 
### SUNSHINE

### &

### SHADOWS

### Book One

### By

### RD Le Coeur

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Published in 2014

Copyright © Text R.D. Le Coeur.

The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the author is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

Published by RD Le Coeur

Look for me online at:

www.rdlecoeur.net

Originally published as The Sunshine Chronicles by Firedrakes Weyr LLC.

Rights reversion to the author 2010.

Other books by this author:

The Spartacus Prophecy

New Shoes

Dragon's Heart

Belvine

Vengeance (Book 1)

Vengeance (Book 2 Troubled Times.)

Vengeance (Book 3 Dragon riders.)

Strata Florida-A tale of the Grail

A Nun's Tale

Catcher of the Wry

Ethics

In a time, not long ago, before tablets and smart phones...

### Sunshine & Shadows

# Chapter One

He was fat, he wore spectacles, and he was miserable. Worse than that he had a large mop of red hair and his given name was Sunshine. He scuffed his feet in frustration on the soft sand on the beach. Expelled again. This was the third time, and he was running out of schools. He trudged on. He would have to face his parents again and give them the bad news. They would say, 'cool'. They were always cool about everything. It drove him mad. In his eyes, his parents were not cool. They were the last inhabitants of a former hippy commune, who spent their lives living in La-La land, as far as the locals were concerned.

Try as he might, he could think of no-one else who lived in a tepee, had no electric and who had to bathe in a stream. His clothes were out of the ark and from charity handouts. He just didn't fit in. What other parents fixed medical problems by waving magic crystals about? None he could think of. He had no friends. He just wanted to be accepted. Despite his stupid name, he had hoped beyond hope that they would just call him Sunny. But No. Chub, Ginger Minger or Four Eyes was about the best he could expect. He would even have preferred eco-freak at a push.

It wasn't his fault he was so good at reading either. He was rubbish at sport, couldn't operate a pc, or even keep up to date on the latest soaps. Reading was his only hobby. It was the only thing to do. He had read "The Lord of the Rings' when he was seven and actually understood it.

"Stupid headmaster," he cursed under his breath. All he had done was to mutter a spell he had learned from this old book he had found in a derelict cottage, and the class hamster had turned into a pig. OK, the girls had screamed. The boys had said, 'Cool' like his parents would, but that stupid teacher had got her knickers in a twist and called the headmaster. Still, it was a change not to be expelled for truancy.

A light misty rain was coming in off the sea. Sticky rain he called it. You seemed to get wetter with that, than with a hard rain storm. _Just my bogging luck, he thought._

He stubbed his foot on something and bent down to examine it. It was a peculiar shaped clay vessel, which roughly resembled a bottle.

"Odd," he said. His Mother would have turned this into a candle holder of some description and sold it at the weekend boot sale along with the other bric-a-brac, scavenged from the beach and sold as sea sculptures or something.

He grasped the neck and prised it from the sand. It had a peculiar looking top as well. He examined it carefully against the light. It was in no way transparent. He shook it. There was definitely something inside. He shook it again and got an eyeful of grit for his troubles from under the rim. _What was that inside?_ he wondered. Try as hard as he might he could not prise the top from the bottle. He had already decided that he did not want to smash it, if his Mum could get some cash for it at the boot sale, then so much the better. Maybe they could even afford some proper sweets.

That was another thing that bothered him. How could you get fat on a diet of lentils and vegetables? It was just the sort of thing that people went on to diet, not to put weight on.

The top would not come off. He ambled down to the sea and washed the sand off the clay bottle to inspect it more clearly. A wave caught him unawares and now he was soaked. What the rain had not half doused, the wave had. This made him even more miserable. He was cold, he was wet, and the top wouldn't come off the damn bottle.

He shoved it in his pocket and sauntered up the beach, over the sand dunes, through two fields, jumped the stream, skipped over the puddles in the woods until he came to 'Home Meadow'. The field was covered in a fine sea mist and you could not really make out the homely, eco friendly design of the field. Beneath the mists lay several tepees, most empty, a disused two berth caravan that was at least forty years old in design, that bulged like a cardboard box left out in the rain, and a well laid out and tended vegetable patch. All was eerily silent, the mists had damped the sounds of everything. He sought out his own tepee and lit a candle. It may not have been much but it was his own space. He changed out of his soaking school clothes and put on clean ones.

_Won't be needing those again,_ he thought, and good job. _What other parents would make an overweight fourteen year-old wear grey flannel shorts to school?_ he wondered, but knew the answer. More comfortable and relaxed now, he took the clay bottle up again and tried his darnedest to remove the top. It would not budge. Deep down he wanted to smash the bottle to vent his frustrations, but could not bring himself to do so. Where was that book of spells? Maybe it had a spell for opening things. He fought the desire not to open it, as it was yet again, the cause of trouble to him. Sometimes he wished he had never gone into that derelict cottage, let alone dug beneath the hearth.

He rummaged under the floor rug and found his secret hiding place. Carefully pulling the rug up, he pulled out a wooden box that lay half buried in its own little hole in the ground. It came up easily. He levered open the lid and retrieved the book. It was very ancient, had a thick black leather cover, but it had no title on the front. The pages inside were made from some form of animal skin and were not cut evenly to size.

It had a very musty smell, not at all pleasant and he had noticed that if it got very damp, the pages were hard to separate. It had a contents page as the first page and he scanned the weird handwritten texts for "opening spells'. This was not easy to do.

The text was written in ancient Welsh, and to make things more difficult it could only be deciphered when read in a mirror. He knew from experience what letter patterns to look for.

_'slleps gninepo'_ he turned to the page and found many spells for opening different things. There were loads of them.

He found _sreniatnoc_ and thought that it would suit his purposes. He wrote the spell down in normal script and placed the bottle before him on the ground. He always thought that there should be some ceremony that preceded this, but it worked just as well by clutching the book, with his translation inside, looking at the object, and muttering the words. He whispered the spell, and the lid miraculously and silently fell to the floor. He checked the lid first. He could never have unscrewed it, as it had no thread. Closer inspection revealed that it had no obvious way of attachment and should by rights have simply fallen off with a good shake.

He shook the bottle and a parchment similar to that of the spell book fell onto the rug. It had a funny smell of Lily of the Valley he thought, and this made him think of old people.

From within the walls where I do dwell

A message to he that can read my spell

My gift to you in moonlights glade

Against all evils here is my shade

As he finished reading it out in mumbled tones, he felt a crackling in the air as if something had just occurred, but he did not know what. He looked about him but could see nothing. What the heck was that all about? He loved puzzles since he could ever remember, but riddles drove him crazy.

He wondered if there was an unriddling spell, but quickly realised how stupid that would be.

"Sunshine is that you?" came a squeaky high pitched voice that belonged to his mother.

"Yes Mum."

"What you doing home in the middle of the day?"

"Been expelled again."

"Cool," came the absent-minded reply.

What was cool about it? He knew she or his dad would say it, they always said it and about any misfortune that befell him. Like it was some God given sign that everything in the world was all right. He quickly concealed his book and the bottle before anyone else could see it. He pushed the riddle into his pocket to read again later when he was alone.

Tea was as normal, extremely late. It was the usual mixture of various vegetarian dishes cooked over the open camp fire since spring had come. Winter had brought the almost perpetual diet of stews and soda bread. His Mother was an excellent baker of bread, although some of the seeds she used to coat the crust had weird flavours and stuck in your teeth. Some made you go to the toilet on a much more regular basis, which was a pain. Winter nights were long and with no telly, and only an ancient battery driven cassette radio for entertainment, it was also a bit repetitive.

The real world mostly passed them by, here in this rural idyll, as his mum put it, and that was no mean achievement. Winter nights brought the prospect of avid reading and Sunny had built up a huge collection of books, which were strewn all around his tepee. He often went to the library and if he particularly liked a book he would look out for it at a boot sale. You could often pick one up for 5p or 10p, which suited his tight budget. He loved history and he loved puzzles. He had once bought a book of the Daily Telegraph quick crosswords that some numbskull had been unable to complete any of for 1p. Admittedly it was quite old and you needed to understand the eighties, to answer some of the clues, but it had proved an invaluable source of mental amusement for many days.

"I made more of your favourites today, Sunshine," said his Mum.

Sunny looked around for the oatmeal flapjacks made with syrup and honey that he adored. He could eat a whole biscuit tin of them in one go and often did. "I also made some parsnip crisps for you to snack on when you are reading." Ugh! thought Sunny. These were so greasy, you had to let them dry out for a day in the sun to make them edible, and then they weren't crisp. Still they were all right in a sandwich with home-made Damson jam. You couldn't taste them then. He gathered up his flapjacks and returned to his tepee. It was getting dark now and the small fire needed more fuel. He looked at his fuel stocks and they were all wet from the sea mist and because he had been caught up with the riddle he had not thought to bring some in for later. He sneaked to his parents stash under the tarpaulin and robbed a few decent dry logs. It was naughty, and as he was personally charged with supplying his own fuel, he knew he would have to replace them. It was one thing that was not 'cool' in his Dad's eyes.

He put the logs on the fire, lit his candles and settled down with his riddle. He often collected washed up bottles on the seashore and examined them for messages. Some were stupid and had been thrown in for a laugh; some read like suicide notes from desperate people, and then there was this one which had him puzzled. It was the first one ever that had him stumped, and the evident ancient nature of it had his brain working overtime. Where did it come from he wondered? Taking the flask up in his hand again he searched the outer surface for clues. He could see none. A magnifying glass was the answer, he thought, and embarked on a half-hour search for the implement. He turned the tepee upside down looking for it and eventually found it in the last place he looked, which was in his toilet bag. Why he had left it in there he would never remember. He scanned the flask's surface again for clues, but found none. He scrutinized the ancient scroll for any signs of secrets that could be revealed between the lines, but found none either. It was a conundrum. He fished out a book on the history of the county and found nothing in there apart from ancient legends, regarding a sunken town, supposedly off this coastline. He had heard the stories often enough, but in this day and age and with all the modern technologies and diving stuff around he had dismissed the idea as balderdash.

He read his translation of the clue again. Absolutely nothing. He thought he would scour the beach again tomorrow and see if he could find another clue, which would give him a clue for this one, but he wasn't very hopeful. After all, he had waited years for this particular one to turn up. He opened his well thumbed copy of the Mabignon and read a few pages of Celtic mythology, silently searching for more clues. Then he blew his candles out, saw to the fire and curled up in his sleeping bag. He dreamed vividly all night, but could remember nothing when he awoke in the morning.

# Chapter Two

"Are we there yet?" asked Genevieve.

"Don't wind your father up, Genevieve. You know how that winds him up.You'll know when we get there, as the car will stop and we will set up camp. Now read your book, or take in the lovely view of the countryside."

Wind him up? thought Genevieve. What about her?

She was fourteen and going on holidays with her parents. Her mates were going to Spain. Sea, sun, sand, hotels and excitement. Not her. They were going caravanning in West Wales. She had never been to West Wales and she had told her mates that the family was going touring in France. She had got some travel books from the library to 'swot up' on the region so she could appear to know all about it and relate her wonderful French holiday to her friends, when school restarted in September. She had missed the last day of term so her Dad could make sure that they were on their way well before the rush started. She hated that. She loved school. School was freedom from home and the harsh rules that she was made to live by.

Who would christen a modern girl Genevieve? Her father that's who, after his favourite film, which as far as she was concerned was made in biblical times. She hated it.

She usually introduced herself as Jenny, especially when her parents were not around. How much longer she wondered? Would West Wales look like France? _Bet they don't eat frogs and snails!_ she thought. She looked around the car and thought it summed her father up completely. A fully working, lovingly restored 1968 Morris Oxford. Crinkly, leather seats, a fairly bumpy ride and an odd smell. It was a cross between musty and burning oil. You needed muscles like superman to wind the windows all the way down and the quarter lights leaked when the rain was blown hard against the pane. It had been Grandfather's car and dad had inherited it. Not much point in wasting a fine example of British engineering he always said. Typical of him that was. His career as a Health and Safety Officer for a local manufacturer of rubber seals had spilled over into the home. He had even asked her to do a risk assessment on her bedroom having found it in an untidy state as usual. _What was he like?_ Rules, rules and more rules. In by 6.30pm, homework, one hour of telly and early to bed. No mobile phones, no makeup and no wearing of clothes with someone else's name emblazoned on them. School was great. She fitted in perfectly. The school uniform saved her from standing out in a crowd.

"Would you like a boiled sweet dear?" asked her Mother offering her the open tin of powder covered confection. She took one and popped it into her mouth. It was vile, but better than nothing. They were the 'cars sweets,' kept locked in the drop down wooden faced glove box. Only to be consumed whilst on a long trip. Never permitted at any other time. They tasted like cough drops to her, but it was better to take part in the ceremonies of the car than not.

Her Mother offered one to her father who did as he always did. He picked it up carefully between thumb and forefinger, gently tapped the lozenge on the side of the tin to dislodge any loose powder and popped it into his mouth.

"Thank you dear," he said, "not far now. We turn left at the next junction, follow the coastal road down the winding hill, go through the small town and out again on the coast road north. We should find the camp site a few miles up that road on the left hand side."

Genevieve knew her fathers 'not long now.' Country miles on the signposts should be banned she thought. It always seemed like ten miles for every one indicated. She silently guessed it would take another hour. She was not far away in her guesstimate.

The whine of the car as they decelerated was a noticeable feature of this vehicle, as was the slow burning smell of the brakes after application.

The camp site was immaculately kept. The open lawns well manicured and there were no rowdy children running about kicking balls. Father would be well pleased. He stopped at the main office and returned smiling with a plan of the site and directions of how to get to their pitch.

"Looks nice dear," said her Mother. They drove at a snails pace strictly adhering to the site's speed limit and instructions regarding no 'u' turns. The designated spot was just what her father had requested when making the booking. As far away from the main complex as possible, with a sea view and also some woodland nearby.

It was late afternoon and father would have to get a 'wriggle on' to complete his camp site procedures.

First they would park up alongside the chosen site. Then he would get out and size up the pitch. Silence and solitude were required for this. He would take his compass out of his pocket and check his directions. He had to make sure that the caravan faced in the right direction. Having made all his usual checks he made Mother get out and 'see him in.' This was always fraught with danger for argument, as Mother as everyone knew, was a complete numbskull at directions and the finer points of vehicle manoeuvring.

Joy of Joys she got it right and the holiday would not start with an argument. Mother had difficulties with 'left hand down a bit' and nearside and offside with regard to vehicle manoeuvres.

Finally the caravan was deposited in the right position and Genevieve was permitted to leave the car.

"Don't slam that door!" shouted her father.

She did, just to annoy him. It was an old wreck as far as she was concerned and the only way of shutting the ancient door was to shut it as hard as possible.

"No sense of value, that child," mumbled her father.

"Mother, can I go exploring?" she asked pleading.

"Better ask your father, dear."

"Dad, can I go exploring? It's been a long trip and I need to stretch my legs. I can't help set up the caravan and I'll only get in the way."

"I suppose it will be all right. You will get in the way and the next bit needs concentration to get the levels right. Be back for six thirty."

Genevieve breathed a huge sigh of relief. She would have done anything to avoid being seen here with her Dad, spirit level in hand adjusting feet, placing slabs etc to get the perfect level for the stupid old caravan.

She waved her hand at her parents and set off for the beach.

It was a gently sloping path down to the beach. The gravel was damp as if there had been rain but the late afternoon sun was now on her as she made her way easily. The path ended abruptly and the sand dunes began. They always seemed to sap the strength from your legs, sand dunes. _Why was that?_ She wondered absent-mindedly.

The beach was not busy. In fact looking around, it looked deserted. The sea was calm and the alien sound of seagulls calling in flight reminded her that she was a long way from her inland home.

She walked through the sand dunes and down to the seashore. She was careful not to get her feet wet and kept her eyes on the movement of the waves.

