“We’ll have to find out what he has said to Lucian,” said Jack. “He’ll probably tell him to try and pump us about this bit of paper — and find out if we have the other bits — and where we got the thing from — and when — and where the rest of the plan is.”
“Yes. And we’ll make up a perfectly marvellous tale and stuff him up like anything!” said Dinah, her eyes sparkling. “Come on — let’s think of one! If Mr. Eppy’s up to some game, we’ll be up to one too. Now — what shall we say if Lucian pumps us?”
“Well, we said we didn’t know anything about it, so perhaps we’d better pretend that Lucy-Ann knows all about it,” said Jack, looking more cheerful, as he considered the idea of pulling Lucian’s leg, and perhaps Mr. Eppy’s as well.
“Oh dear,” said Lucy-Ann, in alarm. “Have I got to tell a whole lot of fairy-tales to Lucian?”
“No. We’ll do that for you,” said Jack, with a grin. “Now then — let’s think — how did Lucy-Ann get hold of that paper?”
“She was standing on the sports deck one day,” began Dinah, “and she was feeding the gulls that live round about these islands.”
“And a great big gull came up with something in his beak,” went on Philip. “He flew round Lucy-Ann’s head, and . . .”
“Dropped a paper at her feet, when he swooped down for bread,” said Jack. “She picked it up and showed it to us — and we thought — aha — only a very clever man like dear Mr. Eppy could decipher this strange document handed over by a generous gull. . . .”
“And so we took it to show him,” finished Dinah. She giggled. “It’s too silly for words. Lucian will never swallow that.”
“He will. But his uncle won’t!” grinned Philip. “Serve him right. He’ll expect to get the goods from Lucian when he’s pumped us — and he’ll find he’s got rubbish!”
“Well, don’t make me say it,” said Lucy-Ann. “I’d go scarlet the whole time.”
“Listen — isn’t that Lucian now?” said Jack. “You go off, Lucy-Ann. Look, take this book, and say you’re taking it to Aunt Allie. Go on. That will get you out of the way. It is Lucian. I know his idiotic humming.”
Lucy-Ann snatched a book and went to the door. It opened as she got there, and Lucian’s rabbit-face came round the door.
“Hullo, hullo!” he said. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, do,” said Lucy-Ann, squeezing by him. “I’m taking this book to Aunt Allie. But the others are here. They’ll love to see you.”
Chapter 11
LUCIAN IN TROUBLE
“HALLO, Lucian,” said Jack. “Come in. Have a sweet?”
“Oh, thanks,” said Lucian, and sat himself down on the bed. He took a large piece of peanut-crunch out of the tin Jack offered him. “I say — this is jolly good stuff.”
“Like a game of deck-tennis?” asked Philip.
“Er — well — actually I only like playing with Lucy-Ann,” said Lucian, who was so very bad at the game that even Lucy-Ann beat him hollow. “Can’t give you others much of a game, you know. I say — my uncle’s been telling me about that bit of paper you showed him.”
“Has he? What did he say?” said Jack.
“Well, he thinks it may be the genuine goods all right — but he can’t tell without the other piece or pieces,” said Lucian, munching away. “Oh, I say — look at that monkey. He’s snaffled an enormous piece of nut-crunch!”
“Yes — almost as big as your bit!” said Dinah, who noticed that Lucian invariably took the largest piece of cruch from the tin.
“Oh, I say — did I really take a big bit?” said Lucian. “Have to watch myself! You never told me about that bit of paper. Why didn’t you? I’d have liked to see it.”
“Well — it isn’t very important, is it?” said Philip. “I mean — we never thought you’d be interested.”
“Oh, but I am — like anything!” said Lucian, crunching hard. Micky was crunching too and Kiki was watching him balefully. She didn’t like nut-crunch, but she couldn’t bear to see Micky enjoying his. “You might tell me all about it, you really might. Where you got it, and — er — everything.”
“Didn’t your uncle tell you where we got it?” asked Dinah innocently. Lucian looked surprised.
“Gosh, no,” he said. “Did you tell him? Well, why on earth did he ask me to find out?”
