang onto the stern and kick She tried not to imagine what Gran would say about that or Mum or Dad or Mac or Jane’s parents or any other friend or relative Can you sail she asked Merlin Could you steer if Jane and I get out and kick We’re going to be motors asked Jane We have life jackets and our legs work We can push the boat I can sail Merlin said I mean I probably can with no wind You don’t have a life jacket so you can’t be a man overboard said Becca And anyway kicking would hurt your ankle You can steer and sing Maybe it will raise a wind Aye aye sir said Merlin One two three to her Becca and Jane pushed Gull and then they kicked hard to catch up