She walked aimlessly along the seashore in a world of her own and walked slap bang into a tubby looking lad wearing stupid looking shorts that were too small for him.

"That's mine," he shouted at full volume into her face, whilst making a grab for her feet.

"What's yours?" she said recovering from the shock encounter.

"That bottle there in the sand. I collect them and I've been scouring the beach for them."

"Whoopee doo! You can have your stupid bottle. What about, I'm sorry, I bumped into you as I was not looking where I was going?"

"It wasn't my fault. You weren't looking where you were going."

"Now hang on a minute, mate," she said, feeling her hackles rise.

"I'm not your mate and I was looking where I was going, grockle."

"What's a grockle?"

"Holidaymaker."

"Sounds like an insult to me."

"No, just the locals name for holidaymakers. Think it comes from the West Country."

A large wave whooshed ashore and soaked the pair of them.

"Look what you've done now!" she said.

"I suppose you think that I planned to get soaked for the second time in two days, did you?"

"My parents will go ballistic. I've only been gone two minutes and already I'm soaked."

"I haven't got any more dry clothes so I am in for a long night of pyjamas."

"Why haven't you got any more dry clothes? Are you on a weekend break?"

"Nope. I live here and I don't own any more clothes that are dry and fit me."

"You don't sound very Welsh. Well, from the accents I've seen on the telly anyways."

"Well I was born here, in a field over there. But my parents are English and I suppose as they brought me up, I got my accent from them."

"Got a name?" she enquired.

"Yeah, but it's a stupid name."

"Can't be as bad as mine."

"What's yours?"

"Genevieve, she said smirking. Go on have a laugh, everyone does."

"Mine's, Sunshine."

"Oh my god! You're right. I'm so sorry, yours is worse than mine. Forgive me it's such a shock to fine that some one has a stupider name than me."

"Oi watch out! There's another wave coming."

They both ran for the drier sand. The sun was out in full now, and it was a lot warmer than it had been all day. They both decided to lie on the beach and dry out a bit. It would save them a lot of hassle back home.

Sunshine had not yet had chance to examine his bottle. He did so now. He stared hard at it, and it piqued Genevieve's interest.

"My friends call me, Jenny, " she said.

"I don't have any friends, but if I did, they would call me, Sunny."

"That's fixed then, we can call ourselves by our preferred names."

"Why don't you have any friends?"

" 'cos my parents are weirdoes."

"Know what you mean. Mine came from hell. What serious parent would not let their child have a mobile phone?"

"Mine."

"What serious parent would not let her teenage daughter wear make up?"

"You got me on that one. Although I think my parents would think it cool if I came home wearing girl's makeup."

"You ARE joking?"

"Nope. Told you they were weirdoes."

It was the longest conversation he had had with a person of his own age for a long time he realised. He looked at her properly for the first time. She was the complete opposite of him. She was skinny as a rake, whiter than white paint and had close-cropped black hair. He was double the size of her and he embarrassingly noticed, he had bigger breasts than she did.

"What's so important about the bottle?" she asked.

"I collect them. Sometimes there are messages in them, sometimes they are just very old and you can get a few quid for them at the boot sale. It's a hobby of mine."

"Can I have a look?"

"In a minute I want to check something myself first."

He held the bottle up to the light. It was glass and it looked ancient. There was something inside.

"My turn!" she said and snatched the bottle from his hand.

"Oi," he shouted, "mind the glass. I don't want to break it."

Jenny looked at the bottle. It looked very old and weathered to her. She shook it and noticed the message inside. "Can I open it? Go on let me be the one to open it." she pleaded.

"Sure, go ahead." replied Sunny, confident that without his help, and the old book she would never open it.

She tried as hard as she could, and eventually the lid popped off and made a slight hiss as new air entered or old air escaped. Sunny was amazed. Why was the first bottle so difficult? He wondered.

Jenny tipped the bottle upside down and shook. A carefully curled piece of paper fell out. She examined it methodically. It was extremely thick paper, it was a bit like what she thought old parchment would look like. Sunny was still confident that she would need his expert advice.

"What's it say?"

She gingerly unravelled it and held it flat in front of her. "Looks quite old," she said, "the writing is in old copperplate script, like you see in museums."

"Yes but what does it say?" pressed Sunny, still confident.

"Give us a Mo'. It's a riddle."

"What? How can you tell?" he asked in complete surprise.

"I can read, you dope!"

She read it once to herself, and then handed it to the eagerly awaiting Sunny.

### my first is in Grape

### but nOt in pear

### my Second is in pine

### but not in Oat

### my third is in Under

### but not in Tree

### my fourth is in Home

### but not in Crib

### my fifth is in Angel

### but not in Vein

### my sixth is in Eel

### but not in fire

He read it carefully once. It was different from the other one. Easier he thought.

"I thought it would say Trapped on an island in the Caribbean longitude 20 latitude 30 fetch help, or something like that. Not a stupid riddle. Got any ideas?"

"Not yet," he lied. "I need to work on it. You here for long?"

"Two weeks," she said with a sigh. "Let me make a copy and we can meet up later and see what we've come up with. Got a pen?"

"What in these tight shorts? You've got to be kidding, Jen."

For a moment Jenny wished she had the dreadful handbag that Mum and Dad had bought her. That had a pen in it, along with a small first aid kit, a sewing kit and all other such things that her father thought she should have for emergencies. There was a price for it, however useful it was. She would not normally be seen dead with it. It was suitable for old Grannies and the embarrassment she would feel if one of her mates had seen the contents would have been too much to bear. She looked around the beach and saw a middle aged couple walking hand in hand down the sea shore. The woman was carrying a large shoulder bag.

"Just a minute, Sun," she said, "I'll get a pen from them." She hurtled down the beach and approached them. They appeared startled as they had just been kissing. They should know better at their age, thought Jen. They were either having an affair or second marriage, to be seen in public, showing affection. She knew, she watched the soaps and she watched her parents.

"Excuse me, but could I borrow a pen, and a piece of paper?"

"Let me have a look in my bag young lady, and I'll see what I can do."

The lady put her bag on the dry sand and rummaged. Jenny was impressed, this was a proper handbag. It was crammed with all sorts of things. Make up, perfumes, tissues, mobile phone, loads of keys, business cards, odd earrings, eyebrow pencil shavings, the list was almost endless. Finally in a puff of mixed perfume aromas she produced a pen and a piece of scrumpled 'post it' note. "Will this do?" she enquired in a delighted sort of voice.

"Perfect. Can I use the bag to rest on?"

"She doesn't want much does she?" said the man who seemed eager to be on his way.

Jen carefully made an exact copy of the message. "Aw, love note for your boyfriend up the beach is it?" she said with a knowing smile. "Holiday romances are such a wonderful thing, until they end." she said with a wistful smile and sigh.

"Certainly not!" said Jen in her poshest accent. They are directions to a new beach, a local lad has told me about."

The woman seemed disappointed, but perked up when her man winked at her.

Those two should get a room, she thought as she checked once more to ensure that she had made a faithful reproduction. She graciously handed the pen back and said, "Thank you, you have been most kind." She had heard someone say that once on the telly, and it sounded real posh.

"Glad to be of help young lady," said the lady who had already wrapped herself around the man.

Jen set off up the beach towards Sunny. She just caught the sound of the lady saying, "Delightful manners," as she walked away.

Sunny seemed glad to see her, judging by the broad beaming smile. She handed the original back to him and he placed it back inside the bottle. The paper seemed to know automatically that it should remain in a rolled position.

"See you later then," said Jen.

Sunny looked a little disappointed. He had only known her for half an hour, but they shared a lot of things in common and she hadn't called him fat once or made any reference to his size or ginger hair.

"What time?" he asked. Expecting some fob off as usual.

"Dunno', she said, "depends on the parents from Hell. It won't be after dark and I've got ten minutes to get back for tea, so I suppose it will have to be in the morning. What about here at 9ish?"

Sunny brightened visibly. "Deal," he said. "Bring your answers to the clues here and we'll go from there. I'll work on mine tonight and we'll see what it says tomorrow," he lied.

"Great. Seeya." she said and walked slowly up the beach back towards the dreaded caravan.

Well it hadn't been a bad first day she thought. Made a friend, got a puzzle to keep my brain occupied and who knows what adventures she could expect to unfold over the next two weeks? A nagging suspicion that absolutely no adventures whatsoever, was pushed firmly to the back of her mind and suppressed. It was odd though, a chance meeting with some other human being that had to endure weird parents and had a stupid name. He was very nice though, if a little on the big side, but she felt comfortable and safe in his company.

Sunny ambled back towards Home Meadow, bottle safely in his keeping. He too thought that Jen was a nice girl and they had got on really well. He felt guilty about his lies though. The message was a simple one to decode and he had done it almost at first reading. Still, he would see what she was made of tomorrow, if she actually did show up. More pressing was cracking the first code in that odd clay bottle.

# Chapter Three

Sunny was at the beach early. It seemed an age until 9ish whenever that was.

It just wasn't precise. Did it mean any time from 8.45 to 9.55am or did it really mean near as damn it, to 9am? He desperately wanted to check the shoreline for more bottles, flasks or anything that would give him more clues. He had promised to wait for Jen and he thought he would enjoy her company more if they searched together. He hoped desperately that she had worked out the simple clue from yesterday by just using the capital letters in the riddle. He sat on the sand and pondered the other clue, for the hundredth time since he had awoken at dawn. It still made no sense. He was lost in his thoughts when Jen arrived.

"You look deep in thought, Sun," she said.

"Been thinking. Good night?" he asked.

"Better than expected. Dad has placed the caravan to perfection. Mum did not make a mistake and the holiday did not get off to the usual arguments. Tea was served on time and at the correct temperature, the toilet block is not too far away and all in all they are as content as they have ever been in my experience. I really hoped that we would visit the camp site bar and restaurant, but it was not to be, as we had endured a stressful day. Also Dad wanted to make sure that the routine for putting the beds down and converting the day space into night time accommodation was carried out in accordance with his wishes. Now that was REALLY stressful. How about you?"

"Same old, same old. Nothing of any note. Early to bed early to rise, makes you a boring old fart!"

She laughed and appreciated the sentiments. "Worked the clues out?"

"Of course!" he said proudly.

"Me too', she said a little disappointed that she had not been the only one to work them out.

"You first."

"No, you first."

"I know we will do one line each."

"You go first."

"OK. Go."

"South."

"Cave."

"Not absolutely sure about the last line though, "not in fire," he said, "could mean literally not in fire or the opposite of fire. There were no capitals used in this line, so it must be a real clue."

"That's what I thought. What's the opposite of fire? -Water?"

"Good thinking, Batgirl. I'll settle for that. The treasure is under the water."

"You don't actually think there is treasure do you?"

"Course. Why not. The cave exists. Been there loads of times. Never seen any treasure though. Coming?"

"Betcha. Is it far?"

"Not really. Got to be careful with the tides though as they come in real quick round here."

"Is it dark?"

"A bit. Stinks of old seaweed and dead fish. Especially in the summer."

"Just as well I brought my handbag then, it's got a small torch in it."

"Cool," said Sunny before he realised he was using his parents favourite word.

Jenny did not want to be caught out with no pen and paper like yesterday and had decided that Sunny would not make fun of the hideous bag. He didn't even give it a second glance, as they set off down the beach, heading south as the clues instructed.

It was a long walk and it involved some scrambling over rocks at the far end to gain height from the shore. They walked in silence, it was funny. They both seemed content in their own company and words were not required. It was a refreshing change for Jen. She always felt that she had to make conversation. Talked a lot of nonsense half the time, but it always kept her friendships going back home. Sunny pushed ahead and did not wait for her. She liked that, he treated her as an equal, and not some namby pamby pink girly thing. Sunny had been right, this area stunk of old sea things and was not pleasant on the nose.

"Bit of a whiff round here," she ventured.

"You get used to it. Not far now. We have to clear the headland and get to the other side. Hardly anyone goes there as it's a pain to get to and there's no direct path from the cliffs down to it. Seen some nude bathers last year though. They thought no-one could see them, but I did. I'll watch the tide as it's started to turn and you can quickly get stranded here. There's no way in or out 'cept this way and you can't scale the cliffs."

Jenny found it hard going, but she was determined to keep up. She slipped once or twice and grazed her knees through her jeans. The stain left there by the green seaweed would cause a commotion later, but so what? Eventually they made the farthest side. Sunny stopped for a breather.

"You OK?"

"I'm fine. Where is it?"

"Over there at the base of the cliffs, behind those rocks." he said pointing.

"Let's go then!" she said making towards where he had pointed.

They scrambled over the rocks and she could see for the first time the outline of the cave mouth. It was not very big. She pointed this fact out to Sunny.

"It's the only cave I know of round here, and it's actually much larger inside than it looks from here." She followed in his footsteps to the cave entrance. Sunny had been right, it stunk worse here. "Got that torch Jen?"

"Let me dig it out and you can lead the way."

She handed Sunny the torch and they crept inside. Sunny had been right. It was bigger inside than it looked from the outside. They could stand upright which was more than they could have done entering the cave. They didn't really need the torch as although it was high it was not deep and the natural light shining in was adequate.

She looked around. It showed signs of human habitation. Old tin cans, bits of paper and refuse. There was also a dark cinder filled hollow in the rocks where a fire had been regularly lit at some point.

"That's new," said Sunny pointing at the ashes.

"Complicates the clue though," replied Jen.

"Not really. We stick with our original thoughts. There's a pool at the back, where fresh water trickles down through the rocks and into small trough that has eroded over the years."

"Let's have a look."

Sunny shone the torch over in the direction that Jen could now hear dripping water.

Sure enough there was the pool.

"Any vampires in these parts?" asked Jen with a nervous laugh.

"Not recently," replied Sunny with as straight a face as he could muster.

They went together to the pool. It was covered in green algae and although not wide it was quite deep.

"Do you want to go first asked Sunny?"

"Nah! You can get wet. I'll just wait and see if you find anything."

Sunny pushed his sleeves up his arms as far as they would go and then plunged his arm into the freezing cold water. He rummaged around and felt something solid. Odd, he thought. He hadn't really expected to find anything and he had fully expected this to be a wild goose chase. He probed again until he could get a good grip on the object.

The algae made everything slippery. He finally grasped it, and pulled it violently up, and out.

Jenny gasped. She had not really expected to find anything either and had looked at this as a mini holiday adventure. Just something to do on boring holidays.

They both stood together and viewed the object. It was a Pharaoh's head.

A replica of Tutankhamen's head, if he was not mistaken. It was made of stone or something similar and was brightly painted in gold and blue.

"Let me see," pleaded Jen. Sunny handed it to her." What a funny thing to find here in West Wales," she said.

"Does it open?" asked Sunny.

Jenny tried hard to prise it in two, but with no success.

"Give it here," he said and twisted the head part where it joined the neck.

Slowly and irregularly the head unwound from the rest of it. Jen could hardly contain her excitement. The head separated. Sunny looked inside for any contents. He was not disappointed. There was another piece of thick paper inside, similar to the one that had brought them here in the beginning. Jen caught sight of it too and could no longer contain herself.

"What's it say? What's it say?"

"Dunno yet. Let's get back outside. I need to check on the tide and the stink in here is enough to make me sick."

Jenny realised that he only had their safety in mind but you would have thought that he could have spared two extra seconds to read the damn thing. _Boys!_ she thought and made her way outside.

The air was refreshing outside and it was still a lovely day. It was difficult in the cave to remember that it was nice out here. Sunny checked the situation with the tide and decided that they were all right for the moment. He reckoned it would be another half an hour before they had to go. He told Jen of this, and gave her the option of going now and examining the message in safety on the other side or have a quick look now before they left the secluded bay.

She asked him, "what do you think?" and snatched the Pharaoh's bust off him and sat down on the beach.

