Devil's Rock Part 21

'Could you use one to look for Curlew Curlew; see who's on board?'

'I can try. You take the helm.'

'What do I do?'

'Push the tiller the opposite way from the way you want the boat to go. You'll soon get the hang of it.'

They changed places and a.n.u.sha eased the boat ahead, slowly at first, while she got used to steering. Zaki sat in the bows and gathered his thoughts. He would use the hawk; its exceptional power of sight was what he needed. He recalled the moment in the cla.s.sroom when it alighted on his arm; its piercing yellow eyes, the hooked beak, the mottled feathers, the way it swivelled its head to look over its shoulder. He held his right arm out level and thought only of the bird . . . nothing happened. How stupid! He'd tried to create it out of thin air! He looked around for a suitable object to transform and found a coil of rope in the bottom of the boat. He stood, cleared his mind once more and thought of the bird, then flung the rope as high into the air as he could. The coil spun end over end, seemed to hang, suspended, go out of focus, blurred, developed an eye, and then the hawk was wheeling and soaring above him.

He sat, closed his eyes, and imagined the world from the hawk's point of view. Immediately, he was seeing through the hawk's eyes. The horizon swung up and down in a dizzying see-sawing motion as the hawk's flight dipped left and right. He saw himself and a.n.u.sha in the launch far below. He thought the hawk down the estuary and out to sea and let the strengthening head wind lift it higher and higher until it rose above the rocky pinnacles of Bolt Head. He turned the bird's head, scanning the coast east and west.

There she was! Reaching fast under full sail, half a mile to sea of the Ham Stone, heading west. The angle of the sail prevented him from seeing how many people were on the boat. He sent the bird after her. Curlew Curlew leapt and bucked in the short, steep waves that the southerly wind had already whipped up off the headland. Now he could see the c.o.c.kpit. Now he could see how many were aboard. He let out a groan. Only one person was visible but that person was Michael at least it appeared to be Michael from the back, but when he saw the scarred face he knew it wasn't really his brother who was steering the boat. Where was Rhiannon? Had he killed her? leapt and bucked in the short, steep waves that the southerly wind had already whipped up off the headland. Now he could see the c.o.c.kpit. Now he could see how many were aboard. He let out a groan. Only one person was visible but that person was Michael at least it appeared to be Michael from the back, but when he saw the scarred face he knew it wasn't really his brother who was steering the boat. Where was Rhiannon? Had he killed her?

Zaki brought the hawk back across the headland. He held up his arm and made the hawk alight on it, then released it from his mind and the coil of rope dropped back into the boat.

'I still can't really believe you can do that,' said a.n.u.sha.

'I could only see Maunder.'

'Where's Rhiannon?'

'In the cabin, perhaps. Let's hope so. They're heading down the coast.'

'Can we catch them?'

'Not in this.'

'Where are they going?'

'My guess is they're heading for the Orme.'

'What if we took Morveren Morveren?'

Zaki didn't answer. He looked at a.n.u.sha and she looked steadily back at him, waiting for his reply. Take Morveren Morveren. Morveren Morveren was a bigger boat than was a bigger boat than Curlew Curlew, but heavier. She had a motor and Curlew Curlew didn't. They might overtake her. didn't. They might overtake her.

'You take the launch back. I'll take Morveren Morveren.'

'Oh no! You said next time you raced you wanted me to crew. Well, this is a race and I'm crewing.' She altered course, swinging the launch towards Morveren Morveren's mooring.

'a.n.u.sha, it's looking rough out there.'

'What are trying to say? You think because I'm a girl I'm going to get in the way?'

'No, it's just . . . Hey! Not so fast!'

The launch was pointed straight at Morveren Morveren and in another minute would hit her at full speed. Zaki leapt for the controls, swung the engine into reverse to take off speed and pushed the tiller over. He held his breath. The launch slowed and came to rest alongside the yacht. and in another minute would hit her at full speed. Zaki leapt for the controls, swung the engine into reverse to take off speed and pushed the tiller over. He held his breath. The launch slowed and came to rest alongside the yacht.

'You could have told me to do that!'

