Chapter 6

The phone rang at half past eight. Dad jumped to his feet. "I'll get it."

"Take it in the living-room," said Mum. Sam was drinking a glass of orange juice. "And close the door behind you."

Fin went out with him. Dad picked up the phone, but it was only Billy.

"Is it still on this afternoon?" asked Billy.

"This afternoon?"

"The trip in your new boat. You did promise. But I expect you're too busy. Dad said you might be. He said you were always cancelling things like golf matches because you're too busy."

Fin rolled his eyes. Billy was not a very tactful person.

"The boat trip's still on," said Dad.

"Great! Could I speak to Fin, please? And Angle wants to speak to Ella if she's there."

Dad had to think quickly. "She's not here, Billy. Didn't she tell you? She's gone to London to stay with her Auntie Jean and Uncle Frank. But Fin's here." He handed Fin the phone and gave him a warning look.

"Hello, Billy?" said Fin.

"Hi, Fin. Coming over?"

"What's the problem?" asked Billy after Fin had been sitting on the bed in Billy's room for half an hour with­out saying a word. Billy had been talking all the time: about his new computer, about stones and stars and the other strange subjects he was interested in. Fin had hoped he wouldn't notice his silence.

"I fell out with Mum and Dad," he said simply. "That's always happening to me," said Billy happily. "Usually because my room is so untidy."

Fin looked around the room. There were books and magazines everywhere. Angie appeared in the doorway. "When's Ella coming back?" she asked. "She didn't tell me she was going to London. We wanted to go riding this afternoon."

"I don't know when she'll be back," said Fin. "Aun­tie Jean and Uncle Frank haven't seen her for a long time. She only decided to go yesterday." Angie walked away. Fin could see that she didn't believe him.

Billy was busy with his computer. He hadn't heard their conversation.

"Billy," said Fin. "If you lost something, what would you do?"

"Look for it," said Billy without looking up from his computer.

"OK. But if it was something very valuable and you'd looked for it and asked everybody. And nobody knew where it was. What would you do?" He knew that Billy had so many crazy theories about things. Perhaps he could suggest some course of action. Fin needed action. Billy said nothing for a while. He just went on playing with his computer. Then he stopped. "You could try dowsing" he said.

"But that's only looking for water, isn't it?"

"No. For anything. I've got a book on it." Billy jumped up and, in a surprisingly short time, found what he was looking for. He gave it to Fin. Fin read the title. “The Magic Pendulum”. What's all this?"

"Look," said Billy, showing him some photos in the book, "You make a pendulum with a ring, a key, a stone, anything. You ask the pendulum questions and it gives you answers. Look, let's make one."

He found a small key and a piece of string, tied the key to the string.

"Have you ever tried it?" asked Fin.

"A couple of times. I wasn't very good at it," said Bil­ly with a smile. "Some people are better than others. Maybe I should have tried harder. You hold the end of the string like this - OK? - and you let the pendulum hang down. It can go in a circle or a straight line. You have to teach it to mean things. The movements mean different things for each person."

"You mean you ask it questions and it moves? You don't move your hand.”

"Not if you do it properly. You don't need to move your hand. You can make it move with your eyes. I'll show you."

"Never!" This was too much for Fin. And it seemed like a waste of time. How could this dowsing help them to find Ella?

He watched Billy carefully. Billy held his hand still and moved his eyes up and down. After a while the pendulum began to move in the same direction, Fin looked at Billy with doubt in his eyes.

"Go on. Try it yourself!"

And strangely enough Fin found that it was true. The pendulum moved in the same direction as his eyes moved. Fin was fascinated. Billy was still talking, but he was hardly listening. He was thinking.

"Of course you mustn't tell the pendulum what to do. You must clear your mind of wishes..." He sudden­ly stopped. Fin looked up. "Are you all right, Fin?" asked Billy in a worried voice. "You look like shit."

“I'm fine," said Fin. "But I've got to go now. See you this afternoon. Can I take the book?"

"Of course," said Billy. "See you!"

Fin ran home as if running would make time go faster, would bring Ella back sooner. Mum and Sam were in the garden, but he couldn't face them. He ran up to his room and threw himself on the bed.