Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [124]
“The water’s coming in. I’m soaked,” yelled Jenna as she fought to keep control of Muriel Two while Boy 412 frantically bailed out the water. Nicko was having trouble in the Hunter’s canoe—a wave had just crashed over him and the canoe was now awash. Another wave like that, thought Nicko, and he’d be at the bottom of the Deppen Ditch.
And then suddenly there was no Deppen Ditch.
With a roar the banks of Deppen Ditch gave way. A massive wave surged through the breach and roared out across the Marram Marshes, taking all with it: dolphins, turtles, jellyfish, seals, swimmers…and two canoes.
The speed at which Nicko was traveling was faster than he had ever dreamed possible. It was both terrifying and exciting at once. But the Hunter’s canoe rode the crest of the wave lightly and easily, as though this was the moment it had been waiting for.
Jenna and Boy 412 were not quite as thrilled as Nicko at the turn of events. Muriel Two was a contrary old canoe, and she did not take to this new way of traveling at all. They had to fight hard to stop her from being rolled over by the massive wave that was thundering across the marsh.
As the water spread across the marsh, the wave began to lose some of its power, and Jenna and Boy 412 were able to steer Muriel Two more easily. Nicko maneuvered the Hunter’s canoe along the wave toward them, deftly twisting and turning it as he went.
“That is the best thing ever!” he shouted above the rush of the water.
“You’re crazy!” yelled Jenna, still struggling with her paddle to stop Muriel Two from tipping over.
The wave was fading fast now, slowing its pace and losing most of its power as the water that drove it sank into the wide expanse of the marshes, filling the ditches, the bogs, the slimes and the Ooze with clear, cold salt water and leaving an open sea behind it. Soon the wave was gone, and Jenna, Nicko and Boy 412 were adrift on an open sea that stretched into the distance as far as they could see, dotted with little islands here and there.
As they paddled the canoes in what they hoped was the right direction, a threatening darkness began to fall as the storm clouds gathered high above them. The temperature dropped sharply, and the air became charged with electricity. Soon a warning roll of thunder rumbled across the sky and large spots of heavy rain began to fall. Jenna looked out over the cold gray mass of water before them and wondered how they were going to find their way home.
In the distance on one of the farthest islands, Boy 412 saw a flickering light. Aunt Zelda was lighting her storm candles and placing them in the windows.
The canoes picked up speed and headed home as the thunder rolled and sheets of silent lightning began to light up the sky.
Aunt Zelda’s door was open. She was expecting them.
They tied the canoes to the boot scraper by the front door and walked into the strangely silent cottage. Aunt Zelda was in the kitchen with the Boggart.
“We’re back!” yelled Jenna. Aunt Zelda came out of the kitchen, quietly closing the door behind her.
“Did you find him?” she asked.
“Find who?” said Jenna.
“The Apprentice boy. Septimus.”
“Oh, him.” So much had happened since they had set off that morning that Jenna had forgotten why they went in the first place.
“My goodness, you got back just in time. It’s dark already,” said Aunt Zelda, bustling over to close the door.
“Yes, it’s—”
“Aargh!” screamed Aunt Zelda as she reached the door and saw the water lapping at the doorstep, not to mention two canoes bobbing up and down outside.
“We’re flooded. The animals! They’ll drown.”
“They’re all right,” Jenna reassured her. “The chickens are all there on top of the chicken boat—we counted them. And the goat has climbed up onto the roof.”
“The roof?”
“Yes, she was eating the thatch when we saw her.”
“Oh. Oh, well.”
“The ducks are fine and the rabbits…well, I think I saw them just kind of floating around.”
“Floating around?” cried Aunt Zelda. “Rabbits don’t float.”
“These rabbits were. I passed quite a few, just lying on their backs.