Chapter 14

Ella felt the storm coming long before it came. The chamber was so quiet after the boy had left that morning. The sea was so calm. Now, towards evening, the wind was stronger, the waves higher. The storm was about to break.

She was sitting on the flat rock down in the cave when the boy came back. Something was wrong. He was rowing fast, hurrying. He looked up at her and sud­denly she knew that he was going to kill her.

She ran back to the chamber. She knew she could­n't escape, but she had to do something. The boy fol­lowed her.

"Please," she began. "Whatever you're going to do..."

"Your brother," he said. "The little kid. What's his name?"

Ella stared at him. To her surprise he was trembling, shaking.

"What's his name?" the boy repeated, his face dark with fury.

"Sam. He's... he's called Sam."

"What's he like, this Sam?"

"Well... He's three years old and he... he likes play­ing games. He's like most little boys. No, he isn't. He's different..."

"Different? How's he different?"

"He... he sees things. He hears things... that aren't there."

"I was wrong," said the boy thoughtfully. "I thought I could let you go now, but I can't. It would be a betrayal I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this, but I've got to."

And he walked quickly towards her.

Fin pushed the boat off, jumped in and rowed away. It was dark, but the moon was up. He knew that he had to be quick. The wind was stronger and soon the sea would be too dangerous. Sam had been right about the storm coming.

Even if Ella were in the chamber above the cave, she might not be alone. He might have to deal with that huge boy. But this was his fight. He had left Ella alone and he should bring her back. He had said nothing to Mum or Dad. At last he reached the cave and somehow managed to land the small boat.

Up the steps he went, knowing that Ella must be in the chamber. Where else could she be? Sam and the pendulum had been right so far. She had to be here! He reached the chamber.

It was empty. He almost cried with disappointment. But then his torch caught the bottles of mineral water, boxes, a towel, blankets. He picked one of them up. In the light of the torch he saw one long golden hair.

Chamber 15

The front door was open when Fin walked up the path.

"Where the hell have you been?" asked the tall figure, black against the light from the hall. It didn't sound like his father, but it was. Another dark figure rushed out towards him and held him.

"Mum?" he said, hardly believing he was home again.

"Fin, it's past midnight. Where have you been?"

"Ella," he mumbled. "I know where they've been keeping her. But... she's... she's gone."

She took him into the house and made him change into dry clothes before she would talk to him. His father said nothing.

Five minutes later he was sitting in the warm kitchen, telling his story. His father was very angry when he heard what he'd done.

"I didn't tell you where I was going because I knew you wouldn't let me go. And you wouldn't believe how I found out where Ella was."

"What the hell are you talking about?" growled his father.

"I made a pendulum out of one of Ella's hairs and her ring."

"A pendulum?" said Dad. "Is this a joke?"

"Peter!" said Mum. "Let him speak. Tell us what you did."

He told them about Billy's book and how the pen­dulum had not worked for him, but had worked for Sam. His mother seemed a bit angry that he had involved Sam. But then she said: "You were very brave to row out to the cave. But you're lucky not to have been drowned."

Fin told them what he had found in the cave. He showed them the long golden hair he had found then went upstairs to get the pendulum. The two hairs were identical.

"We've got to try the pendulum again. Here's the map."

"But you said it didn't work with you," said Dad.

"It didn't. But Sammy..."

"I don't want Sammy involved," snapped his father. "He's really upset at the moment. A bloody pendulum...!"

Mum stepped forward. "That's enough, Peter." Then she turned to Fin. "Go and get Sam, but be gentle with him. This business with Ella has upset him, but I feel that something else is worrying him. I don't know what it is. Go and get him."

Dad looked angrily away and said nothing. Sam was in bed but not asleep. When Fin walked into his bedroom he turned to him and said: "She's gone. She's not going to play with me anymore."

"Who, Sammy? Ella?"

Sam said nothing. Then Fin saw that Teddy was is lying on the floor. He bent down to pick him up, but Sam screamed at once.

"Leave him alone! I want the girl with the golden hair."

Fin was really worried now. Did he mean Ella? Or who?

"Sammy? You remember the pendulum game?" Sam nodded. "Well, Mummy and Daddy want to play. They want to try and find Ella with the pendulum."

To Fin's surprise, Sam got straight out of bed and fol­lowed him down to the kitchen. The map and the pendulum were on the table. Mum opened her arms and hugged Sam.

"My love," she said. "Thank you for helping us." She looked up at Dad, but he said nothing.

"Right, Sammy," said Fin. "Let's show them how to play it. Do you remember what to do?"

Sam took the pendulum and climbed onto the kitchen table. Fin prayed it would work. Mum and Dad watched.

"Show me where Ella is," said Sam in his low, seri­ous voice. His finger moved over Newquay and other villages, coming closer to Trevally. Suddenly it moved out onto the blue part of the map.

"Not that way, Sam," said Mum. "That's the sea." But Sam's finger moved away from the coast, and suddenly Mum gasped. The pendulum was spinning.