Sunny still held the head and noticed that the screw top thread had been well waxed to stop water getting in. Jen unravelled the paper and read it out aloud so he could hear.

### "my first is in four once

### my second is in seven thrice

### my third is in eight once

### my fourth is in six thrice

### my fifth is in two once

### my sixth is in five twice.

### moonlights shadow shows the way."

_What the heck did that mean?_ thought Sunny. This time it was not easy and was a real puzzler for him. Jenny read it aloud again and still it meant nothing to her.

She passed the paper to Sunny and rummaged in her bag for a pen and a piece of paper.

Noticing what she was doing he passed the paper back and she carefully wrote the clues down.

"Better get a move on if we're to be out of here in plenty of time," he said getting up and brushing the sand from his bum.

They clambered back over the rocks and made it safely to the other side.

"I'm starving," announced Sunny.

"Me too, fancy coming back to mine for a sandwich and another look at the clues?"

"What about the weirdos?"

"Gone until late afternoon. Dad said he wanted to tour the local scrap yards looking for spares for his pride and joy."

"Your Mum falling apart is she?"

"No you dope! bits for the 1968 Morris Oxford. I've got the spare key and as long as I don't make a mess and you're gone before they return it'll be all right."

"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out or get you in trouble. I was quite happy to go home and meet you later."

"No bother at all. Hope you like salad sandwiches? 'cos that's all we got."

"That's OK by me, lead on!"

Jenny led the way and Sunny traipsed behind all the way back to the caravan.

She found the key and let him in. It was the most perfect caravan he had ever seen. It was immaculate, tidy would not describe the pristine condition the inside was in.

"Fab van."

"You don't have to be sarky with me Sunny."

"I wasn't. It's truly immaculate. It looks like new in here, but from the outside it looks as if it has travelled a bit."

"I suppose when you are in here, it does look like new." she conceded. She busied herself on preparing the sandwiches. "Do you take Heinz salad cream in your sarnies?"

"Bung some in, I'll give anything a go once."

Jenny could not think of anyone she had ever known that had not tried salad cream. She cut the sliced bread carefully into triangles like she had seen her Mother do. She put them on a nice bone china plate and made a small garnish of watercress, which she sprinkled over the top. "Crisps?" she asked.

"Oh yes please." He noticed how methodical she was in her actions and how she cleaned up as she went along. By the time the sandwiches were served the small kitchen area was immaculate again.

The sandwiches were heaven. Yummy. Shop bought sliced bread and that lovely salad cream took all the mundane taste of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber away. This girl could cook for him any time she wanted, he thought.

Jenny enjoyed preparing the food for him, and again she thought what an unlikely pair they made. They finished eating and offered him some pop. Not own brand stuff but the real deal. It tasted of heaven to Sunny. Jen carefully cleared all the plates and glasses away and made the caravan look as if no-one had been there. She had even checked on the carpet to ensure that there were no crumbs. They each got their respective copy of the clues out again and re-read them. Nope, still nothing not even a glimmer from either of them.

"This one has stumped me I'm afraid," said Jenny. "All the girls in school think I'm a bof. But I can't work this one out."

"What's a bof?"

"A boffin. You know... a nerd. Don't you use that around here?"

"No," he lied. He was often called a bof, but until now he never knew what it meant, and he was too embarrassed to ask.

"We'd better get out of here and go to the beach, the weirdos might be back soon and it saves a lot of explaining to do, if they find you here."

"Okay. There's a nice sheltered spot on the far side of the beach with a few trees, it's in a bit of a hollow so it's out of the wind and the trees give you shade from the sun."

"Sounds perfect, let me check the van once again and we'll go. Take a last look," she said, "as I doubt if you'll ever come in here again."

Sunny did not like the finality of that last statement. What was wrong? Had he done something to offend her? They were getting on like a house on fire and he hoped they could become best mates, at least until the holiday was over. He looked ashen.

"You all right Sun? You've come over all pale like."

"What did you mean the last time I'd see you?"

"Stupid boy! I meant the last time you'd probably be allowed in the caravan. If all things go as usual on fathers' schedule, starting tomorrow he will dismantle the Morris Oxford bit by bit, gently clean every single piece of it and put it back together. That's his holiday.

Mother will doubtless be bored stupid and take me for walks, sometimes in to the nearest town and we will do the most boring shopping expeditions you have ever seen.

Anyways Dad will be parked out front everyday for the next fortnight and we do not as a rule entertain visitors. That's all. Sensitive soul aren't you?"

"Nah, not really, but I thought as we were getting on so well and we haven't sorted out the puzzle yet, it was bit abrupt to end it all so suddenly."

"You can rest assured young man, that I am not going anywhere until we've sorted this puzzle out." she said in her posh voice.

Sunny laughed at her. She followed him away from the caravan and across the beach to the secluded spot he had suggested. It was perfect, quiet, secluded and with a great view of the beach. The shading trees would stop her from burning and as long as she did not suffer from hay fever, it was the ideal spot. They made themselves comfortable and got the clues out again.

"There is always a pattern to these, Jen. We've just got to get it." said Sunny.

"You got any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, you?"

"No, Mum always said one was enough."

"I think the last line means that whatever the first bit is, has to be done at night, in moonlight."

"Merde!" said Jen. Swearing in a foreign language didn't count in her book. "The weirdos won't let me out after dark."

"We'll have to think of something. We've come this far, I think it only fair for us to complete it, whatever it is, together."

"Maybe I could convince them that I am going to stay with your parents. Do you think your Mum will come and ask my Mum?"

"Dream on, Jen. Your Mum will take one look at my Mum, and run a mile."

"We'll have to think of something else then. There's no way I can sneak out in the middle of the night with the caravan converted for sleeping. I would have to climb over both of them to escape. Far too risky."

"We've got plenty of time yet, as we haven't even cracked the code."

They spent the rest of the afternoon gently chatting away about everything under the sun. Then they spent a few minutes on the clues and ages and ages trying to come up with a scheme for Jen to escape for one evening. Sunny had pointed out that you could see the moon at about nine 'o' clock, so it wasn't as if it were a midnight adventure. Even if they found something again they could study it next day, she could be home by eleven at the latest.

Jen had the bright idea that she could tell her parents it was a special properly organised treasure hunt, organised by the local council for the benefit of holidaymakers. Sunny thought that a risky strategy as they were bound to find out that there was no such thing. But he had to concede that it was the best idea so far.

There was an internet cafe in the town and maybe when she went there with her Mum, she could knock up a leaflet and show it to them later. The idea grew and grew and in the end it was all they talked about. Jen had enjoyed herself so much that when she glanced at her watch she muttered "Merde' again. She got up quickly, made her excuses and promised to see Sunny at 9ish again on the following morning at the same place.

Sunny stayed where he was and watched her go all the way up the beach. It was cool to have a friend, and this particular case, a fellow conspirator and treasure hunter.

He gathered up all the bits and pieces, replaced the clues back into the Pharaoh's head, and headed off home. The head should bring in some cash at the boot sale he thought, as long as Jen didn't want it of course. It was odd for him to be thinking of someone else's feelings for a change, and he quite liked it. He just realised that he had not thanked her for lunch and was annoyed with himself.

# Chapter Four

Jenny trudged back to the caravan. Every step got heavier the closer she got.

She had enjoyed her day of excitement and discovery. Those clues kept running around in her head but the answer would not come. Mother and father had returned from their own expedition and doubtless she thought, she would have to listen to them drone on about that blessed car.

She was greeted with some surprise that she had not been home when they had returned. How had her day gone? Where had she been? Who had she talked to?

It was like the Spanish Inquisition. Jen explained that she had got bored reading and as it was a nice day she thought that she would go for a walk. No, she had not gone into the sea, but she had explored the rocks and examined the rock pools for crabs.

She had met another girl, called Sonia and they had spent the rest of the day together. No, Jen did not know where her parents lived. No, she did not know what Sonia's parents did for a living or whether she would be seeing her again. Mother thought it was nice for her to make a friend so quickly and Dad wanted to know what car Sonia's father drove.

Mother told her all about their trip around the scrap yards and Dad had found a soul-mate in Aberriver, who thought the car was wonderful and turned out to be a mine of information on Morris Oxfords. Did Genevieve know that they were still made in India until a few years ago?

No, Genevieve did not and she did not really want that useless piece of information taking up any of her brain cells. Dad had got some salvage parts for the car and was as happy as a sand boy. He had taken the man's telephone number and would keep in touch with him. He had a mind that

if the car was ready before the end of the holiday, he would revisit the man in Aberriver.

_God help the man in Aberriver,_ thought Jen.

If the weather turned out nice again tomorrow Mum was going to take Jen into town for some sightseeing and a little shopping. Dad would be busy with the car for a few days so they may as well make the most of it. Jen was bugged by this new piece of information as she had promised Sunny that she would meet him at nine. But all was not lost as Mum explained that she had to do Dad's packed lunch and clean the caravan before they could depart. Probably leave about tennish, if that was all right with Dad. He had nodded agreement.

Jen was up nice and early, everything in the caravan was hunky dory, and she told them she would be gone for half an hour. The weather was glorious and so that meant that the trip to town was on. She had placed the clues inside her reading book and had studied them hard last night but she had got no further with the answer.

Sunny had puzzled over them last night as well. He had pushed the ancient riddle to the back of his mind to concentrate on the new one. He could not see a pattern and it was frustrating him. They met as agreed at 9am in the usual spot on the beach.

Jen told him of the bad news that would prevent her spending the day with him.

Sunny was very disappointed, but optimistic, that the opportunity had now presented itself for her to produce the bogus treasure hunt leaflet

They went over the details again and Jen promised her best to get one run off at the Internet cafe. Sunny gave her directions again and they agreed that he would be here in this spot at 4 pm just in case she was back in time. Jen bemoaned the fact that mobile phones would have made their collusion much easier. Sunny assured her that from what he had heard, the reception here because of the mountains, was intermittent to say the least. It all depended on your signal provider.

Happy that she was not missing out and noticing the time she made her farewells and hoped to see him later or at 9 am the following morning. Sunny missed her the moment she had gone and was not particularly enamoured with the thought of spending all day on his own. There was a lot to be said for doing things in two's he thought.

Jen was back in plenty of time and helped her Mum finish off cleaning the caravan for a few minutes before it was time to set off down the road to the town. Dad estimated that it would take them twenty minutes if they did not dawdle. He was sure that there must be a pretty coastal path, maybe they could ask in the town and come back a different way. They could have asked at the camp office before they went, thought Jen, but that was far too easy for her parents.

The walk into town was pleasant enough, you saw much more on foot than you ever did from a car. The countryside was lush and green, and the mottled shadows cast on the road from the tree lined edges gave the whole road a magical effect. Jen did not know what to expect in the coastal town. She had assumed it would have plenty to look at, and maybe a shopping mall or two, to browse around. She was completely surprised at what she found. It was wall to wall guest houses, cafes, pubs and souvenir shops. No mall or anything that would resemble one. It was all very parochial and totally tourist orientated. They walked down the hill to the small picturesque harbour and idly watched the fishing boats. If they studied hard they could just about make out where the camp site was and also what looked suspiciously like a coastal path, that led all the way along the cliff-line for the whole visible coast. It looked busy with walkers from here, and of course was completely traffic free. Jen pointed this out to her Mother who had already noticed it.

The smell of chips and burgers filled the warm air and the air was alive with pesky wasps who dive-bombed you from all angles. The scene of everyone waving their arms around trying to bat wasps away struck Jen as very funny.

Trying to get away from Mother was going to be very hard. It was too small a place to just disappear and you could spot anyone from any vantage point with ease. It was all hills. Up down, Down up, and most of the shops had steps leading up to them.

It would be good place for monkeys to live she thought.

They continued their explorations all morning. Looking in this shop looking in that shop. The fashions were either for the holiday maker for the beach, or for aged matrons, who judging by the attire on show, must have been over a hundred years old.

There seemed to be nothing in between. Not living in a very hilly part of the country both Jen and her Mother's legs soon began to ache. Jen's Mum had spotted a nice old pub with a large beer garden that overlooked the bay and she said they deserved a treat, so lunch would be there. Jen was excited at the news. Not so much from the treat, more from the chance to sit down. The pub was packed as they made their way through the chip fat smoky lounge bar to the gardens. There were people of every shape size and nationality in the place and the garden was equally as busy.

Mother ordered two vegetarian specials at the bar, along with a bitter lemon with ice for Jen, and a very large gin and tonic for herself. She told the barman that they would be in the garden. They were given a large wooden spoon with a number handwritten on it so the waitress would know where they were sitting. The wasps from the harbour had invaded the beer garden as well. The place was alive with them. Jen's Mum searched desperately for a seat and the only thing available, was to share with a Mother and daughter sat on their own on the far side, on a four-seater bench table. Mother asked if they could share? and the woman, said "but of course." The daughter looked a year older than Jen and did not have one hair out of place. She was a painted doll. Perfect blonde hair. Perfect make up and what Jen had decided were false nails. She was covered in designer label clothes from head to toe and had a mobile phone glued to her ear and another in her hand, which was busy texting someone. Jen's Mum introduced Genevieve and the lady introduced the painted doll as Rhiannon. Rhiannon hardly looked up as her name was mentioned and continued texting. Mother passed the time of day with the lady and it transpired that they had a holiday cottage in the area. She had one of those frightfully nice voices that oozed wealth, and the ability to impress on you how much better off she was than most. She was most definitely not Jen's Mum's cup of tea, but she smiled as she listened to the lady chunter on about all the things they owned and smiled approvingly in all the right places.

Rhiannon had stopped texting and Jen forced herself to make conversation.

"Hi, I'm, Jen," she said.

"Do you think this tone of eye-shadow suits me? I think the pearlised silver looked better, but Mother thinks this dusky pink is more the real me."

Jen agreed with Rhiannon, although she really did not give a fig. Air headed self-centred prigs were not really her thing. The mobile beeped again. Rhiannon explained that you had to have two mobile phones these days. One was for girlfriends and one was for boyfriends.

Jen explained that she did not have one any more as she had read somewhere that your head would explode with huge cancerous bugs eating your brain away if you used one a lot.

Jen's biting bit of satire did not register on the doll-like face of Rhiannon.

The food came and it was edible but not wonderful. Jen was sure that she had consumed the same dish in a cafe near home. Given today's microwave technology she was probably right. The lady had talked almost non-stop since they sat down and showed no sign of even stopping to catch her breath. Jen had decided that her book was of more interest than talking to air head, who was still texting. Jen brought the book out and her Mother looked horrified, but taking a glance at Rhiannon thought it best to say nothing.

The clues for the riddle were still inside. She stared hard at them hard, looking for inspiration, but found none. Jen was concentrating so hard on the riddle that she said aloud "What's in Four once?" Rhiannon replied "g" absent mindedly. Jen was startled by her response and repeated the

second line. "What's in seven thrice?" 'r' came the response. Jen grabbed Rhiannon's hand to get her full attention. "How do you know that?" she almost shouted at her.

"Doesn't everyone who can't use predictive text know that. Are you dumb or something? Duh!"

"Yes,' said Jen. "I guess I'm very dumb when it comes to mobile phones. Can I borrow yours to get to know it better? I won't actually dial anyone. Rhiannon was only too pleased to show off her phone. Jen got a pen out of her bag and very quickly completed the riddle. GRT OAK. Must really be Great Oak? So they would have to go to the great oak at night wherever that was. She hoped and prayed that Sunny knew where the great oak was. Rhiannon and her Mum got ready to leave and offered to give Jen and her Mum a lift in their brand new Mercedes convertible. Jen's Mum declined, saying that they really wanted to take the coastal path as they needed to walk off lunch. Jen would have liked to have seen her father's face when they drew up in a brand new Merc.

They said their goodbyes, and Rhiannon and her Mother left.

