‘Now, this complicates matters,’ said the other man, looking at George. ‘If you don’t go back home you’ll soon be missed, and there will be all kinds of search parties going on – and maybe someone will send over to the island here to tell your father you have disappeared! We don’t want anyone here at present – not till we know what we want to know!’ He turned to George’s father. ‘If you will tell us what we want to know, and give us all your notes, we will set you free, give you whatever sum of money you ask us for, and disappear ourselves.’ ‘And if I still say I won’t?’ said George’s father. ‘Then I am afraid we shall blow up the whole of your machines and the tower – and possibly you will never be found again because you will be buried down here,’ said the man, in a voice that was suddenly very hard.
There was a dead silence. George looked at her father. ‘You couldn’t do a thing like that,’ he said at last. ‘You would gain nothing by it at all!’ ‘It’s all or’ nothing with us,’ said the man. ‘All or nothing. Make up your mind. We’ll give you till half past ten tomorrow morning about seven hours. Then either you tell us everything, or we blow the island sky-high!’ They went out of the cave and left George and her father together. Only seven hours! And then, perhaps— the end of Kirrin Island! Chapter Eighteen
HALF PAST FOUR IN THE MORNING
As soon as the men were out of earshot, George’s father spoke in a low voice.
‘It’s no good. I’ll have to let them have my book of notes. I can’t risk having you buried down here, George. I don’t mind anything for myself – workers of my sort have to be ready to take risks all their lives — but it’s different now you’re here !’ ‘Father, I haven’t got the book of notes,’ whispered George, thankfully. ‘I gave them to Timmy. I ‘did manage to get that stone away from the entrance to his little prison – though the men think I didn’t! I gave the book to Timmy and told him to go and hide till I fetched him.’ ‘Fine work, George!’ said her father. ‘Well – perhaps if you got Timmy now and brought him here — he could deal with these two men before they suspect he is free! He is quite capable of getting them both down on the ground at once.’ ‘Oh yes! It’s our only chance,’ said George. ‘I’ll go and get him now. I’ll go a little way along the passage and whistle. Father — why didn’t you go and try and rescue Timmy?’ ‘I didn’t want to leave my book,’ said her father. ‘I dared not take it with me, in case the men came after me and found it. They’ve been looking in all the caves for it. I couldn’t bear to leave it here, and go and look for the dog. I was sure he was all right, when I saw the men taking biscuits out of the bag. Now do go, George, and whistle to Timmy. The men may be back at any moment.’ George took her torch and went into the passage that led to the little cave where Timmy had been. She whistled loudly, and then waited. But no Timmy came. She whistled again, and then went further along the passage.
Still no Timmy.
She called him loudly. ‘TIMMY! TIMMY! COME HERE!’ But Timmy did not come. There was no sound of scampering feet, no joyful bark.
‘Oh bother!’ thought George. ‘I hope he hasn’t gone so far away that he can’t hear me. I’ll go a little further.’ So she made her way along the tunnel, past the cave where Timmy had been, and then on down the tunnel again. Still no Timmy.
George rounded a corner and then saw that the tunnel split into three. Three different passages, all dark, silent and cold. Oh dear! She didn’t in the least know which to take. She took the one on the left.
But that also split into three a little way on! George stopped. ‘I shall get absolutely lost in this maze of passages under the sea if I go on,’ she thought. ‘I simply daren’t. It’s too frightening. TIMMY! TIMMY!’ Her voice went echoing along the passage and sounded very queer indeed. She retraced her steps and went right back to her father’s cave, feeling miserable.
‘Father, there’s no sign of Timmy at all. He must have gone along one of the passages and’ got lost! Oh dear, this is awful. There are lots of tunnels beyond this cave, it seems as if the whole rocky bed of the sea is mined with tunnels!’ George sat down and looked, very downhearted.
