The Tail of Emily Windsnap - Liz Kessler [38]
“My father?”
For a moment, everything stood completely still, like a photo. The sea stopped moving; Mr. Beeston let go of the tiller; my mom and I locked eyes as though seeing each other for the first time.
Then Mr. Beeston leaped into action. “That’s it,” he yelled. “I’m coming aboard.”
“Wait!” I shouted as a wave caught the side of the boat. King lurched sideways, the sail swinging across to the other side.
Mr. Beeston had just pulled himself aboard when — thwack! — the boom swung back again and knocked him flying.
“Aaarrrgghh!” He clutched his head as he fell backward. Crashing to the deck with a thump, he lay flat on his back without moving.
Mom screamed and stood up. The motorboat rocked wildly.
“Mom — be careful!” I ran to the side and leaned over. “Get on,” I shouted. She was alongside King.
Mom didn’t move.
“You have to get onboard. Come on, Mom.” I held an arm out. “I’ll help you.”
“I — I can’t,” she said woodenly.
“You can, Mom. You’ve got to.” I scrabbled around in the bench seat and pulled out a life jacket. King rocked like the coin-operated bucking bronco at the arcade. The sail was still waving off to the side, the mainsheet dangling hopelessly out of reach. Holding tight to the railing, I threw the life jacket to Mom. “You’ll be fine,” I called. “Just get onboard fast before you drift away.”
She stared at me.
“Do it!”
Mom stood up in her rocky boat, the life jacket on, and suddenly lunged for the steps. I grabbed her hand as she pulled herself onto the deck.
“Oh, Emily,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“What for?”
“It’s all my fault,” Mom said, holding on to me with one hand and the railing with the other as we swayed from side to side.
“Of course it’s not your fault, Mom. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s Mr. Beeston’s. He’s not what he seems, Mom; he’s been —”
Mom put her finger over my lips. “I know why we’re here.”
“You — you —”
“I remember.” Mom pulled me toward her and held me tight. Over her shoulder, I could see the water shimmering and sparkling like an electric light show. The Great Mermer Reef.
I wriggled out of Mom’s grasp. “You remember — what?”
Mom hesitated. “It’s all a bit hazy,” she said.
All at once, the sky exploded with light. “Look!” I pointed behind her. Pink lights danced below the water while a dozen colors jumped in the air above it.
“I know this place,” Mom said, her voice shaking. “He — he brought me here.”
“Who? Mr. Beeston?” I glanced nervously across at him. He still hadn’t moved. Mom clutched the railing as the boat tilted again, and I made my way over to join her. Her face seemed to be covered in spray from the sea, but when I looked more closely, I realized it wasn’t seawater at all. It was tears. “On our first anniversary,” she said.
She’d been here with my dad?
“He told me this was where they would take him when they caught him.”
“Who would take him?”
“If they ever found out about us. He knew they’d get him in the end. We both knew it, but we couldn’t stop. Because we loved each other so much.”
Mom’s body sagged; I put my arms around her.
“I’m going to find him,” I said, holding her tighter. “That’s why I took the boat. I did it for all of us.”
“I can’t bear it,” she said. “I can remember everything now. How could I have forgotten him? He was taken away because he loved me, and I forgot all about him. How can I ever forgive myself?”
“Mom, it’s not your fault! You didn’t just forget him.”
“I did,” she gulped. “You know I did. You asked about him and I didn’t even know. I couldn’t remember anything.”
“But you weren’t to blame.”
Mom wiped a curtain of wet hair off her face and looked at me. “Who was, then?”
I nodded a thumb behind me. “Mr. Beeston,” I whispered.
“Oh, Emily. Don’t start with that claptrap again!”
“It’s NOT claptrap!” I tried to keep my voice down. I didn’t want him to wake up