No, said Dinah, well aware that Philip could take very good care of himself. All the same I wish we could come.
Lucy-Ann blinked back her tears. She didn’t want to spoil things for Jack but really, it was awful to think he might be wrecked or drowned. She wished with all her heart that Great Auks had never existed. If they hadn’t existed they couldn’t be extinct, and if they hadn’t been extinct there wouldn’t be all this excitement about finding one again.
Jack did not sleep much that night. He lay and thought about the island and its birds, and could hardly wait to sail off and see whether it really was a Great Auk or not he had spotted through his glasses that afternoon. He might get a lot of money if he caught the Great Auk. It couldn’t fly, it could only swim. It might be so tame that it would let itself be caught. There might be three or four Great Auks. It would be simply wonderful to find out.
Jack got up and went to the window. He looked out to the west where the island lay. There was no moon that night, and he could see nothing at first. But, as he gazed earnestly to the west, thinking hard of the island, he was astonished to see something distinctly unusual.
He blinked his eyes and looked again. It seemed as if a light was shining out there, over to the west where the island was. It went out slowly as he watched, and then came again. It can’t be a real light, said Jack. Anyway, it can’t be a light on the island. It must be some ship a good way out, signalling.
The light to the west faded again, and did not reappear. Jack pulled his head back, meaning to go to bed again, feeling sure that it must have been a ship’s light he had seen.
But, before he could go back to his bed, something else attracted him. The narrow window on the opposite side, the one looking over the top of the cliff, was outlined in a soft light. Jack stared in amazement.
He ran to the window and looked out. The light came from the top of the rocky cliff. Someone had either built a fire there or had a bright lantern. Who could it be? And why show a light at night? Was it to signal to the ship out at sea?
Jack’s room was the highest in Craggy-Tops, and the tower in which it was built jutted above the cliff-top. But though he craned his neck to look out as far as he could, he could not see what the light was on the top of the cliff, nor exactly where. He decided to find out.
He did not wake Philip. He put on shorts and coat and shoes and ran silently down the stairs. He was soon climbing the path to the top of the cliff. But when he got there, there was no light to be seen at all no smell, even, of a fire. It was very puzzling.
The boy stumbled along the cliff and suddenly he got the fright of his life. Someone clutched at him and held him fast.
What you doing up here? said Jo-Jo’s voice, and he shook the boy till he had no breath left in his body. Go on you tell me what you doing up here.
Too frightened to think of anything but the truth, Jack blurted it out.
I saw a light from the tower-room and I came to see what it was.
I told you there was ‘things’ on the cliff at night, didn’t I? said Jo-Jo, in a frightening voice. Well, those things show lights, and they wail and yell sometimes, and lordy knows what else they do. Didn’t I tell you not to wander out at night?
What are you out for? asked Jack, beginning to recover from his fright.
Jo-Jo shook him again, glad to have got one of the children in his power. I come out to see what the light was too, he growled. See? That’s what I was out for, of course. But it’s always those ‘things’ a-making a disturbance and a trouble. Now, you promise me you’ll never leave your bedroom no more at nights.
I shan’t promise you anything, said Jack, beginning to struggle. Let me go, you beast. You’re hurting me.
I’ll hurt you a mighty lot more, ‘less you tell me you won’t go out at nights, threatened the black man. I got a rope-end here, see? I been keeping it for you and Philip.
Jack was afraid. Jo-Jo was immensely strong, spiteful and cruel. He struggled hard again, feeling Jo-Jo untying the rope he had around his waist.
It was Kiki that saved him. The parrot, missing Jack suddenly from the tower-room, where she had been sleeping peacefully on the perch that the boy had rigged up for her, had come in search of her master. She would not be separated from him for long, if she could help it.
Just as Jack was wondering whether it would be a good idea to bite Jo-Jo hard or not, Kiki swooped down with a glad screech. Kiki! Kiki! Bite him! Bite him! yelled Jack.
The parrot gladly fastened her sharp curved beak into a very fleshy part of the black man’s arm. He let Jack go and gave an agonised yell. He hit out at Kiki, who was now well beyond reach, watching for a chance to attack again.
This time she tore at Jo-Jo’s ear, and he yelled loudly. Call that bird off! I’ll wring her neck!
Jack disappeared down the cliff path. When he was safely out of reach of Jo-Jo, he called Kiki.
Kiki! Come on. You’re a very good bird.
Kiki took a last bite at Jo-Jo’s other ear and then flew off with a screech. She flew to Jack’s shoulder and made soft noises in his ear. He scratched her head gently as he made his way back to the house, his heart beating fast.
Keep out of Jo-Jo’s way, Kiki, he said. He certainly will wring your neck now, if he can. I don’t know what you did to him but it must have been something very painful.
Jack woke up Philip and told him what had happened. I expect the light was from a ship at sea, he said, but I don’t know what the other light was. Jo-Jo said he went up to see too, but he thought it was made by the ‘things’ he is always talking about. Golly, I nearly got tanned by him, Philip. If it hadn’t been for Kiki, I guess I’d have had a bad time.
Good old Kiki, said Philip, and Kiki repeated his words in delight.
Good old Kiki, good old Kiki, good old …
That’s enough, said Jack, and Kiki stopped. Jack snuggled down deep into bed. I’m tired, he said. I hope I soon go to sleep. I simply couldn’t doze off before. I kept thinking and thinking of the Isle of Gloom.
But it was not long before he was asleep, dreaming of a large map that had the island marked on it, then of a boat that was trying to get to the isle, and then of Jo-Jo clutching him and trying to pull back both him and the boat.
The children felt pleased the next morning when they remembered that Bill Smugs had said they could try out the boat by themselves. They set off early, having done all their jobs very quickly. Jo-Jo was in a bad temper that day. He slouched about, frowning, glaring at Jack and Kiki as if he would like to get hold of both of them.
For once in a way he did not follow them about or try to track them where they went. Aunt Polly was determined that he was going to do some work that morning, and she set him all kinds of tasks. He saw that it would be no good trying to evade them, so, very sulkily, he set to work, and the children were able to escape easily without being seen.
I’m going to the town today, said Bill, when they arrived at his tumbledown shack. I simply must get hammer and nails and wood, and mend up my house a bit. Some more bits of wall have fallen down, and I spent last night with a gale rushing all round me or what seemed like a gale in this small place. I must do a spot of mending. Do you want to come with me and do some shopping again too?
No, thank you, said Jack at once. We would rather go out in the boat, please, Bill. It’s quite a calm day. We will be very careful.
You’ll remember your promise, of course, said Bill, and looked at Jack sharply. The boy nodded.