‘Quite likely,’ said her father. ‘Well – that’s a perfectly good plan gone wrong. We must try and think of another.’ ‘I do wonder what Julian and the others will think when they wake up and find me gone,’ said George, suddenly. ‘They might even come and try to find me ‘here.’ ‘That wouldn’t be much good,’ said her father. Then we’ll simply come down here and wait, and nobody will know where we are. The others don’t know of the entrance in the little stone room, do they?’ ‘No,’ said George. ‘If they came over here I’m sure they’d never find it! We’ve looked before. And that would mean they’d be blown up with the island. Father, this is simply dreadful.” ‘If only we knew where Timmy was!” said her father. Or if we could get a message to Julian to tell him not to. come. What’s the time? My word, it’s half past three in, the early morning! I suppose Julian and the others are still asleep.’ Julian was fast asleep. So was Anne. Dick was in a deep sleep as well, so nobody guessed that’ George’s bed was empty.
But, about half past four Anne awoke, feeling very hot, really must open the window!’ she thought. ‘I’m boiling!’ She got up and went to ‘the window. She opened it, and stood looking out. The stars were out and the bay one faintly.
‘George,’ whispered Anne. ‘Are you awake?’ She listened for a reply. But none came. Then she listened more intently. Why, she couldn’t even hear George’s’ breathing! Surely George was there?
She felt over George’s bed. It was flat and empty. She’ switched on the light and looked at it. George’s pyjamas were still on the bed. Her clothes were gone.
‘George has gone to the island!’ said Anne, in a fright, ‘in the dark by herself!’ She went to the boys’ room. She felt about Julian’s bed for his shoulder, and shook him hard. He woke up with a jump. ‘What is it? What’s up?’ ‘Julian! George is gone. Her bed’s not been slept in,’ whispered Anne. Her whisper awoke Dick, and soon both boys were sitting up wide awake.
‘Blow! I might have guessed she’d do a fool thing like that,’ said Julian. ‘In the middle of the night too — and all those dangerous rocks to row round. Now what are we going to do about it? I told her she wasn’t to go to the island — Timmy would be quite all right! I expect Uncle Quentin forgot to take him up to the tower with him yesterday, that’s all. She might have waited till half past ten this morning then she would probably have seen him.’ ‘Well – we can’t do anything now, I suppose, can we?’ said Anne, anxiously.
‘Not a thing,’ said Julian. ‘I’ve no doubt she’s safely on Kirrin Island by now, making a fuss of Timmy, and having a good old row with Uncle Quentin. Really,. George is the limit!’ They talked for half an hour and then Julian looked at his watch. ‘Five o’clock. We’d better try and get a bit more sleep. Aunt Fanny will b.e worried in the morning when she hears of George’s latest escapade!’ Anne went back to her room. She got into bed and fell asleep. Julian could not sleep – he kept thinking of George and wondering where exactly she was. Wouldn’t he give her a talking-to when she came back! He suddenly heard a peculiar noise downstairs. Whatever could it be? It sounded like someone climbing in, at a window. Was there one open? Yes, the window of the little wash-place might be open. Crash ! What in the world was that? It couldn’t be a burglar – no burglar would be foolish enough to make such a noise. There was a sound on the stairs, and then the bedroom door was pushed open. In alarm Julian put out his hand to switch on the light, but before he could do so something heavy jumped right on top of him! He yelled and Dick woke up with a jump. He put on the light — and then Julian saw what was on his bed -Timmy! ‘Timmy! How did you get here? Where’s George! Timmy, is it really you?’ ‘Timmy!’ echoed Dick, amazed. ‘Has George brought him back then? Is she here too?’ Anne came in, wakened by the noise. ‘Why, Timmy! Oh Julian, is George back too, then?’ ‘No, apparently not,’ said Julian, puzzled. ‘I say, Tim, ‘what’s this you’ve got in your mouth? Drop it, old chap, drop it!’ Timmy dropped it. Julian picked it up from the bed. ‘It’s a’ ‘book of notes – all in Uncle’s handwriting! What does this mean? How did Timmy get hold of it – and why did he bring it here? It’s most extraordinary!’ Nobody could imagine why Timmy had suddenly ‘appeared with the book of notes – and no George.