Did you have a nice afternoon? asked Aunt Polly, when they went into the house.
Lovely, said Dinah. Is your headache better, Aunt Polly?
Not much, said her aunt, who looked pale and tired. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight, if you’ll take your uncle’s supper in to him, instead of me, Dinah.
Yes, I will, said Dinah, not liking the task very much, for she was rather afraid of her learned and peculiar uncle.
Jo-Jo came in at that moment and stared at the four children. Where you been? he asked roughly. And where did you go this morning, after you went into the caves?
We came up to the house, said Philip, putting on a surprised expression that infuriated Jo-Jo. Didn’t you see us? And we’ve just come back from a picnic, dear Jo-Jo. Why all this concern for our whereabouts? Did you want to come with us?
Jo-Jo made a rude and angry noise, at once copied by Kiki, who then cackled out her maddening laughter. Jo-Jo gave the parrot a look of hatred and stalked out.
Don’t tease Jo-Jo, said Aunt Polly wearily. He’s really getting impossible so uncivil and lazy. He never came near the house all the morning. Well I’m going to bed.
Jack, you help me with Uncle Jocelyn’s tray, said Dinah, when the supper was ready. It’s heavy. Philip’s gone off somewhere as usual. He always disappears when there’s any job to be done.
Jack took the heavy tray and followed Dinah as she led the way to her uncle’s study. She knocked on the door. A voice grunted, and Dinah imagined it said Come in.
They went in, Kiki on Jack’s shoulder as usual. Your supper, Uncle, said Dinah. Aunt Polly’s gone to bed. She’s tired.
Poor Polly, poor dear Polly, said Kiki, in a pitying tone. Uncle Jocelyn looked up, startled. He saw the parrot and picked up a paperweight.
Kiki at once flew out of the door, and Uncle Jocelyn put the paperweight down again. Keep that parrot out, he said grumpily. Interfering bird. Put the tray down there. Who are you, young man?
I’m Jack Trent, said Jack, surprised that anyone could be so forgetful. You saw me and my sister Lucy-Ann the day we came here, sir. Don’t you remember?
Too many children in this house, said Uncle Jocelyn, in a grumbling tone. Can’t get any work done at all.
Oh, Uncle you know we never disturb you, said Dinah indignantly.
Uncle Jocelyn was bending over a big and very old map. Jack glanced at it.
Oh, he said, that’s a map of part of this coast and that’s the Isle of Gloom, isn’t it, sir?
He pointed to the outline of the island, drawn carefully on the big map. Uncle Jocelyn nodded.
Have you ever been there? asked Jack eagerly. We saw it this afternoon, sir.
Never been there, and don’t want to go either, said Uncle Jocelyn surlily.
I saw a Great Auk there this afternoon, said Jack proudly.
This did not impress Uncle Jocelyn at all. Nonsense, he said. Bird’s been extinct for ages. You saw a razorbill. Don’t be foolish, boy.
Jack was annoyed. Only Lucy-Ann paid any attention to his great discovery, and she, he knew, would have believed him if he had said he had seen Santa Claus on the island. He stared sulkily at the untidy, frowning old man.
Uncle Jocelyn stared back.
Could I see the map, please? asked Jack suddenly, thinking that he might possibly see marked on it the entrance between the rocks.
Why? Are you interested in that sort of thing? asked Uncle Jocelyn, surprised.
I’m very interested in the Isle of Gloom, said Jack. Please may I see the map, sir?
I’ve got a bigger one somewhere showing only the island, in great detail, said Uncle Jocelyn, quite pleased now to think that anyone should be interested in his maps. Let me see where is it?
Whilst he went to look for it, Jack and Dinah had a good look at the big map of the coast. There, lying off it, ringed by rocks, was the Isle of Gloom. It had a queer shape, rather like an egg with a bulge in the middle of one side, and its coast was very much indented. It lay almost due west of Craggy-Tops.
Jack pored over the map, feeling terribly excited. If only Uncle Jocelyn would lend it to him!
Look, he said to Dinah, in a low voice. Look. The ring of rocks is broken just there. See? I bet it’s where I imagined the entrance was this afternoon. See that hill shown in the map? The entrance to the rocks is just about opposite. If ever we wanted to go there and goodness knows I do we need only look for that hill it’s the highest on the island, I should think and then watch for the entrance to the rocks just opposite to the hill. Easy!
It looks easy on the map, but I bet it’s a jolly sight more difficult when you get out on the sea, said Dinah. You sound as if you mean to go there, Jack but you know what we promised Bill Smugs. We can’t break our promise.
I know that, idiot, said Jack, who had never broken a promise in his life. I’ve got another plan. I’ll tell you later.
Much to the children’s disappointment, Uncle Jocelyn could not find the large map of the island. He would not lend the other one to Jack.
Certainly not, he said, looking quite shocked. It’s a very, very old map hundreds of years old. I wouldn’t dream of handing it out to you. You’d damage it, or lose it or something. I know what children are.
You don’t, Uncle, said Dinah. You don’t know what we are like a bit. Why, we hardly ever see you. Do lend us the map.
But nothing would persuade the old man to part with his precious map. So, taking one last glance at the drawing of the island, with its curious ring of protecting rocks, and the one break in them, Jack and Dinah left the untidy, book-lined study.
Don’t forget your supper, Uncle, called back Dinah as she shut the door. Uncle Jocelyn gave a grunt. He was already lost in his work again. The supper-tray stood unheeded beside him.
I bet he’ll forget all about it, said Dinah. And she was right. When Aunt Polly went into the study the next day to tidy it as usual, there was the supper-tray standing on the table, complete with plate of meat and vegetables, and piece of pie and custard.
You’re worse than a child, scolded Aunt Polly. Yes, you really are, Jocelyn.
Chapter 15
A QUEER HAPPENING AND A FINE TRIP
That night Jack told the others his plan, and they were at first doubtful, and then thrilled and excited.
Could we really find the entrance? said Lucy-Ann, scared.
Easily, said Jack, who, once he had made up his mind about anything, would not recognise any difficulties at all. I saw the entrance this afternoon, I’m sure, and I certainly saw it on that map. So did Dinah.
So did Dinah, so did Dinah, so did Dinah, chanted Kiki. Nobody took any notice of her. They all went on talking excitedly.
You see, once I feel absolutely at home in handling Bill’s boat, I shan’t be a bit afraid of taking Jo-Jo’s, said Jack.
He’ll half kill you if he finds out, said Philip. How are you going to manage it without his knowing?
I shall wait till he takes the old car and goes shopping, said Jack at once. I thought of all that. As soon as he goes off in the car, I shall take out the boat, and hope to come back before he returns. If I don’t well, it just can’t be helped. You’ll have to distract his attention somehow or lock him up in the cellar or something.
The others giggled. The idea of locking Jo-Jo up was distinctly pleasing.
But look here, said Philip, aren’t we coming with you? You can’t go alone.
I’m not taking the girls, said Jack firmly. I don’t mind any risk myself but I won’t risk anything with the girls. You can come, of course, Philip.
I’m coming too, said Lucy-Ann at once. She was not going to have Jack going off on a risky adventure without her by his side.
Well, you can’t come, so that’s that, said Jack decidedly. Don’t be an ass, Lucy-Ann. You’d spoil everything if you came. We’d have to be too careful if you or Dinah were on board. We wouldn’t dare to take any risks at all.
I don’t want you to take risks, said poor Lucy-Ann, with tears in her eyes.
Don’t be such a baby, said Jack. Why can’t you be like Dinah, and not worry me when I want to do something? Dinah doesn’t bother about Philip taking risks, do you, Dinah?