Septimus Heap, Book Six_ Darke - Angie Sage [122]
“Stop it, you two,” said Sarah. “I don’t think anyone does have any better ideas—do we?”
There was silence.
“Old Dock it is,” said Sarah. “Follow me.”
Sarah led the cold, tired group along the mud. But whereas Stanley, with the lightness of a rat, had scampered over the top of the mud, it was not so simple for humans. Their feet sank deep into the goop and they stubbed their toes on hidden rocks and tripped over the empty outhauls. As they struggled on through the freezing mud, they saw countless open windows from which abandoned knotted sheets and makeshift ropes dangled—and they now understood why all the boats had gone. Even the floating pontoons had been unhitched and pressed into service; there was nothing left afloat on their side of the river.
Finally they arrived at the Underflow, an underground stream that ran from below the Castle. Sarah, not realizing where she was, took a step forward into the dark and fell into deep, fast-flowing water.
“Agh!” Sarah gasped with shock as she was swept out into the river.
There was a loud splash and a scream from Lucy. Simon surfaced in the river, spluttering—then he turned and swam into the darkness after Sarah.
“Simon!” yelled Lucy. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Simon!”
Jenna, Septimus, and Marcellus stood, shocked, on the muddy bank of the Underflow. They stared into the night but could see nothing. Lucy stopped screaming, and the sounds of Simon swimming receded. Chilled by the freezing wind, they listened in silence to a few faint splashes coming from somewhere in the middle of the river.
Chapter 40
Annie
Sally Mullin had insisted that Nicko take her new boat, Annie.
“I hope she gives you as much luck as my Muriel did,” she had said. “Just don’t turn her into canoes this time.”
Nicko had promised. Annie—a wide, generous boat with a cozy cabin—was far too good to turn into anything else.
After helping Jannit and Maggie to safely dock the Pig Tub, Nicko and Rupert had not set off until way past midnight. They sailed up the river, heading toward the Ramblings on the north side of the Castle. It was slow progress at first because the blustery northeast wind was against them, but they followed the river around as it hugged the Castle walls, and slowly Annie’s position to the wind altered and she picked up speed.
It was a miserable journey. The eerie sight of the desolate, Darkened Castle made both Rupert and Nicko doubt that they would find anyone safe in the Heaps’ room at the top of the Ramblings. And when, once again, the terrifying roar echoed across the river, they began to dread what they would find.
“What is it?” Rupert whispered.
Nicko shook his head. Right then he didn’t want to know.
As they sailed toward Old Dock, a knot began to tighten in Nicko’s stomach. This was the place where it was first possible to see the Heaps’ tiny, arched mullion window at the very top of the Ramblings. Nicko always looked up when he passed—and felt a small tug of nostalgia for times gone by—but now he did not dare. He kept his eyes fixed on the dark water of the river because every moment he did not look was another moment of hope. A quick flurry of tiny snowflakes blew into his eyes and Nicko rubbed them away, glancing up as he did so. There was no light. The sheer wall of the Ramblings reared up like a cliff face and, just like a cliff face, it was totally dark. A wave of desolation swept over Nicko; he slumped down and stared at the tiller. It was then that he heard a splash.
“Just a duck,” said Rupert in response to Nicko’s questioning glance.
“Big duck,” said Nicko. He stared toward the Ramblings side where the splash had come from, for some reason his hopes beginning to rise. Then came another splash and a scream cut through the air.
“Lucy!” Rupert gasped. “That’s Lucy.” No one screamed like his sister.
Nicko had already turned Annie toward the splashing. Rupert took the boat lamp out from under its cover and played its light across the water, searching.
“I can see her!” he shouted. “She’s in the water. Lucy! Lucy! We’re coming!