Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [2]
And yet - the air was heavy and sickly of smell, like honey about to burn over a fire. The thunderous crashing of the water assaulted the ears, making it hard to think. James felt drawn to the water and repelled by it at the same time.
His brothers seemed to share this uneasiness. It was John who broke their silence, always the most impetuous. He pulled his shirt over his head and cast it aside, slipping out of his shorts at the same time. The lad ventured to the edge of the riverbank, peering into the water below. 'Looks safe to me,' he announced and flung himself into the air. With little grace he plunged into the river, a sheet of water flying backwards from his impact. A moment later, John broke the surface and waved at his brothers. 'Come on! Last one in has to shine our Sunday shoes for a month!'
Josiah was already peeling off his clothes. Before James was even out of his shirt the eldest of the trio was in the water, swimming towards the turbulence beneath the falls.
James resigned himself to another month of polishing three pairs of leather shoes and continued carefully shed-ding his clothes. Having lost the race, he saw no point in going home with crumpled, grass-stained garments that would only bring harsh questions from his stern-faced mother.
The boy looked up at the waterfall. Corra Linn was almost as high as the mill buildings at New Lanark, but much more spectacular. James clambered down to the water's edge and slipped into the river. The surface had been warmed by the sun but cold reached up from the depths, chilling James's feet and legs. He kicked some life back into them and began paddling towards John and Josiah.
The two elder brothers were playing on the wide slabs of stone beneath the falls, flinging themselves through the sheets of water cascading into the river. 'Come on, Tiny!'
John shouted as he leapt into the air. James paddled harder, careful to keep his chin in the air so the water did not cover his face. It was slow progress across the wide pool and he was grateful to reach the edge of the turbulence, as his legs and arms were getting tired. Josiah swam out to meet him, slicing through the water with deft, precise movements.
'Are you sure you should be out this far?' Josiah asked, pushing damp hair away from his eyes.
James just nodded, smiling to reassure Josiah. He was going to say something but was distracted by that smell again, a cloying odour that did not belong in this place.
'All right, but if you start getting tired or need help, just give me a shout.'
James nodded again. He wanted to ask Josiah about the stench but couldn't seem to get the words out. Josiah was turning round in slow circles, his face dipping down into the water. After a few seconds he pulled it back up again for air.
'What are you doing?' John called from behind the waterfall.
'Looking for gold coins,' Josiah replied. 'Visitors used to throw sovereigns over the falls for luck. If we find any, we can keep them - nobody would know.'
That was enough for John, who joined the search eagerly.
Josiah taught James how to open his eyes underwater, so he could help them look for this treasure. John announced that whoever found a sovereign had to share it with the others, but James knew that would not be true if it was John who discovered a coin first.
The youngest boy soon tired of the search and began paddling back towards the riverbank. Along the way he stopped several times to peer down into the gloomy, churning waters but saw nothing to excite any interest. Just as James was about to get out, he stopped for one last look. There, at the edge of the water, the turbulence from the falls was less pronounced. In the stiller waters a glint of light caught his eye. James turned back to his brothers but only John had his head above water. If this was a sovereign, James did not feel like sharing it.
Taking a deep breath,