He had given himself away properly. The others winked at one another. “Well, perhaps we didn’t tell him,” said Jack solemnly. “Did we, or didn’t we?”
“Didn’t, did, didn’t, did,” remarked Kiki, thinking it was time that someone took notice of her. But nobody did.
“It’s a shame not to tell old Lucian,” said Dinah, in a kind voice. Lucian beamed.
“Yes. After all, he’s a friend of ours,” said Philip.
Lucian was so overcome by this remark that he swallowed a bit of nut-crunch and choked. Kiki immediately had a choking fit too. She did that kind of thing remarkably well. Jack thumped Lucian on the back, whereupon Micky actually went to Kiki and thumped her too. The children roared with laughter, but Kiki was furious with Micky and chased him all over the cabin.
“Oh dear,” said Dinah, wiping tears of laughter away. “Those creatures will be the death of me. Now — what were we talking about?”
“About me being a friend of yours, and so you’d tell me about that bit of paper,” said Lucian promptly. “Oh — may I really have another bit of crunch? I say, thanks awfully.”
He took a bit, remembering not to take the largest there this time.
“Oh yes,” said Jack. “We were saying it was a shame not to tell old Lucian. Well, old chap, it happened to Lucy-Ann, actually. Let’s see . . . er . . .”
“She was standing on the deck, ready to feed the gulls that fly over from the islands,” said Jack. Lucian nodded. He had often seen Lucy-Ann feeding them.
“And suddenly a very large gull flew round her head, holding something in its beak,” went on Philip. “That’s right, isn’t it, Jack?”
“Absolutely,” said Jack, with a solemn face.
“And lo and behold — when the gull came down for its bread, it dropped the paper at Lucy-Ann’s feet!” said Dinah. “What do you think of that, Lucian? That’s right, isn’t it, Jack?”
“Oh, definitely,” said Jack, in a firm voice.
Lucian stared. His rabbit-mouth dropped open. “Oh, I say!” he said. “Isn’t that amazing. I mean to say — whoever would have thought of that?”
As the three of them had thought of it quite easily, they didn’t answer. Dinah felt a dreadful urge to giggle, and turned her face away. Lucian seemed quite overcome with the story.
“I mean — honestly, it’s like a fairy-tale or something, isn’t it?” he said. “That gull dropping it at Lucy-Ann’s feet.”
The others agreed that it was exactly like a fairy-tale. “Most extraordinary,” said Lucian, getting up and swallowing the last of his nut-crunch. “Well, I must be off. Thanks awfully for telling me all this. Oh, I say — what’s happened to the bottle that the ship was in? You’ve got the ship without the bottle now!”
“Yes. Micky and Kiki broke it between them,” said Jack. “Little wretches. Still, it’s a nice ship, and doesn’t need its bottle.”
Lucian went out. The others grinned at one another. What a leg his was to pull! Poor old Rabbit-mouth — he just asked for his leg to be well and truly pulled!
“I can just see him spouting that all out to his disbelieving uncle,” said Jack. “Come on — if I don’t get up into the fresh air and have some exercise I shall expire. Let’s find Lucy-Ann and have a game of quoits or something. It’s too hot now for deck-tennis.”
They played games all the morning, and then went down to lunch, all feeling very hungry indeed. To their surprise Lucian didn’t appear at lunch. They wondered if he was ill. Mrs. Mannering asked his aunt about him.
“No — he’s not ill — just a touch of the sun I think,” said Lucian’s aunt. “He’s lying down and keeping quiet.”
“I vote we go down to Lucian’s cabin and see if he’s all right,” said Jack. “He’s never minded the sun before.”
Down they went, and knocked quietly. There was no answer. Jack turned the handle and went in. Lucian was lying on his bed, his face in the pillow.
“Are you asleep, Lucian?” said Jack softly.
Lucian turned over abruptly. “Oh — it’s you,” he said. Jack saw the boy’s face was blotched and tear-stained.
“What’s up?” he said. “I say, can the others come in? They’re outside.”