'Yeah right,' said Zaki and remembered he needed to breathe.

a.n.u.sha scrambled out of the launch and stood looking down from the yacht's deck.

'Just tell me what I need to do.'

'You can start by getting the sail-cover off the main.'

a.n.u.sha set to work while Zaki made the launch fast to Morveren Morveren's mooring then he too climbed aboard. There was a set of keys to the yacht on Grandad's bunch of boat keys. While he opened up the cabin, Zaki kept thinking, This is not a good idea, this is not a good idea This is not a good idea, this is not a good idea. He thought about what his father would say, what his Grandad would say. a.n.u.sha didn't know anything about the sea. He should tell her that they weren't going; that they couldn't do it. But what about Michael? What would happen to Michael if they did nothing? It's my fault It's my fault, thought Zaki. It's my fault. If I hadn't gone into the cave if I hadn't picked up the bracelet It's my fault. If I hadn't gone into the cave if I hadn't picked up the bracelet . . . . . .

'What now?' a.n.u.sha's shout brought him back to the job at hand.

'We'll put the sails up when we're under way. Better put some oilies on.' He dived into the cabin and returned with two sets of wet-weather gear. Once they were dressed, Zaki started the engine and sent a.n.u.sha forward to cast off.

'Can you take her, please,' he asked as a.n.u.sha returned. 'I want to get a forecast.' He pointed out the port and starboard channel marks off Black Rock and the Wolf Rock buoy then handed over the helm and went below to the radio. They'd missed the Brixham coastguard's forecast, so he selected channel 12 and called the harbour office. They shouldn't be too busy at this time of year, he reasoned, and anyway, everyone knew Morveren Morveren.

'Salcombe Harbour, Salcombe Harbour, Salcombe Harbour, this is Morveren Morveren, Morveren Morveren, Morveren Morveren over.' over.'

'Morveren Salcombe Harbour. Over.' Salcombe Harbour. Over.'

'Can I have a forecast? Over.'

He got a pad and pen ready and jotted down the details as they were read out.

Wind south veering south-west 5 to 6, increasing 7 to gale 8 later.

Weather fair rain later.

Visibility good.

Sea moderate to rough.

'Over.'

'Thank you, Salcombe Harbour, out.'

He retuned the radio to listen out on channel 16 and went up on deck. As Morveren Morveren came out from behind the shelter of Black Rock, she lifted her bow to the first of the swells. They needed to get the mainsail up before they reached the rough water over the bar, and they'd need to sail fast to have any hope of catching came out from behind the shelter of Black Rock, she lifted her bow to the first of the swells. They needed to get the mainsail up before they reached the rough water over the bar, and they'd need to sail fast to have any hope of catching Curlew Curlew. Having hoisted the mainsail, he took over the helm. They were heading dead into the wind. They'd be better off motoring until they rounded the point and turned west.

'Better clip on. If you go over the side, you'll stay attached to the boat.' Zaki clipped his own lifeline on and showed a.n.u.sha how to attach hers. He studied her face to see how she was coping with the sudden violent pitching of the boat as they entered the steep chop over the bar.

'How are you feeling?'

'Fine,' a.n.u.sha replied, a little too earnestly.

When they were clear of the Little Mew Stone, Zaki eased the mainsail and turned away from the wind. Morveren Morveren heeled and picked up speed as the sail filled. Now they were no longer b.u.t.ting straight into the swell and they had the wind in the sail to steady them, the motion of the boat was much more comfortable. He knew the pa.s.sage to the Orme off by heart and set a course that would take them straight across Bigbury Bay. 'Time to set the foresail,' Zaki said. 'You let this line out while I winch in the sheet. OK! Slowly now!' heeled and picked up speed as the sail filled. Now they were no longer b.u.t.ting straight into the swell and they had the wind in the sail to steady them, the motion of the boat was much more comfortable. He knew the pa.s.sage to the Orme off by heart and set a course that would take them straight across Bigbury Bay. 'Time to set the foresail,' Zaki said. 'You let this line out while I winch in the sheet. OK! Slowly now!'