"What an absolutely dreadful woman," said her Mum who never normally criticised anyone. "I'm going to treat myself to another drink before we go, would you like another bitter lemon dear?"

"No thanks, Mum. If you are all right for a few minutes I wouldn't mind nipping into the Internet café and running off a 'multimap' of the area. We could spot some interesting places to visit."

"I'll be fine out here in the garden, but don't be long. I don't think it very ladylike for a woman to be sat in a beer garden on her own. It could give people the wrong impression."

"I'll be as quick as a flash, Mum."

Jen ran as fast as she could, remembering Sunny's directions. As the weather was so good it was nearly empty and she got access to a pc in two minutes flat. She ran off a copy of the bogus leaflet in no time, using the preloaded software on the computer and she also ran off a copy of the 'multimap' for the area as cover for her other activities. She paid the man for the prints and ran all the way back to the beer garden.

Mother was still sat there gazing out to sea. There were two more bottles of tonic water there since she had left, but she had decided to say nothing.

"You ready, Dear?" she enquired when Jen appeared.

"Yes, Mum. I've got the map. We'll have a good look when we get back to the van."

"I just want to pop and get some nice mints on the way and we'll be off. You know how your father likes strong mints."

Jen was really excited. She had cracked the clues and all because of airhead. What were the odds on that? She wondered how Sunny had got on, and what he was up to.

She couldn't wait to get back and show him how clever she was. Should she tell him that the airhead had cracked it for her, or pretend that she had worked it all out on her own? No, she would tell him the whole story she decided. He probably had not been able to work it out, as he had no mobile phone, so he wouldn't get the patterns. These riddles were so easy when you knew the answers. It was infuriating.

Mother dawdled all the way home along the coastal path. They had an excellent view all along the coast and Jen could see where Sunny and she had gone yesterday to the cave. There were plenty of people on the beach today, as it was the first day of the holidays proper and all the rabble, as her father put it, had now arrived by the bus full.

Mother remained strangely quiet and they walked along at a snail's pace in total silence.

Time was pushing on and Jen was becoming extremely worried that she would miss the deadline of four pm and she so wanted to tell Sunny the answers to the riddle. It was building up in her like a shaken bottle of pop. She thought she would explode if they did not get back in time.

Jen's father was busy at work. He had his 'all in one' blue mechanics overalls on and those stupid rubber gloves on to protect him from the oil stains that used to ingrain his skin.

There were car parts carefully laid out on a groundsheet and a little tin bath with cleaning fluid and a toothbrush for getting into the deeper parts that needed cleaning.

"Have a nice excursion, ladies?" he asked.

Mother said, "yes" and proffered the bag of Welsh humbugs for his approval.

"Yum," he said "I'll have one later, when I'm clean. Any chance of a nice cup of tea?"

"Genevieve will make you one, won't you dear? I have a bit of a headache coming on and I need a bit of a lie down."

"Probably too much sun when you're not used to it." said Dad.

_Probably too much gin thought Jen._ She hurriedly kept one eye on the clock and realised that if this was the quickest cup of tea in history, then she would be able to see Sunny. She made the cup of tea in the cup and not in the teapot that was normally the only permissible way to make tea in their household. She put in the two sugars and handed it to her Dad.

"Thank you dear, do you want to watch me?"

"No thanks, Dad, I'm going to see if Sonia is around. I'll be back in time for tea."

Jen tried not to run down to the beach so as not to look as if she couldn't wait to get away from her Dad. She arrived slightly breathless on the dot of four 'o' clock.

Sunny was waiting for her, and judging by the huge smile on his face he was very glad to see her.

"Been here long?" she asked.

"Since Three Thirty, just in case you got back early."

"It's nice to feel wanted" she said, "have you worked out the riddle?"

"Nah! - Want to beach comb and see if we can find another message?"

"No need. What have you been up to today?" She had every intention of drawing this out for as long as she could.

"Chores mostly. Bit of wood chopping, fed the goat and chickens and helped Mother make some more candles. They go well round here in the tourist season."

"Where's the great oak?"

"Over in Parson's woods. Been there since forever, they say it's over a thousand years old. Hang on a minute. What do you mean there's no need and why this sudden interest in the great oak? As a holiday maker there is no way you could know about the great oak."

"I've solved the riddle, with a little help from a friend?"

"What friend? I thought we were in this together."

"Just an airhead I met in town. There is no way we would have solved this riddle, as neither of us has a mobile phone. The patterns you were seeking are the numbers of presses you need to make on a mobile phone in order to text someone."

"Dogs droppings! I would never have worked that out if I lived to be a hundred. Nice one Jen, not just a pretty face are you?"

Jen was a little taken aback by this comment. Many people had said a lot of things about Jen, but no-one had ever accused her of having a pretty face. She blushed ever so slightly.

She composed herself quickly and said "Great Oak, Moonlights shadow shows the way."

"It's got to be the reflections from the tree, in moonlight. So we have to have a clear bright night in order to see where the shadows are cast, and then I suppose we will find the treasure or yet another clue."

"I hope it's the treasure." she lied. She had rather enjoyed this voyage of clues and discoveries, and if they found the treasure it would all be over.

"From what we have discovered so far, I think it will be more clues. Whoever laid this trail knew this area well. Mainly the locals would have known of the cave, and definitely only the locals know, of the great Oak. It was not as if it's in the tourist guide or on any map I've ever seen."

"Promise me that you won't sneak off and do the next bit on your own. It's not my fault my weirdos won't let me out like your weirdos do."

"True. I promise we will do this together, Jen. Any luck with the leaflet?"

Jen had almost forgotten the bogus treasure hunt leaflet. She rummaged in the back pocket of her jeans and produced the folded up copy of the leaflet and handed it to Sunny. He took it and slowly opened the paper. He read it carefully once and tutted.

"What's wrong?" she said a bit concerted.

"There's no Welsh on it. Everything round here from the council has to be printed in Welsh and English. It's my fault I should have told you. Still you could say that you got an English only version if your parents notice it."

"That's really nit-picking, Sunny. My parents wouldn't have a clue, so it'll have to do, and there's an end to it. By the way, I told my parents you were a girl and your name was Sonia."

"WHAT?"

# CHAPTER FIVE

It had taken a while for Jen to cool Sunshine down with the revelation that she had told her parents that he was a girl. It was all part of the master plan of deception she had planned for her parents to cover up what she was doing. She had decided that a 'new' girl friend would go down well at home and not raise any suspicions.

They talked for ages and ages about everything under the sun. They could both talk to one another about absolutely anything and it was a great feeling. It was nice to confide in someone once and again. They had two days to wait until the date of the bogus treasure hunt. Jen was not sure what to do about that in the Internet Cafe, and thought it would take a couple of days for her to lay the seeds back at home. She would say she was going on it with Sonia and hope that would suffice. All this deception was tiring but it was also exciting and she was loving every minute of it.

They had agreed to meet at nine-ish again the following morning. Sunny could not believe how simple the clue had been now that he knew what the answer was. He didn't like that Jen had told her parents that he was a girl, but he could see the cunning in it and had no option but to go along with it, It was going to be very difficult to keep away from the great oak though. Tonight would be no problem as it had clouded over at about seven thirty and you could not even see the moon or any glow from it. He tried to picture the oak in his mind. He had been there often but just could not remember where any of the crippled branches pointed or if they pointed at all. Then he had very serious thoughts about the validity of the clue.

The earth moved, the moon moved through the heavens, those were incontrovertible facts. It would all depend on where the moon and earth were, as to where the shadows would be cast. Not as easy as it sounded, or was he just trying to complicate things as usual?

He fell asleep with these things playing on his mind.

He met Jen at nine as agreed and Jen had told him that she could spend most of the day with him as Mother had decided that today she

would do the washing and potter about the site if that did not upset Jen's hopes. Not at all Jen had replied, she would go and find Sonia and spend the day with her beach combing and mooching around.

Sunny was delighted at the news but was also a little perplexed at what they would do all day. He had expected that Jen would have to do some family thing and he would be left to his own devices all day and possibly see her for an hour in the afternoon.

"What would you like to do?" he asked.

"I think we should both visit the great Oak and get our bearings. See the lie of the land and see if we can guess what it's all about."

"The weather does not look promising Jen and it's a fair walk from here."

"Better get a move on then."

Sunny and Jen moved off north down the beach at a very slow ambling pace.

The winds were freshening and the cloud base getting thicker. It was not cold, but the atmosphere was heavy and a bit humid. They had just reached the end of the beach when they first saw the lightning. The thunder that followed it was so loud it made them jump.

"That storms nearly on top of us, Jen. If we run we can just make it to my place before the heavens open and we get soaked." He did not wait for a reply and broke into a trot across the fields and headed towards the wood and 'Home Meadow'. Jen kept up as best she could behind him.

The rain hit as they left the woods and following Sunny at full speed, they raced into his tepee. It had all happened to quick for Jen to take in the sights smells and peculiarity of her surroundings. He offered Jen a towel for her hair and face. They were both quite wet. Jen dried herself a bit and looked around. Her Mother would have had a fit. It was a mess. There were books piled everywhere. The four sides of the tepee had books piled on small pallets to keep them off the ground. They formed an almost impenetrable wall around the base of the tent. It smelled of old books a little of dampness and wood smoke. Despite all that it was cosy and actually quite roomy.

"Sunshine, is that you?" came a squeaky voice.

"Yeah, got a pal with me."

"Cool, I'll come and say hello."

Sunny was not looking forward to this. His mother had a peculiar effect on most folk.

It was a very black and white effect. They either thought she was mad or not. She entered the tepee having waited for a few moments for the rain to ease.

Jen looked startled at the apparition that was stood before her. She took the offered hand and shook it.

"I'm Moonbeam, Sunshine's Mother. Nice for him to have a new friend. Are you boys in the same class?"

"Mum, this is, Genevieve." said Sunny quickly.

Moonbeam did not seem in the least surprised at her own faux pas and replied as if she had not made any mistake at all.

"What a beautiful name."

Jen was bewildered. First this woman had thought she was a boy and now she thought that she had a beautiful name. Why hadn't Sunny introduced her as, Jen?"

"I prefer to be called Jen," she said as assertively as possible.

"Do I need to cook for three? Sunshine."

"Would you like food later, Jen?"

"That would be nice."

"Why only three, where's Dad?"

"Uncle Pete picked him up half an hour ago and he has taken him to London. He thinks he has found a retro gallery that will take Geronimo's earth paintings. Should be back in a few days. I'll catch up with you two later." She smiled broadly and left the tent.

Jen's head was absolutely bursting with questions. Sunny offered her a seat and gave her a drink of home-made squash. It was very fruity and to be honest more of a fruit salad than a squash and it still had the odd pips and bits in it. It was, nevertheless, deliciously refreshing.

"Sorry about that, she gets a bit confused some days."

Jen decided to let it lie but still had a barrage of questions for Sunny. She fired them all off at once and settled herself to listen to the explanations, amid the pitter patter of rain upon the canvas. Sunny was a bit confused as to where to start. He explained that his Mother was caught in a time trap and she still dressed as if it was 1969. Her long blonde locks ran down her back to her waist and were mostly unkempt. The batik tee shirt was home made and the tattered jeans were from some boot sale and her made up flowers that adorned them, really only covered the holes that were in them when she bought them.

Geronimo was his Dad. It was not his real name; in fact Sunny had been twelve before he had discovered this. His real name was Pugin, so Geronimo was an improvement on that, he thought. When they had first occupied 'Home Meadow' his dad had specialised in jumping into the sea from the rocks shouting "Geronimo!" and the name had stuck.

His father had always painted and specialised in psychedelic abstracts, his were different to most. He made as much as possible, his own colours, and he repainted over old pictures picked up for a few pence at local sales. They were certainly unique and as with all styles, if you wait long enough, they come back into fashion.

Uncle Pete was not really an uncle. He was one of the founder members of 'Home Meadow' and it was his family that really owned the land. He was a bigwig in the city now. He laughingly called himself an entertainment's manager for a merchant bank.

He was proud that he could out drink and out party any client the bank put before him and was thus a very valuable member of the team, who was always ready to entertain a client.

When Uncle Pete's father had died he had made sure that 'Home Meadow' was kept safe. He viewed his time there as the happiest in his life and was adamant that the experiment in alternate lifestyles, should continue at all costs. Sunny had often heard him say that Geronimo and Moonbeam could stay there forever at no charge and not to worry about a thing, Uncle Pete would take care of it.

They were fairly self sufficient. They grew crops and barter exchanged with locals for other things that they might need. They had a goat, they made their own goats cheese and kept a few scrawny chickens rescued from battery farms for an irregular supply of small eggs. They did not need much money really as they had little to spend it on.

They did have a regular income from boot sales though. Mostly it came from 'sea sculptures', which was a posh name for driftwood and there was always a ready market from holiday makers for the unusual sea sculpted shapes. Moonbeam also did well with her herbs and natural potions and although they never spoke about it she did very well from her huge collection of 'magic mushrooms' and of course her handmade candles.

They did not want for much and Geronimo had once said that if he won the lottery he would put a windmill down by the stream. Fat chance of that Sunny had always thought, as he never ever bought a ticket. They brewed their own liquor and Geronimo's Elderberry wine was as good as vintage port according to Uncle Pete.

So there it was, a potted history of the family. What did Jen think?

Jen had taken in so much information she was lost to know how to think. It was all rather weird. It was so opposite of her own lifestyle that she could not quite comprehend it.

No telephones, no computers, no telly, no money and yet they were all as fit as fleas as far as she could tell and their alternative lifestyle seemed to work. It was intriguing and needed more thought.

"Well I think it's neat." she said. "What would the world be like if we were all the same?"

Sunny had relaxed a bit now. He was in his own domain, with his first real friend, and she had not freaked out at the outlandish way in which he lived.

"How far from here is it to the great oak?" she asked.

"About twenty minutes. We'll go when the rain stops if you want."

Sunny had fought with his conscience since they had met regarding the other clue, and about the ancient spell book. Should he tell her now that he had her all to himself and could actually show her, or not? He could see her staring around at all his books trying to discern the titles and to get a flavour of what he liked reading.

He decided against it for the minute. One shock at a time with his family was enough. He would let this little episode sink in first before revealing another one. The rain was easing and Sunny got up to have a good look at the sky. "It'll be all done in a few minutes Jen then we can go."

"We'd better tell your Mum we're going and will be back later or she'll wonder where we are or maybe cook too early."

"True, we'll call into her pad on the way out and tell her we'll see her later."

The rain finally stopped and although it was still dripping heavily from the trees, it was bright again and suitable for continuing on to the great oak. They stopped outside Moonbeams' and Sunny shouted in that they were going to Parson's wood and would be back later. The ground was well damp underfoot, but it had been so dry previously that most of the rain had either been absorbed by the thirsty earth or had simply run off.

They scrambled over hedges and pushed through tight gates until they came to Parson's Wood. As Sunny had pointed out, it wasn't far if you were a bird, but the convoluted way you had to get there on the ground made it a bit of a trek. It was a small tightly knitted wood of mixed trees, clearly defined edges and it looked well kept and free of tangled undergrowth. Jen was impressed, it looked a pretty wood if such a thing existed. They had arrived on its southern most boundary and Sunny had told her that the great oak lay close to the cliffs on the far west boundary. It was easier to skirt around the edges to gain access to the old tree. They had to go through some long grass which was still damp and made their legs and feet wet. At last they arrived and Jenny saw the old oak for the first time.

It was a magnificent old tree. You could see that it was old on first sight and because of it's position close to the cliff edge all the branches were pointing east, due to the continual winds that came in off the sea.

Sunny suddenly remembered it now. That's how the gnarled branches lay. He knew there was something about it last night, he just could not remember the configuration.

Jenny went right up to the old tree and stroked it and felt the ancient bark. Lightning had hit it at some time in its history, but even that had not killed it. You could see the dead branches but you could also see the vibrant new branches that spread eastwards and were covered in a green carpet of leaves. The base of the tree was quite dry and looked totally unaffected by the rain.

