Adventure 2016

Chapter 20: the calm before the storm.

James wandered along the beach toward the pier. He'd taken a bus out to the marina and bought some fishing line and hooks and bait to go along with a penknife he'd been given a couple of birthdays ago. Now it was after lunchtime and he was down by the water's edge. He had a big rucksack on his back with useful things in it.

The water was calm, and the sky clear. So much for hoping that a storm would stop the fireworks. He clambered up the stoney beach to the road and walked to the meeting point.

Jenny and Elf met James by the kissing sculpture just before 4pm. They were well turned out. Jenny had a dress on underneath her coat, and Elf had a skirt and tights with red ballet pumps. There wasn't that much time before they had to enter the mega grotto. Jenny said her parents were already on the pier. Elf said nothing about hers. She did have some news about Claudia.

"She's found a few cats that will help her against the Empress," Elf said. "She said that Notail would be a great asset too."

James told them about his meeting with the King Under the Fort. And his discovery that Notail was female, and a grey assassin.

"So this pebble is a badger stone?" Jenny asked, taking the pebble out of her coat pocket.

"Yes, and it might make one of the bad guys listen to us," James said. "You better keep it, I didn't do a good job with the Squidducken key."

Jenny and Elf's role was to keep an eye on things from inside the mega grotto. Nobody really knew how King Pigeon was going to use the firework boat or the flammable poo. And if things went wrong, they would have to get off the pier in a hurry.

Elf had a couple of radios. She said her parents had used them when they went skiing. They were fully charged and would have a good signal for up to ten kilometers. She gave one to James and showed him the button to push to speak to her.

Other members of the gang arrived as the sun was setting. They were carrying all sorts of equipment. Ella from year 6 had a load of big shopping bags. Fred had brought his dad's garden watering pump. Saskia and Romy, the year four sisters had buckets. Abie had a bag full of super-soaker water pistols. And Wilf had brought his brother, Laurie, some ropes, and a couple of other children.

"They're my cousins," Wilf said. "From Essex. Spencer's in year eight and Queenie's in year five. They're staying with us for Christmas. I thought we could use the extra hands."

The cousins had buckets and another watering container.

"Right," James said. "Let's get to the end of the groyne and go through the plan."

The promenade was packed. Not just the normal Christmas shoppers and tourists, but extra packed. People from the town had come down to check out the mega grotto and watch for celebrities. James led the children down the stairs to the groyne. Jenny and Elf left them and went to the pier.

The way onto the groyne was blocked. There was a wire fence across it, and signs that told people to "Keep Out" and that there was "Danger of Collapse" and then another said "Unstable Cliff Edge".

"We can't get to the end," Laurie said. "Where should we go?"

James looked around for another good position. The groyne was the best place by far but perhaps...

"Excuse me," Zen said, crouched down low on the beach to the side of the groyne wall. "But those signs aren't for you. I put them there to keep the other humans out."

Zen pulled on one of the wire fence panels and made a gap. The children squeezed through. It was dark now, and the other members of the Green Hands Gang looked at Zen with amazement.