Morveren pushed up a foaming white wave and powered through the swell. Zaki cut the motor they'd go just as fast without it and for a moment he allowed himself to enjoy the familiar thrill of boat, wind and water. pushed up a foaming white wave and powered through the swell. Zaki cut the motor they'd go just as fast without it and for a moment he allowed himself to enjoy the familiar thrill of boat, wind and water.

But this was no pleasure trip. Zaki scanned the sea ahead for Curlew Curlew. The waves were capped with white horses she'd be hard to spot and she'd had a good head start. Would she still be in sight?

'There!' shouted a.n.u.sha.

Zaki looked to where she was pointing. At first, he could only see the white crests of waves and then he saw the unmistakable shape of a sail on the far side of the bay.

'There's a pair of binoculars in the chart table. Could you fetch them up please?'

'It's her all right,' a.n.u.sha said, once she'd got the binoculars focused. 'But what's she doing?'

'Let me see.'

a.n.u.sha pa.s.sed the binoculars to Zaki.

'Could you take the helm?'

'What do I do?'

'Just follow Curlew Curlew, but stay up wind of her.'

'I wish you'd speak English!'

'I mean that way. A bit out to sea.'

Zaki trained the binoculars on the distant sail. 'She's hove-to.'

'And what does that mean?!'

'It means she's not going anywhere. It's a way of stopping when you're under sail.'

'Why would Maunder do that? Does he know we're following him?'

'No I don't think so.' Zaki tried to keep the binoculars steady but it wasn't easy with Morveren Morveren pounding along at full tilt. He lost pounding along at full tilt. He lost Curlew Curlew and found her again. 'The wind's too strong for him. He's reefing.' and found her again. 'The wind's too strong for him. He's reefing.'

'He's what?'

'Making the sails smaller. We should catch up a bit,' Zaki said, as he and a.n.u.sha changed places again.

'What are we going to do if we do catch them up?'

Zaki had been wondering the same thing. He didn't have a plan. He just hoped he could do something anything, to help Michael fight against Maunder. Drive him out like he had driven him out. There had to be a way.

'I don't know.'

'We'll think of something.'

'Yeah we have to catch them first.'

As the morning wore on, the wind gradually but relentlessly veered from south to south-west and grew in strength until Morveren Morveren, leaning at a crazy angle, was driving through the mounting seas. As the wind veered, it freshened. Now streaks of white spray were being blown off the tops of the waves.

The fresher conditions favoured Morveren Morveren, as she was the bigger boat. They were definitely gaining on Curlew Curlew now, but Zaki knew that if the wind got any stronger they wouldn't be able to control now, but Zaki knew that if the wind got any stronger they wouldn't be able to control Morveren Morveren. They had to reduce sail. He was reluctant to throw away the ground they had made up but the darkening cloud-bank he could see building to the west told him that worse weather was on the way.

'I'm going to reef the mainsail.' Zaki had to shout to make himself heard over the roar of the wind. Do you think you can manage the helm?'

'I think so. But you'd better tell me what to point at.'

'You see that far headland? Keep that to starboard.'

'That's the right, isn't it.'

'Yes.'

'I'll do my best.'

With a.n.u.sha on the helm, Zaki got to work. Just as he was returning from the side deck, the boat slid down the back of a wave, dug her nose into the next one and sent a torrent of green water flying across her deck, most of which seemed to go down Zaki's neck.

'Oi!'

'Sorry!'

He rejoined a.n.u.sha in the comparative shelter of the c.o.c.kpit.

'Didn't mean to soak you,' a.n.u.sha said.

'Try to take the waves at more of an angle you'll keep us drier.'

'I'll try. How much further?'

'Can you see Curlew Curlew?'

'Yes.'

'Follow the sh.o.r.eline along to her left. Do you see that tall rock?'

'Got it.'

'That's Devil's Rock. The entrance is beside the rock.'

'So they're almost there?'

'Yeah but I can't believe he's going to take her in this weather. It's madness. They don't even have an engine!'

'Looks like he's going to try.'

'What could be so important?'

'The treasure? What if he's made Rhiannon tell him what she did with it?'

'My G.o.d!'

'What?'