"Let's sit by here and have a look at those clues again Sun, she said.

Sunny pulled the clues from his pocket and sat down beside Jen.

It was very quiet and for some inexplicable reason it felt very warm and safe. They studied the clues again.

They had the first bit, otherwise they would not be here.

moonlights shadow shows the way.

"You can't really tell where the shadows will fall when the moonlight is on it, Sun," said Jen, "but I wanted to see it anyway."

"It's not only that Jen. The Moon moves through the heavens all through the night. If we don't have a specific time we will never get it. I was thinking about it all night. The other clues were simple enough but this one has too many variables."

Sunny had come prepared with a sheet of drawings. He showed it to Jen. It was a simple schematic to show where the shadows would fall depending on the position of the moon. He already knew the cycle of it's path for hereabouts at this time of year and explained in some detail to

Jen who had lost interest a bit when he got too technical.

"Whoa! Sun. That's far too much information. The other clues were not as complicated. We must be missing something. I'm sure of it."

She looked at his diagrams again, looked at the tree and used her logic.

"It stands to reason, Sun, that all the shadows based on your projections, will be over there to the east. Now I agree with you that we can't guess the length of the shadow but it will be some where over there to the east and that's all about it."

"I can't fault the logic, Jen, we'll go have a look over there then, see if we can see something obvious."

"What's over there anyway?"

"It's all part of the old Rectory grounds. You've got Parson's Woods here, just over there beyond the stone boundary wall is Parson's Field, beyond that is the old church and to the far left the old rectory."

"Does the vicar still live there?"

"No. It was empty for years. I'm sure I heard that a new guy bought it about six months ago."

"Do you think he'll mind trespassers?"

"I'm also sure I heard he was in a wheelchair. He's hardly likely to come hurtling down the field in one of those shouting at us is he?"

"No I suppose not. Poor old man."

They followed the line of branches eastward and discovered that the canopy actually overhung the old stone boundary wall.

"There's a lover's gate just up there, Jen." said Sunny.

They made their way along the wall to the gate and went through to Parson's field and then doubled back on themselves to where the oak tree overhung the field.

Underneath the furthest reaches of the branches was an ancient wooden marker, it was all green with mildew and looked as if had been part of the old oak tree at some time and had fallen off. It was very roughly hewn and if you looked carefully it had some carving on it in old writing.

"Look at this Jen, there an old inscription." He scrubbed away as much lichen and mildew as he could so as to get a better look.

Here lies Moonlight

**My favourite mare**.

**17**?? He couldn't make out the rest of the date. The enormity of the discovery hit them instantly. Moonlight had nothing to do with shadows

from the tree it had something to do with this horse's grave. This clue was getting tricksier and tricksier.

"Who'd have guessed it had something to do with this?" asked Jen, the incredulity resonating in her voice.

# 

# Chapter Six.

Sunny and Jen sat down beside the old marker and looked at it time and again. They read it once, they read it twice. There was nothing particularly odd about it. It was simply a marker for a dead horse, which someone had cared about deeply enough to create this grave for it.

"Well we've sussed it now, Sun," said Jen.

"True, but we're still none the wiser."

"That's not exactly true. It doesn't matter where the sun or moon shines here, the walls shadow obscures everything. The next clue or the treasure must be located here."

"I don't fancy digging up a grave." he said.

"Neither do I, but it must be done or we'll never find out what's next."

"I've not got anything to dig with for a start, and we don't know where the grave ends for sure. Horses are pretty big you know! "

"I'm sure it can't be that difficult. My bet is that it'll be near the headstone. We can run back to yours, get a trowel or something and run back. Poor old horse isn't going anywhere."

"Guess that's the best thing to do then," he said with a sigh.

"I know it's a shame we can't just get on with it, but 'all things come to he who waits' as my dad would say." replied Jen.

"Come on then let's get a move on or it'll be time for you to go home before we have finished this today."

"It's not even midday yet, we should have plenty of time yet." With that they gathered themselves together and set off at a brisk pace back to Sunny's.

Sunny did not take long to find what he wanted and they returned to the horse's grave as quick as they could. It was not exactly modern earth moving technology. It was a simple trowel that they used around the garden. He had thought of bringing the spade but it was heavy and in the end he was still not happy about digging up a whole grave.

He wasn't particularly squeamish, it just did not feel right to desecrate someone or something's final resting place. They looked at the grave again, both reluctant to take the first chunk of sod from the grave.

"Doing your exams next year Jen?"

"Yeah. who isn't?"

"What subjects?"

"All the usual. Should get ten or twelve. It'll be a scrape with some though. Maffs is not my strongest subject."

"Uncle Pete says GCSe's stands for God Crushes Sixteen year olds Expectations, there again he reckons that opera is ballet for deaf people!"

"Bit of a wit, your Uncle Pete."

"Well I think some of his sayings are funny. Can't put it off any longer," he said as he plunged the sharp trowel into the earth.

Sunny did as Jen wanted and concentrated on the spot nearest the headstone. First he cleared away the grass turf and exposed the plain earth underneath. He burrowed gently until he had made a deep furrow, the whole width of the headstone.

"Glad we're not doing this at night," he quipped.

"Me too, do you want me to have a go?"

"Nah, I'll do a bit more and then we'll see. He had gone down about six inches into the earth when the trowel scraped across something. It was hard but sounded wooden and hollow.

"Got something, Jen."

Jen immediately got closer and tried to get a better view. She knelt down by the side of the grave and felt the object with her hands. She tapped it and confirmed to the pair of them that it was definitely wooden. She scrambled more earth away to reveal it's outline.

"It's got writing on it! " she said excitedly.

Sunny gently nudged her to one side to get a better look. "It's in foreign' he said.

"What type of foreign? Let me have a better look-see."

She regained her original position and scraped some more earth off

the top. The microbes of the earth had removed some of it but she could clearly see a date of 17 something or other and she could make out Coronas Especiales, Havana.

"It's Spanish, she said excitedly. It's Spanish treasure."

Sunny looked out to sea deep in thought. He knew that it was a possibility.

He knew the Spanish Armada had been blown here and he knew the Welsh had captured some of them at Fishguard or close to it. He began to feel excited as well. He dived straight back into digging. He exposed the complete out line and then carefully excavated around it to get it free.

Jen looked on excitedly. He got the tip of the trowel under one end, applied a gentle pressure and it came free. They were both a little disappointed. A Spanish treasure chest it was not. It was far too small. It was a cedar wood box about ten inches long, six inches wide and about three inches deep. It had a lid and it appeared to be secured with a small brass nail through the lid and into the side. Sunny got it out into the clear sunlight and onto the grass. "Should come open real easy, Jen, " he said.

Gingerly he prised the lid open and inside was another clue. It was on the same paper that the other clues had been on and the writing was identical to the others.

Jen was disappointed. "Merde! another bogging clue. I felt sure we would get at least a gold ring or a pearl necklace. Go on read it out. I hope it's not as convoluted as the last one." She was to be bitterly disappointed.

Sunny cleared his throat and read it out aloud.

Dial 37047734 for bat on abacus and 7738 for ancient clappers.

999 for SOS.

Sunny looked at Jen. Jen looked at Sunny. They both shrugged their shoulders.

"I can't even begin to think what that is all about. Let's fill the hole up and leave it tidy and go back to mine for a think and some grub." said Sunny.

It did not take long to repair the damage to the grave. Why was there always more earth out of a hole than it took to fill it up? Sunny patted the earth down as best he could and replaced the turf. It looked like they had buried a small animal on top of the old grave. Sunny was not happy with this state of affairs and stamped on the turf as hard as he could to flatten it. Happy with his handiwork, Jen collected the box and they set off for the second time back towards 'Home Meadow.'

They chattered all along the way about everything under the sun except the new clue.

Moonbeam had been busy in their absence and had prepared a vegetarian salad feast for lunch. Sunny had preferred Jen's lunch dripping with salad cream.

She had enquired about the box, and wondered where they had got their hands on it.

Sunny said he'd had it for ages and kept his secrets in it. Jen looked askance at him when he said it, but kept her silence. After lunch Jen offered to help Moonbeam clear up, but was thanked most profusely and told to go play with Sunshine.

Sunshine thought he was now getting a bit old for playtime and told his Mum in a sarky voice that they would go and have their afternoon nap. Moonbeam did not see anything funny in this comment and carried on with her clearing up operations.

Jen and Sunny retired to his tent, box in hand, to do some serious clue solving.

"The food was nice. What were those herbs your Mum put in the salad? They tasted peppery and nutty at the same time."

"Dunno, Don't care. Let's see if we can solve this puzzle before you have to go home."

"I've got another two hours yet. It should be simple with your brains and my looks!" she said laughing.

Sunny pulled the clues out of the box again. He studied them and handed them to Jen.

"There's something not right here Jen, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Let's examine what we know. It was found in a horses grave marked 17 something or other. It was in a box also marked 17 something or other."

"That's it!" exclaimed Sunny.

"What's it?"

"To the best of my knowledge there were no telephones in seventeen something or other. So how can this all be ancient. We should have sussed that from the mobile phone clues.

No, this is a much more modern puzzle. Can you remember what letters were on the mobile phone for these numbers?"

"Have a heart, Sun, how do you expect me to remember the whole of a keypad I only saw for a few minutes?"

"Sorry. I was bit harsh there. Never mind we can work it out logically.

If four was G and Seven thrice was R we can work out the whole keyboard on a bit of paper."

"Go on then,' said Jen with a disinterested air. She watched as he worked it out. "So there's nothing on one then?" he enquired already confident he was right.

"S'pose so. To be honest I can't really remember. I am absolutely rubbish with numbers and they give me a headache."

Sunny worked on. DP?GPPDG or it could be EQ?HQQEH. He worked out all the permutations. They were all gibberish. There was no pattern and it was very imprecise.

He told Jen of this and she said that maybe they were trying to hard to be clever and maybe it was just a phone number that they had to dial to get the answer. Sunny thought about this for a while. It didn't make sense. These were not mobile numbers they all started with 07 even he knew that. It was not a local number he knew that because they all had six digits and often had a code as a prefix and they all started 0.

He explained all this to Jen. She suggested that they look at the words instead to see if they gave a clue as to the code.

"Dial these numbers for bat on Abacus," she recited from the clues.

"Maybe it's a sort of cryptic clue."

"Maybe it is. What's another name for a bat?"

"Stick? Dunno! "

"What's another name for an abacus?"

"Calculator."

"So something Calculator. Maybe it's a sum we have to work out."

"Can't follow that. How would a sum give us the answer?"

"I'm sure I don't know. Have you got a calculator in this high class establishment of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah I got one somewhere. Needed it for school. It's a big one they were giving them away with petrol or oil or something at the garage. Anyhow, Dad knew the guy and he got me one. Sunny rummaged around the tent and found his old school bag. It was right at the bottom and it was difficult for him to get it out. He was tempted to tip the whole thing upside down, but the thought of the mess that he would have to clear up later stopped him. Finally he got it and sat down opposite Jen.

"Give me those numbers again and I'll add them up. He inputted the numbers added them all up and got the answer of 35. Not much use there. Then he decided to multiply all the numbers and that was no use either. "What if it's 37047734 times 7738?" he asked Jen.

"Got to be worth a try."

Sunny slowly inputted the numbers, and asked Jen to check that he had put them in right.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. It makes a word!"

"What does?"

"Turn your calculator upside down and read it. It makes words! "

"Hell Hole', he read and then cleared the number and input 7738.

"Bell" he announced.

"Hell Hole and then Bell," she reiterated.

"999 upside down just means 666. That's the devils number or so they say. Write it down, Jen before we forget."

"Yes, Sir!" she said and saluted.

Yet again he realised how simple clues were when you knew the answer, but he knew they were not home and dry yet. There was more work to be done to crack this. He thought through his mental calculations aloud for Jen to hear and comment on.

He reasoned quite quickly that "hell hole' was probably the old crypt in the old church up by the horses' grave. Bell/clappers must be an old bell down there and the 999 SOS must mean it's an alarm bell of some kind.

But why you would have an alarm bell in an old crypt was beyond him for the present. They would have to go and see for themselves. Jen was amazed at how quick Sunny's brain worked. He was quite something on puzzles and conundrums.

"I need the loo, Sun."

"Can't you hold on till you get back?" he asked in a kindly sort of pleading voice.

"No! What's wrong with you?"

"It's our bog. It's not exactly user friendly or what you would normally expect. Still if you can't hang on I'll show you where it is."

Sunny led and Jen followed him outside. They went towards the woods and a green canvas tented enclosure. He pointed to it and she went in. She immediately understood his reticence at her going to his toilet.

It was from the stone-age. Basically it was a hole in the ground with a wooden pole across it. There was a small heap of freshly dug earth and a small hand sized shovel. The toilet paper was hanging on a piece of looped string attached to one of the side poles and all in all, it was as far as she was concerned, the toilet from hell.

She rejoined Sunny back at the tent. "See what you mean about the bog, Sun. it's a bit primitive."

"Yeah, but it's eco friendly."

"Bet it's horrific in the winter."

"You get used to it."

"S'pect you've got to."

"Let's talk about something else."

"Fine by me. When can we go to the crypt?"

"With your time scales it will have to be tomorrow now. By the time we get there today we will have to come straight back.

It's no biggy though. We've done well today. We've desecrated a grave and decoded the clues all in one day. Not bad for us."

"True but I'm only here for a holiday. Do you think we'll have solved it all by the time I go home?"

"I hope so, Jen. Whoever has laid this trail has shown great ingenuity and care. It matters to them, and eventually they want it solved."

"I thought we would have found the treasure by now."

"It'll come, give it time. I just hope that it will all be worthwhile and the treasure will be worth all the brainpower and effort."

Sunny was still in a quandary over whether to tell Jen about the first clue in the clay flask or not. In fact he was not sure if he should show her the old spell book.

"What we gonna do now, Sun? Want to go down the beach? It's a long time till tomorrow."

"Nah. I want to show you something, but you must promise not to tell a soul."

"Who am I going to tell?"

"Never mind. Promise."

"It's not rude is it?"

"Don't be stupid! It's a secret that absolutely no-one knows about and it has caused me a lot of grief."

"OK. I promise," she said holding her hand across her heart in some form of swearing of allegiance.

Sunny pulled back the rug and brought out his secret stash with the clay flask and the mysterious clue. He left the spell book where it was. One thing at a time he thought.

She examined the clay flask and read the clue. She could not make head nor tail of it until Sunny realising his mistake, pulled the translation from the pages of the spell book.

"How did you work this out?" she asked.

He then told her the whole story. He also admitted that when they had first started he thought they were following the same trail. It was now obvious to him that there were two very different sets of riddles, one nothing to do with the other. He had been unable to crack this first one and it drove him mad. It was very ancient and had something to do with magic, but he did not know what. He showed her the ancient spell book and she carefully turned the pages not understanding a word that was written on each. Sunny had explained that each spell was in code and that had to be broken before you could use any of them. He also confessed his biggest embarrassment to date of the expelling episode with the hamster turning into a pig at school. He felt much better now that he had confided in his best friend and he also knew that she would not scoff or make fun of him for it. They were too close for that already and he had already demonstrated his abilities at clue solving, if she needed any more proof that he was not a raving lunatic.

Jen was a bit taken aback by these new revelations. If someone else had told her what Sunny had, she would never have believed them in a thousand years. It was too unbelievable not to be true. Half of her wanted Sunny to make a spell. The other half was realistically frightened of what this could do and the consequences of it.

By the time Sunny had shown her everything and explained in detail all that he knew about the book and artefact, it was time to go home.

It was with great reluctance that she got ready to depart. Sunny said he would accompany her back to their normal meeting place and he would see her there the next morning at nine ish to go to the old church crypt. He had been right they had done well, and if she was truthful, this holiday was turning out to be the best holiday ever ever in her whole life. She had made a great friend, she had been involved in a great mystery that was still unfolding, and then of course there was still the great lure of finding treasure. She wondered what it would be? Diamonds and gold were not too much to ask for after all their effort as far as she was concerned. If it was, then she would buy Sunny a proper toilet for a start!

# Chapter Seven

Jen had not slept well. She had dreamed of magic and what Sunny had discovered. It troubled her greatly. Was it good or evil? What if Sunny got mad at her for something stupid and turned her into a pig. It had been a never ending night of what ifs.

She was still tired when she awoke, and if she was honest a bit grumpy. She had chomped her way through a bowl of cereal and torn the toast into strips and munched it with little regard to table manners and the odd disapproving glance from her Mother.

"Who's got out of bed on the wrong side this morning?" her father asked.

Jen hated that saying. How could you possibly get out of bed on the wrong side?

There was no wrong side. The sooner she was out of the door and with Sunny for today's expedition to the crypt the better. She harrumphed at him and left the dining table and went to get her wash bag. Her parents were in deep conversation as she left for the toilet block. She overheard

the word hormones and little else.

Happy at her escape she took her time in the toilet block and scrubbed her face and cleaned her teeth. She could have done this in the caravan but she preferred to have her own space. The thought dawned on her that Sunny could use these facilities if he wanted. It was certainly much better than what he had to put up with.

When she arrived at the caravan Dad was already at work on the car and she was advised that Mother had popped to the camp shop for some fresh milk. Jen told her dad that she was spending the day with Sonia again and they were going to walk around the headland to the next bay.

He said it was about time they met this Sonia, but to have a nice day and to be careful of the tides and rocks. He would tell her Mother where she was going and not to worry about her... Mother and not worry did not seem to fit properly in the same sentence to Jen.

Her mood brightened significantly when she saw Sunny. He was equally as delighted to see her. She asked how Moonbeam was, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that Moonbeam liked her, and she thought it about time that Sunny had a girlfriend. Jen was not quite sure how to react to this last bit. They were friends undoubtedly, they had grown close over the last few days, drawn and bonded together in the mystery. But to be honest boyfriend/girlfriend was not something she had really considered. She had never been a girlfriend to a boy. What were you supposed to do? How were you supposed to act? If it meant acting like some of the girl's back home she was not impressed by their behaviour. All they did was whinge like stuck pigs about " you never guess what so and so did last night" or accuse one another of stealing their boyfriends away. The petty jealousies were endless. No, she did not want that. She couldn't really look to her parents for guidance. Their relationship was not exactly going to set the world on fire, but at least they were one of the few who were not divorced yet, in some nasty local scandal that seemed to plague her neighbourhood. That brought the word hormonal back into her mind again. She had heard her Mother tell her father that it was all hormonal. Father had said that there should be a compulsory medicine for it.

"You're not listening, Jen! "

"Sorry, Sunny I was miles away. What did you say?"

"I said it's a fair walk, do you want to go the same way as yesterday through the woods or do you want to go up the lanes?"

"Lanes would be nice for a change. Less sand between my toes."

"Fine. Follow me then."

They set off in a different direction from the beach and cut over the stumpy sand dunes until they came to the road. Sunny explained that it was the same road as she had arrived by when she had first come. If she had gone out of the site and turned left, then she would end up here. The weather was nice and they ambled along in their own time taking time to see the vistas that unfolded as they progressed along the coast. They came to a cross roads and took a left turn down a narrow lane. The signpost indicated that there was a church down this road. That was fine as long as you did not have a great big car thought Jen. This lane was ancient and must have been laid when horses and carts were the biggest things on the road. The hedgerows were high and you could not see over the tops of them into the fields or whatever it was that lay beyond them. They had gone about a quarter of a mile when suddenly on her right hand side the hedgerow stopped and revealed a large pond with trees surrounding it.

Three youths were smoking and chucking things into the water.

Sunny's pace hurried a little as if he wanted to get past here quickly. The larger of the boys came towards them. He looked about seventeen going on twenty two and despite the heat, he was wearing a studded leather jacket. He approached them with the other two loitering behind

him.

"What have we got here then boys? Fatboy Halliday and a stick insect."

"Bugger off, Muldoon." said Sunny.

"Heard about the pig, Cool trick. How did you manage to smuggle it into class with no one seeing it?"

"It was easy, now get out of my way."

"Going for a bit of grope a dope are you?"

"I bet your willy is as big as your brain." said Jen, copying one of the regular catty comments from the school playground.

Sunny pushed his way past and they continued on. The louts jeered at them but they ignored them.

"Nice one Jen, that cut the Muppet down to size. I could have taken him you know. A quick right in the belly would have dropped him like a stone."

Jen could almost smell the nervous testosterone emanating from Sunny. Hormones again she thought.

"Let's not think about those numpties," she said to calm the situation.

"How much further is it?"

"About another quarter of a mile down this track. It won't take long. I just hope it's open. I don't fancy trying to find a vicar and explaining what we are up to and could we please have a key."

Jen laughed. It had been a strange morning for her and the laughter relieved some tension that was slowly building up inside. She had been called a girlfriend. She had been called a stick insect and those horrors thought that she was going into the woods for a "grope a dope' whatever that was exactly. It did not need much imagination considering the small brains who had suggested it.

"Why did he call you fat boy Halliday?"

" 'cos it's my name. Sunshine Halliday."

"You're having a laugh, Sun."

"Nope. I've never thought to ask you, what's yours?"

"Jones, believe it or not. You don't think I look like a stick insect do you?"

"I think you look beautiful, " he said colouring slightly.

Jen definitely blushed this time. The word Hormones came unbidden into her mind again.

"Now that we know that the last clue does not involve midnight adventures what are you going to do about the bogus treasure hunt?"

Jen was glad the subject had changed.

"Dunno, seems a pity to waste the opportunity and all my hard work. The weirdos are expecting me to go on it with Sonia. I can't let them down." she said with a smirk.

"Why don't we go to my favourite place? It looks stunning when it's dark. It has an atmosphere all of it's own. You can eat at ours and then we'll go for a wander up the hills. You won't be disappointed and besides my best friend should know where my special place is."

"Sounds fine to me. Tonight it is then. Now let's crack on with this damn puzzle and get it solved."

They continued in silence until they arrived at the ancient church. It was very old and very small. The roof had seen better days and was completely encrusted with mossy lichen. The dry stone wall that surrounded it looked equally as ancient and the tiny graveyard was neatly kept. The grave stones looked as aged as the hills and there were no vases or any other wreaths laying on top of any of the tombs.

There was a wizened yew tree in one corner and this seemed to be the only form of life visible in the small enclave. They entered through an old wooden covered gate and the gate squeaked and groaned as they entered.

"Loud enough to wake the dead, that gate." quipped Sunny.

Jen smirked at his remark and entered behind him. It was very still, quiet and peaceful in the churchyard. They followed the path to the main door and a small flock of birds took flight with a deafening noise.

Jen looked up to watch them.

She noticed an old clock on the tower that had stopped sometime in history at three thirty. She also noticed the fierce and frightening gargoyles that looked down upon them from on high. She knew about gargoyles, but could never understand why you would put creatures from the underworld on a building that was supposed to represent the way to heaven. It made no sense to her.

Sunny had only been to this church once before. He had come with his Mum when she had been into brass rubbings. She had this bright idea that brass rubbings would go down well at boot sales for the tourists but it hadn't really worked out so good.

Brass rubbings were all very well for the person who was doing them, but for the child that watched his Mother, it was boredom personified.

Sunny had wandered off and had looked into every nook and cranny.

He had scaled the tight winding stone spiral steps to the top of the tower, he had looked out to sea from the cracks in the clock face and had seen where the bats lived. He had poked around in the vestry and been down into the crypt and had a poke around in there too.

Jen closed up behind Sunny as he firmly gripped the round black iron door handle and twisted it. It opened with a groan and he pushed the heavy door, which creaked very loudly disturbing the quiet peace of the church itself. He peered around the door and entered. It was very cool in here out of the sun, and it seemed to have an atmosphere all of its own. Jen came inside as well and looked around. The stained glass windows were picturesque and filled their coves with colourful light. It was all too quiet and the echoes of their footsteps seemed too loud for the place. The wood was all polished to perfection and the pews gleamed. There were fresh flowers down by the altar, some of them lilies, judging by the awful heavy scent that permeated from that direction.

Sunny pointed to a red velvet curtain that was held up by rings on a black pole. He went towards it and she followed. He stopped in front of it and listened intently.

There were no noises to hear.

"No-one about," he whispered ever so quietly to Jen.

"Then why are you whispering?" she said in her normal voice.

"Seems like the right thing to do in church, " he responded.

"Well stop doing it. It's creepy enough in here as it is. I don't need you making me even more nervous."

"OK. Sorry." he said quietly, but not quite whispering.

Sunny pulled the curtain along the pole to expose a small black door. The curtain rings clacked as they went. It sounded with the echo, like a stick on railings. This door was even more noisy and creaky than the main door. He gently eased it open and exposed a downward spiral staircase. It was pitch black and smelled musty. He flapped his hand around in the dark until it alighted on a black very old light switch. He flicked it down and a single unshaded light bulb sprang into life and illuminated the stairwell. It looked very steep and Sunny told her to be careful, as it was easy to lose your footing, as the treads were so narrow. Jen wished she had worn trainers. These clumpy sandals were not the best things ever invented for going down steep spiral staircases. She had worn them as she was fed up with emptying her trainers of sand every day. Mother was fussing about the amount of sand being traipsed into the caravan every day. It made more work, and this was supposed to be a holiday. People should be more considerate.

Whenever Jen's Mum used the phrase 'people', she really meant Jen or her Dad.

Sunny went down the stairs first, Jen followed slowly and very carefully behind him.

They arrived at the bottom in complete darkness and Sunny told her to "wait a mo," as he struggled to find another light switch. At last he found it and three unshaded bulbs sprang into light. The atmosphere down here was damp, cold and very musty. Jen had goose bumps formed all up her legs and arms. The crypt ceiling was low and arched.

There were enough cobwebs on them to support an entire colony of giant spiders she thought and shivered involuntarily. There were recesses in the walls, small stone plaques and frankly a lot of damp dust and odds and ends. There was an old Scout flag furled in the corner. There was an antique tombola and unused bingo tickets. Here was evidently where they kept most of the church vases. Although this was a very ancient place there were enough modern pieces of bric-a-brac to take your mind off more creepy things like demons and ghouls. Sunny edged further in to the crypt carefully examining the walls and ceilings.

"What you looking for Sun," she whispered.

"Who's whispering now? I'm looking for electric leads. If we follow them we should come to the alarm bell."

It was logical. All the old wiring in here for the lights were simply cable tacked into the stone with grey clips. They followed the cable deeper and deeper in to the crypt.

There was a loud bang from upstairs and they both nearly jumped out of their skins.

"What was that?" asked a very nervous Jen.

"Dunno. We'll find out when we go back up I suppose." said a sheepish sounding Sunny.

Still unnerved, they followed the electric leads to the end of the crypt but could find no alarm bell. Sunny looked at Jen and shrugged holding his palms upwards.

"I don't understand this. There has to be an alarm bell. It clearly says so in the clue and everything has been very precise and followable till now."

"Perhaps we should just look around for a bell. Any bell will do and see where we go from there."

"That's as good a plan as any Jen. You take this side and I'll take the other and we'll have a good rummage all the way back to the stairs. I bet you it will be right where we came in, and right under our noses."

They set off very slowly keeping abreast of one another. They got about halfway back when Jen spotted a dull gleam from a deep recess. She had not noticed it on the way down as she had been concentrating on the wires on the ceiling. She nudged Sunny to join her. Peering into the darkness of the recess they could make out the shape of a bell.

Sunny put his hands into the recess and grabbed the object to pull it into the light. It gave off a dull bong as he moved it. It was set on a once polished wooden base.

It had an inscription etched into brass on the base. He carefully brushed all the dust of it and angled the thing to the light. The inscription read as follows.

Ship's bell from the wreck 'Eleanor' 1827. Used from 1850-1923 as a warning bell for shipwrecks on the Cardigan Coast. Lost to a tidal surge in 1923 and regained from the sea in 1925 by fishermen who found it in their nets.

"Nice bit of history there, Jen."

"Stuff the history! Where's the clue?"

"All in good time. All in good time."

Sunny leaned the bell against the side of the wall on a handy stone shelf and probed inside the bell. The bell was too heavy to tip upside down and it would require two hands just to hold it. He felt the paper almost as soon as he found the clapper. Working blindly he gently prised it free and out into the light. Jen smiled. It was exactly the same paper as had been used in all the other clues and this gave them both a quiet satisfaction that they were still on the right trail. Sunny handed the clue to Jen, whilst he concentrated on putting the bell back in it's hidey-hole. She opened it carefully and angled it towards the light. She knew as soon as she saw the bell that it was yet another clue. You couldn't stuff a load of treasure into the insides of a bell that size. Not unless it was a wodge of uncut diamonds, she suddenly thought. She read the clue out aloud.

SEVEN DEADLY SINS INITIALLY CHANGED PLACES FOR SEVILLE MARKER

"More brain power required I think," said Sunny.

"I haven't got a clue either. Never mind I am sure we will suss it eventually. Now lets get out of here, it gives me the creeps and I am sure we are going to get told off by someone for being down here."

Sunny led the way back up the spiral stair case making sure that he remembered to turn off the lights in the crypt. As they came to the top they saw that the door was closed.

That's what the bang was, thought Jen. Those louts at the pond have locked us in for a laugh. She did not think it was funny, and was letting her mind run riot with how long they would have to be incarcerated before someone found them, when she noticed that Sunny had opened the door. She quietly cursed her fertile imagination and scolded herself for being so stupid. When they were both out, Sunny closed the door and drew the velvet curtain back across the doorway. They looked about for signs of life, but saw no-one. They tippy toed out of the church and Sunny closed the door behind them.

A loud voiced boomed at them from across the grave yard. They both turned startled.

"Was you youngsters down the crypt?"

"Yes," said Sunny because he could see no point in denying it.

"Sorry if I frightened you when I closed the door. Mrs Llewellyn don't like the smell from down there up in the church."

He didn't wait for any response and returned to scything the grass in the grave yard.

"Nice of him to let us know," said Jen.

The sun was high in the sky and it was well past midday. Sunny was feeling peckish now and Jen was wondering where the time had gone.

"Let's go back past the horses' grave this time. We won't have to bump into those louts that way."

"True, and we can stop at mine and have a bite to eat and then get to work on the next clue."

"Let's give our brains a rest for a change and think about it later. Will Moonbeam mind if I stay for tea tonight for our night trip to this secret place of yours?"

"No she won't mind at all. We'll ask her when we get home now."

"Is your Dad back yet?"

"Nope. Mum says he won't be back now till the weekend. She called him at uncle Pete's from the call box last night. Looks promising for the paintings she said."

"Good I'm pleased for him although I haven't met him yet. Have you got any of his paintings in Home Meadow you can show me?"

"A few. He took the best one's with him though."

They trekked across the field, down past the horses' grave and through the oak wood and all the way back to Home Meadow. Jen had just realised that she had done more walking on this holiday than she had probably done in the whole of last year.

Moonbeam had been busy making candles and she was hard at work creating the molten wax arty decorations that criss crossed the barrel of the candles. She was lost in a world of her own and did not hear Sunny and Jen arrive.

"Jen's gonna' be here for tea tonight, Mum."

"Cool." said Moonbeam not for any second letting her creative talents be interrupted by idle chatter.

"Got any grub? We're starving."

Moonbeam had finished the candle she was working on and looked up.

"What was that?"

Sunny decided to start again." Jen's coming for tea tonight and have you got any grub now? We're starving."

"Oh. sure. There some sarnies over by the cool store I made you. Share them between you and I'll knock up another round whilst you are munching on them. Want some parsnip crisps to go with them?"

"NO thanks, Mum. I don't think Jen is ready for your crisps yet."

Moonbeam looked a little hurt at this last comment, but said nothing. She got up and went to make another round of beetroot sandwiches.

Sunny took Jen over to where the cool area was and got out the sandwiches. The beetroot juices had seeped into the bread and it looked like road kill. Sunny gave one to Jen. "These are delicious Sun." she said after taking a bite and as a dribble of juice slid down the corner of her mouth. Sunny laughed and wiped the dribble away with his finger. It was a tender moment in an untender situation.

He laughed. "You look like a vampire with blood dripping from your mouth." he teased with glee.

Moonbeam came over and handed them another plate of beetroot sandwiches.

"Staying for tea? What are you two up to?"

"I'm going to take Jen up to Wood henge tonight. You know it's my special place and I want to show it to her."

"Cool. Wanna stay the night? You can sleep with Sunny if you like."

Jen looked horrified at the suggestion.

"No Mum. She has to be home by ten. Tea will be fine and as soon as it's dark we'll go up the mountain."

"Cool. It's a magical view from up there. You can really feel part of the universe as you look out to sea and have the stars all around you."

Jen munched on her beetroot sandwich and sat with Sunny enjoying the peace and quiet of Home Meadow. The 'sleeping together' incident was playing on her mind but she decided that to say nothing would be best, and hopefully it would all be forgotten.

"What's the plan Stan?" asked Sunny.

"Well, I will have to go home later on. The leaflet that I've left hanging around the van clearly states that it is a six "o' clock start on the harbour side. So I suppose I can hook up with you again at 5.30 and we'll come back here. Mum might make me have tea first, or even worse, take a packed tea with me."

"Worse things can happen. Won't they follow you to see you off?"

"Nah. I'll say my ta ta's at the van and skip off in a hurry."

"Considering how they are with you, it all seems a bit easy to me."

"It'll be OK. Trust me. I will have to be back before, say eleven at the absolute latest, or they will call out the police and say I've been kidnapped. Better still if you can have me back by tennish it would be a lot safer. I can say that Sonia's parents will be around and one of them will escort me back to the van. When I'm back in, I'll say that they wouldn't come in, as they did not want to disturb you, as it was so late. That'll do."

Sunny was still not happy that he was Sonia to her parents. Was she embarrassed at him or was it really just easier for her to lie to her parents about a potential boy/girl situation. He thought quietly for a few seconds and decided it was the latter.

"Want some squash?" he enquired.

"Is it the same as yesterday?"

"Why, didn't you like it? We've got some elder flower cordial somewhere if you prefer."

Jen had no idea what elder flower was and decided the fruit cocktail would do as a push. Sunny went and got some and brought it back. It was a lot darker than yesterdays brew, and when she tasted it, it had a lot more of a blackberry flavour. It had also been thoroughly strained this time and the lack of pips and seeds was nice for a change.

"S'pose we had better settle down and re read the clues Jen. Come on over to mine. It's more comfortable on the cushions and I feel I can concentrate better there." Jen followed him over to his tepee and they settled themselves inside.

Sunny pulled the clues out again and was feeling much happier now that the munchy cravings had left him. He looked at the clues carefully and handed them to Jen.

He read the clues out aloud and Jen came and sat next to him.

SEVEN DEADLY SINS INITIALLY CHANGED PLACES FOR SEVILLE MARKER

"Maybe it's gonna' be easier than the last one?" said Jen hopefully.

"I doubt that, it looks like a cryptic clue from the crossword puzzles. I have to warn you that I am not very good at those. I prefer the straightforward question/answer types. What about you?"

"You are the bof, Sun, I'll just follow where you point on this one."

Sunny struggled to admit that this one had him completely stumped. He tried different word patterns and different ideas out on Jen but all to no avail. He actually needed help but he could not think of who to turn to. Jen was getting fidgety and was a bit disappointed that he had not gone

"It's Mr plum in the conservatory" as he usually did.

He was getting nowhere fast and he also wanted to do something different. If he could not think about it then maybe the answer or a least a clue to the answer would pop into his brain. He had a bright idea to cheer her up and divert the stress away from his brain. He offered to show her Geronimo's paintings. Jen was pleased to change the subject and she was actually looking forward to seeing his father's work. She was good at art in school and her teacher had always said that she had a natural eye.

This had always amused Jen, as everyone knew she did not have a false eye.

She followed Sunny out of the tent and over to another tepee, the flap of which was covered in paint splashes and smudges.

"This is my Dad's unofficial studio. Well, actually the store room and winter quarters for his painting and paints. He likes to paint out doors in the nicer weather. Something about the light, although I don't pretend to understand that, as he only paints abstracts."

Sunny opened up the flap and let Jen in. She was dumbstruck by the vivid colours and shapes. It was truly mesmerising and she did not have a clue what they were all about. It was just a vivid colour experience and your eyes were drawn all over the place. There were no discernible shapes she could relate to. Her art teacher would have had a fit if she had submitted any of this type of work and probably have sent her to the school nurse for a drug test. Collage and still life, this was not, but she actually quite liked the experience, it was different, and had a vibrancy to it that kept her attention.

"This is not his best work, like I said, he took all that to London."

"Is it the same as this though, generally?"

"I'm afraid so. The nude ones of Moonbeam are really something else though."

"Your Mum in the nude?"

"Well it's not what you think. I know that they are of my Mum and so does she and him, but you would never know it was her or even for sure it was a woman. It's like pieces of her in various places on the canvas. I can't really describe it to you."

"Sounds interesting. Has he always painted?"

"He went to the Slade School of Art and so did my Mum, that was how they met."

"How exactly did your parents meet?" asked Sunny.

"I dunno for sure. It must have been an act of God. I still can't figure out how they ever met or even talked to one another! "

"Maybe they met at a weirdos fancy dress party?"

Jen laughed a false laugh. It was all right for her to mock her parents but she wasn't absolutely sure if she liked someone else doing it.

Moonbeam appeared as if out of thin air and asked what they would like for tea.

They were offered a small choice and decided together to try moonbeam's home-made veggie burgers in soda bread buns with fried onions and a spicy herb relish. Two each would be fine, and Jen decided against having melted goat's cheese on hers. Goat and cheese did not really go together as well as cow and milk and cheese in her view.

Sunny, sensing her unease at the goats' cheese, made all sorts of goat noises to wind her up. To be fair it amused her and it was in a happy mood that she returned with Sunny back towards her caravan to carry out the misdirection of her parents. She never thought for one minute that it could go wrong, and she had total confidence in her abilities to con them and get away with it. Sunny was nervous for her and feared it could all end in tears as he waited patiently at the allotted point for her. He truly hoped that it wouldn't all go wrong, as he really wanted her to see a Wood henge at night. It was spectacular and after all it was his very own special place. He need not have worried, she was back after a very short time with a huge grin on her face.

"How'd it go, Jen?"

"Like dream. Just got to run back so as they can see me and wave to prove Sonia's parents are here to escort me and then we can go."

# Chapter Eight

It was night like she had never experienced before in her young life. Night was night everybody knew that. But out here in the countryside nothing had prepared her for the inky black darkness that surrounded her. There was not the comfort of a street lamp, or any car headlights to show the way. It was completely black. The darkness seemed thick, if that were possible, like a thick cloak that blackened everything it touched.

Jen had never been scared of the dark, but she had never encountered this sort of total blackness before. It was eerie; it most certainly was spooky and very unnerving.

"What was that?" whispered Jen.

"Don't know. Could be anything out here."

"Can you actually see where you are going? It's like a black fog."

"You get used to it out here. All that light in towns drives me mad. You can hardly see the stars and it interferes with everything. Don't you find it annoying?"

"No, Duh! It's pretty reassuring that you can see where you are going."

Another thing that was bothering Jen was the sound. There wasn't any. It was like someone had put a blanket on the world and shut all the usual noises out.

Jen looked up at the sky. It was a wondrous sight. She had never seen the sky with such clarity. All the stars in the heavens were twinkling from millions of miles away just to light earth's heavens. The black cloud that was covering the moon was very slowly moving eastwards and soon she would enjoy an unparalleled view of it in all its glory.

The battery in her torch had run out after they had gone about one hundred yards from the beach. Sunny had told her not to worry he could find his way around here blindfolded. Small comfort to her when the thick black cloud covered the moon and shut off any remaining light. The air was still now that they were off the beach. The sea had been calm, but you always got that slight breeze coming in off it. Now that they were in the fields there was no wind at all and it was incredibly still.

The torch spluttered into life for a micro second before dying again.

It was just long enough for Jen to see a bat and a dark furry creature scuttle away into the hedgerow. It unsettled her even more, and she let out the breath that she had been holding in. Creatures of the night were not her speciality and she was not that fussed on them. She was determined not to show any fear to Sunny. That would be unbearable. It would condemn her to being the pink girly thing that she so despised.

Sunny pushed on blissfully unaware of the torrent of unnerving thoughts that plagued Jen. There was nothing new for him traipsing around the countryside at night. It was all in a normal day's work for him as it were and he paid it no attention. In fact if he had known of Jen's dilemmas, he would not have understood her irrational fears. There were no lions or tigers out here to eat them up in the night, there were no crocodiles as far as he was aware, and there most certainly were no Hippos lurking in the streams!

If he had known Jen's thoughts were more on vampires, ghosts and demons, then he would not have been quite so sure of himself, having endured the odd bit of weirdness since he discovered that black manuscript and deciphered some of it's spells.

They pushed on up the field and into the next one. This field was edged with woods as Jen could see the outline of the tallest trees highlighted in a deep black silhouette against the starry sky. The ground was definitely getting steeper, and with the heavy dew that had formed after the warm day it was easy to slip a little on the uphill climb. Finally they breasted the hill, just as the moon escaped the clutches of the black cloud. It was like a god had shone a flash light onto the earth. When Jen turned around to face the sea it was a magical illumination of the water, with the bright glow of the orb reflecting back from the ocean, and a long deep reflection back towards the coastline.

"Now that's a sight worth seeing, Sunny." she said turning to face him.

She held her breath when she saw him and he saw the fear in her eyes.

"What's up, Jen?"

"You!... You've got two shadows. One looks like your outline, and the other looks like an old man with a pointy hat."

"Don't be dull, Jen that's imposs..." He never finished the sentence as he noticed for the first time that she was not joking.

He kept his eye on it. The odd shaped one. He waved his arm. It did not wave back, unlike his own shadow mirroring his movements. Must be a freak reflection from a bush or something else logical. Jen was still very nervous.

"I don't like the look of that; Sunny it 'ain't natural. Move over there so I can see if it moves with you."

Sunny happily did as he was told, and was confident the odd shadow would disappear without trace.

"Sunny, it's still there!" she shouted and pointed at the same time.

"That's very odd. What's it doing now?"

"Seems to be waiting. It's hard to tell. It doesn't walk like you do or mirror in any way your movements. It has its own way as if it is independent of you, yet not. It's very Spooky and I DON'T like it! "she said with as much mustered bravery as she could summon.

Sunshine was flummoxed. He had experienced many oddities in his life but not one as odd as this one. He decided to experiment. "I'm going to run a bit over there and back. Tell me what it does. Hopefully it will just disappear and we can get on with our quest.

Sunny ran as quick as he could about twenty yards to his left and then back again.

Jen could clearly see both his shadows outlined in full moonlight. His 'real shadow' mirrored perfectly every movement. His other shadow seemed to watch what he did and although it never lost contact with Sunny, it didn't appear to move as such or mirror any of his activities. Most odd. Very odd. Definitely spooky.

"What'd it do, Jen?"

"Nothing much it just seemed to watch you. I think we ought to go back now."

"Nuh! That stupid shadow ain't gonna stop me! Shadows can't do bugger all. They are ephemeral, no substance and I'm still not convinced it isn't a trick of the light up here. Come on let's get to Wood henge it isn't far now and we've come all this way."

"You don't think it's something to do with that creepy book of yours do you?"

"I suppose so," he sighed. He knew deep in his heart that it would be something to do with that creepy book. It always was of late.

"Hang on a min, Jen. What if it's to do with that old clue in the clay flask? You know the one you or I can't work out." Against all evils here is my shade". I hadn't thought about it in that way. In olden times people often referred to shadows as shades.

"If that's the case, I definitely think we should go back."

"Come on don't be a wuss, it can't harm us. Ignore it and maybe it'll go away."

This was a defining moment for Jen. She was more than nervous. She was terrified.

She had never been so scared in all her life, but her stubbornness would not let go and she would not give in and come over 'all girly' in front of Sunny. If he was not afraid there was no way she could show fear. She would do as she was told and ignore it.

Summoning all her courage she said "Come on then. Let's get this over with as soon as possible and get back home. How far is it now?"

" 'Bout ten minutes if we get a move on. Stick close to me and you won't fall down any pot holes."

Jen moved up real close and really wanted to hold his hand. She was busting to hold his hand. Her hand strayed and brushed the side of his and was quickly withdrawn as he shot a surprised glance at her. Maybe he would think that it was a bush that brushed his hand, she hoped.

Ten minutes later they were at Wood henge. Every time that Jen had looked at the spooky shadow it was still there. Wood henge was on the side of a hill, in a flat hollow. The land had been cleared of all scrub bushes and tall weeds by archaeologists who had discovered the site some years ago, whilst looking for an Iron Age hill fort, which they had also discovered

further along. The view of the surrounding area under starlight was breath taking and it was plain to them that this was an ideal place for a fort.

It was worth the trip on it's own to see it in all it's glory. No wonder it was Sunny's favourite place. Well, she could see it now, so maybe they could go home now that he had shown her his special place.

"Fab site, Sun. I can see why you think it's special."

"I don't know why but I always feel at home here. Maybe I was a Druid or something in a former life."

"You could have been the captain of the Hill Fort, with a big army guarding the headland against invaders."

"I hadn't really thought of that. I could have been a hero, riding a big white stallion, sweeping all before me with my sword and lance, rushing down the hillside."

Sunny started waving his arms around as if he held a huge double edged sword and was smiting his enemies. Jen laughed at him. It was the most childish thing he had ever done since she had met him and it really amused her. Then she noticed something odd, and it chilled her bones again. The spooky shadow was still there but not mirroring his movements. She stared hard trying to comprehend what it was doing. It was pointing.

She looked again to make sure. It was definitely pointing in the direction of Wood Henge. She shouted for Sunny to stop and look at his second shadow. He could see it now also. She was right it was pointing.

They both studied where the shade was pointing and unawares of their own feet, were edging closer to Wood Henge and where the shade was pointing. Slowly they got closer and closer to the outline of what had been a colossal wooden circle. No-one had put a date on it yet, it was said to be thousands and thousands of years old. The shade seemed to be pointing at one old stump in particular. Jen and Sunny edged closer and closer to the stump. It was just like any of the other old stumps that formed the old circle. There was nothing to make this one look very special. In fact it had no redeeming features about it at all. They both glanced at the shade and noticed that it was now pointing down into the ground.

Jen looked Sunny and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess it means there's something buried by this old post that it wants us to find."

"Suppose so. How are we meant to see and what the heck am I supposed to dig with? I didn't think to bring a spade on a social outing to my favourite spot." he said with no small amount of sarcasm in his voice.

"Well let's find a way as I don't really want to come up here in the dark again. I've got a small penknife for emergencies. Maybe I can cut the turf and you can burrow or something?"

The knife cut the damp turf easily and it was not long until they had created a circle of bare earth around the old stump. Sunny tried burrowing with his bare hands but the earth was like rock. He needed something to break it up and then he could prize chunks of it up, he thought. What did

the ancients dig with he wondered. Sticks and flints popped into his brain.

He told Jen to 'hang on a mo' and went in search of a suitable stick he could sharpen with her penknife and see where that got them. He found a perfect stick by the old hedge. It was stout and sturdy and well seasoned, it would do the trick he was certain. Jen gave him her knife and he set about sharpening it. The shade looked on in anticipation. Sunny was quite good at 'bushcrafty' things and it hardly took any time at all to get a good point on the stick. He scoured the earth with deep strokes and sure enough earth broke away. He scrambled all that away and continued all around the stump. Jen thought it was taking a lifetime to achieve so she helped in the scooping activities to speed things up a bit so they could get away from here. Digging the horse's grave had been a lot less spooky He had gone down about a foot in depth when he hit something hard and the point of the stick blunted.

"Found something, Jen."

"Let's have a look then."

Sunny had to move right out of the moonlight for her to see.

Whatever it was it was rusty and very corroded. They could only see the very top of it and it would need much more excavation to prise it from its grave. At least he now knew what he was looking for and he also knew where to dig. It would be less strenuous than digging all around the base. He could now concentrate all his efforts just in this one spot.

"Anything I can do to help, Sun?"

"Not really, only pray that a big cloud doesn't cover the moon as that will end this excavation abruptly."

Sunny worked away at the hole and it gradually got bigger. The stick was hurting his hands now and although he was well used to chopping wood, a few small blisters had started to appear. Jen was getting even more impatient. She hopped from one foot to the other half in boredom

and half in anticipation. Finally Sunny managed to create a hole around the object and was now confident he could pluck it from the earth.

He nimbly felt his way around the object and gently probed his fingertips under it. He pulled ever so gently trying to ease it up without damaging it in any way. After a few unsuccessful attempts it came up in his hands. It was an old iron casket. The rust had nearly destroyed it but it still had enough integrity in the metal to hold its original outline shape and structure. Breathless he hauled it out gently and placed it on the ground for Jen to have a look.

"What do you reckon then?" he asked as pleased as could be at his success.

"A real treasure chest, Sun. I wonder what's in it?"

"We'll find out in a minute sure enough."

An Owl hooted loudly into the silence and Jen nearly wet herself.

Sunny saw her expression and burst into fits of laughter. She did not think it was very funny at all.

"Stop pratting about, Sun and get on with it." she said with as much disdain as she could muster.

"Yes, mistress," he said as he mimicked her tone.

Jen came and sat beside Sun and they both looked at the treasure box together.

You could not make out all of the detail in this light but it was as good a mini chest as you could fashion, and had clearly been made to a high standard long ago.

The severe rusting had taken its toll though, and what may have been fine embellishing on the outside were now rusty furrows. It had obviously had a locking mechanism long ago, but this was mostly corroded away. The shade looked on intently. Sunny tried to open the lid but it was completely corroded together. He looked underneath and saw that the base was now only paper thin and you could see through into the inside of the casket.

"What do you think, Jen?" he asked as he showed her the underneath.

"It could be a priceless artefact, but what the hell? I want to go home. If it's the only way in, and it will stop this mystery and get rid of 'oddball' over there, pull the bottom off."

Sunny knew what she meant, but he was loath to personally destroy something that was so ancient. He examined it carefully again. The bottom was so rotten that if it had been left for another year or so, the whole thing would probably have disintegrated. He borrowed Jen's knife again and cut through both base sides and one end. This compromise he had decided was the best of both worlds. He wouldn't have completely destroyed it and it could be bent back again later for whatever reason as long as it didn't break. Both the shade and Jen looked on as he peeled the base open.

"Just a minute Sun, I've got a white handkerchief. If you put it on there we will be able to see the contents more clearly. Jen produced the hanky and spread it on the ground.

Sunny judged the angle and tipped the contents onto it.

There were three small animal skulls almost as white as the hanky, what had obviously been a parchment scroll at some time but the bugs in the earth had now eaten it, and a small very rusty pendant. The chain was completely corroded you would never be able to unravel it.

"What a pile of junk. After all that hard work and it's all "merde'!"said an anguished Jen.

"I think the scroll was the most valuable, and now it's all in bits, eaten away and useless."

Both Jen and Sunny glanced at the shade. It was holding its head and kneeling on the ground. It couldn't have been so, but it looked like it was weeping.

"Looks like you are not the only one miffed at the contents, Jen."

"Let's gather up all this rubbish and go home."

"I need to replace the soil and the turf first then we'll go."

"If you've got to," she said sighing.

"Seems only right. I'll only be a tick."

Sunny quickly replaced all his digging spoil and replaced the cut turf. He stamped it down all around the stump, gathered the 'treasure' and they both headed off back down the hill. Another cloud covered the moon. Jen looked into the gloom for the shade but it was gone. It was pitch black all the way home and they never caught another glimpse of the shade that night.

# CHAPTER NINE

# Sunny met Jen as usual in the allotted meeting point on the beach. Sunny looked a little down at heart. Jen asked what the matter was and was disappointed to learn that he had to help his Mother today. She had forgotten to remind him yesterday. He had tried to get out of it but it was

an annual trek and he had to help her. The next set of clues for the treasure would have to wait and frankly after last nights experiences at Wood Henge he was not up to solving riddles today.

Last night's eerie apparition had unsettled him and he needed time to think about it.

Jen offered to help, but Sunny then explained what was supposed to happen today with Moonbeam, and she agreed it was not a good idea.

Sunny helped his Mother every season do the rounds of the caravan sites selling candles and natural herb potions. Sunny helped carry all the items that were for sale. It usually went quite well and she always managed to come home with little or no stock left. It would only cause embarrassment if he called at Jen's and the weirdos realised that he and Jen were mates. Sunny had brought the pendant they had unearthed, as Jen had promised to clean it up using her dads car rust treatment fluid and see if there were any more clues as to its history or possible purpose.

Sunny had placed it in the white hanky that Jen had laid out on the ground last night. He passed it to Jen and thanked her in advance for the cleaning service. All being well he could meet up with her again later say, fourish and he could tell her of his day's activities and she could bring the pendant back for closer examination. He enquired as to how she got on with her parents on her return last night, and was pleased to discover that it had all gone to plan.

Sunny returned to Home Meadow to load up all the goods on an old butchers bicycle with a large basket on the front which would take the bulk of the stock. Moonbeam had her best wicker basket out with the display stock ready for showing the customers.

She had pulled her long hair back from her face and had tied the long locks with a scrunchy which sat half way down her back. She wore the shortest shorts on god's earth, which had once been a pair of jeans whose holes had become irreparable, so she had cut the legs off. She wore a tight whitish tee shirt with a batiked motif, her favourite home-made shell necklace and flip flop sandals. His Mother had a good figure and was always well tanned, but he always felt a trifle uncomfortable when she decided to dress in such a revealing way. She was his Mother after all and not some holiday bimbo. She would never listen to reason and always accused Geronimo and him of being prudes. They set off on the journey and hoped to be well in pocket and home mid afternoon with no stock left.

Jen had walked back to the caravan. It was going to be a long day without Sunny and there were still clues to be solved and treasure to be found. Still she had gone off on her own for a day with her Mother before, so she really could not say too much. And then here were the peculiar incidents of last night to consider. She opened the hanky to reveal the pendant in the bright daylight. It was manky to say the least and she was not sure if her fathers rust remover would get it all clean as Sunny and she had hoped.

Her Dad was still cleaning car parts when she returned and her Mother was sat in a deckchair reading a paper.

"What have you got there young lady?" asked her Dad.

"Just something Sonia and I found in a rock pool. It's all rusty and I was wondering if I could borrow some of your rust cleaner to clean it up?"

Her Mother lowered the newspaper to see what was going on.

Jen offered the once white hanky to her dad for inspection.

"I hope that's not one of the best white hankies I gave you to come away with is it?" asked her Mother in a sharp tone.

"Sorry, Mum it'll wash out."

"I sincerely hope so, young lady. New linen handkerchiefs do not grow on trees you know."

Jen hated this tone. Of course she knew they didn't grow on trees. They grew on snot bushes, everyone knew that, she thought petulantly.

Jen's Dad slowly unwrapped the hanky and revealed the rusty object. He hummed a bit to himself and took it over to his small tin bath that was filled with his special cleaning fluid and dropped the whole thing in. It made a tiny splosh and caused the toothbrush cleaner fall into the bath.

Dad pulled it clear again and tutted.

"Give it half an hour to loosen the rust and then we will be able to see what's underneath. Do not put your bare hands into the solution, it's slightly corrosive and you could burn your delicate skin." He handed the orange stained hanky back to Jen who immediately tried to conceal it from her Mum.

***

The old black butcher's bike was not as heavy as he remembered it from last year. It still had a squeaky wheel and although they had all promised to remember to oil it, no-one ever had. He must be getting older and stronger he decided. His Mother used to remind him every year that when he was a baby she used to push him around in the basket on the

front. In fact Sunny and this bicycle had been inextricably intertwined since his birth. He hated it. It meant hard work for most of his young life as he followed Moonbeam around the sites on a regular run in the holiday periods. It was very warm today, and he was already not looking forward to some of the sites which would require uphill pushing without the benefit of free wheeling down the other side.

The brakes didn't really work either, so he would have to be the break to stop it rolling down the hills. The first site had proved quite successful and Moonbeam had re-acquainted herself with some of the regular campers who remembered her from last year and for all he knew, from twenty years ago. It was a social visit, with much to discuss about what had happened over the winter. Who was new. Who was not coming any more and whispered bits of tittle tattle usually from what Sunny could hear, about who was having affairs or something like that. Moonbeam would pass on the news to the next site and so on. Eventually after Moonbeam had done her rounds, everybody knew everything about everyone else. Business was carried out in much the same vein and he often wondered if the purchases were in some way a bribe to his Mother to get all the latest news and gossip. He was not looking forward to the next site as this was where Jen and her parents were camped.

It had got too warm for Jen's Mum and she had gone back inside the caravan to finish reading the newspaper. The loudness of a neighbour's radio was getting on her Dad's nerves and he was busy deciding if he should tell them or not. Confrontation was not his style. He preferred to check the regulations first and then suggest that everyone abide by them. He had decided on this course of action when Jen appeared in the caravan doorway and asked if the rusty thing was cooked yet?

This had taken his mind off that infernal row and he had gone to fetch the pendant from the treatment bath. He swirled it around a bit and then pulled it dripping from the bath and into the light. Most of the old chain had dissolved away into the solution and it was only the main pendant that was left. It glittered as the sunlight caught it.

"What have we here then, Genevieve?"

She skipped from the doorway to get a better look.

"I think you may have stumbled on something valuable here. I am almost certain that this pendant is real gold and there is a gemstone in the middle. The rusty mess that formed the chain had obscured this from view but I'm almost certain that it's valuable. I'll clean it up and then we can hand it in to the police station."

Jen nearly had a heart attack. What police station? How had police station come into the reckoning? What planet did her Dad come from? Finders Keepers was her motto.

Sunny would go ballistic if he had heard this. She said nothing but had already decided that it was not under any circumstances going to any police station. It was not leaving her sight until Sunny had examined it. If that proved fruitless, then they could sell it to an antique shop and be

quite well off between them for a while.

Her father applied the toothbrush doused in cleaning fluid to the pendant. He carefully brushed it this way and that, until it shone. He replaced the toothbrush into the cleaner and gently laid the pendant onto his special lint free cleaning cloth. He dried it very, very carefully, and when he was happy with his handicraft he passed the pendant to Jen. It was a truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The setting was wrought gold, interwoven delicately around the gem stone. She looked carefully and saw that it had an inscription that looked like the words in Sunny's spell book.

"Lovely piece of craftsmanship, Genevieve. I expect someone was heartbroken at losing this. Never mind, the police will be able to tell us if anyone has reported it missing."

Jen had to think hard and quickly. Her Dad's plans had to be thwarted this instant.

"I think it's only fair if Sonia and I take it in. After all, it was us that found it."

"This is a valuable piece, Genevieve. I'll come with you just to make sure it gets there safe and sound. Go and tell your Mother what we have discovered underneath all that rust, she will be delighted."

Jen had to get out of this somehow. Then just to make matters worse, she caught sight of Moonbeam and Sunny entering their part of the site.

She jumped to, and got into the caravan so as no-one would see her.

"Mum, go and see Dad, he has cleaned up that pendant Sonia and I found. He says it could be gold and he wants you to go and have a look."

Mother, intrigued, put her paper down and went outside. She was examining it as Moonbeam arrived.

Gypsies! That was all he needed on his holidays, thought Jen's Dad as Moonbeam approached them with her basket. Sunny looked around for Jen but was relieved when he couldn't see her. This had to be her place as the car in bits really gave it away. His Mum would recognise her and then

it would be ten thousand questions that he really could not be bothered to answer, or Jen come to think of it.

"That looks old." said Moonbeam, "a real antique."

"Know much about antiques do you? I thought your lot's specialities were pegs and lucky heather!"

Moonbeam did not, as usual, rise to the bait and instead replied in her poshest English voice "My aunt ran an antiques stall in the Portobello Road some years ago and I used to help out on a Saturday."

This was the first that Sunny had ever heard of it. He edged closer to see the object in question and was stunned to see that it was the pendant. Not the pendant he had handled two hours ago, but a bright gleaming pendant, that had lost most of its chain.

Jen's Mum relaxed on hearing of this woman's supposed expertise in antiques.

"There's an inscription, but we cannot read Welsh."

"I can a little, not much. Sunshine can you make out this inscription?"

Jen's Mum was holding the pendant tightly and would not hand it over to Moonbeam for closer inspection. Moonbeam was only allowed to hold the far edge.

Sunny had to push in really close to see the inscription. He had to look twice and mask his surprise. They were the same words as he had seen in his spell book. He tried his best to remember what they said and then it dawned on him.

"Transmogrify" he announced to a startled audience. He knew it was that for sure, as he had to look it up in the dictionary. The air crackled as if something had happened. He did not like the sound of that, given all his experience with that particular noise, prior to this event.

"Damn racket!" said Jen's Dad.

"I beg your pardon." said Moonbeam in her posh voice.

"It's a damn racket. Why do people have to have their radio's turned to full volume?"

"I think it's cool," said Jen's Mum.

"Well, I agree with your husband. It pollutes the air, and it shouldn't be allowed. There ought to be a law." said Moonbeam.

Sunny was perplexed. Jen's Mum had said cool, and Moonbeam had agreed with the anorak. Something was seriously amiss here.

"Come along, Master Halliday, we must be away from here. There is just so much cleaning to do at home, I don't think I will be able to finish it before your father gets home."

There was definitely some thing very amiss here. Moonbeam had never ever addressed him as Master Halliday. And cleaning? What was that all about? Moonbeam never cleaned as such, just pushed all things in a heap to sort out later. Later just never arrived until it got so much Geronimo would step in and burn most of it as a way of getting rid of all the junk. Then there was 'your father' he was always either Dad or Geronimo.

No, there was something seriously fishy about this. Moonbeam had set off at a great pace back towards Home Meadow and Sunny had to run to catch her up. He needed to speak to Jen very urgently.

Jen had heard and caught a sneak preview of all that had taken place from the small side window of the caravan. Her father was looking strangely at her Mother, but he was saying nothing. Her Mother came back into the caravan, idly threw the pendant on the side table and started to change clothes.

Jen came out of her hiding place and asked what was going on?

"These dowdy clothes are no good for sunbathing. I need something more hip. I'm only 38 not 78, have you got anything I can borrow, Genicans?"

Genicans? What was all that about? It was always Genevieve in full.

No shortening permitted, no pet family name, just Genevieve. What clothes could she lend her?

Her Mother was twice the size of her and amply endowed in the bust area. Jen took after her Dads figure. She just stared at her Mother who by now had ignored waiting for any response and had disrobed down to her bra and knickers.

She rummaged in the cupboard and gasped with glee as she found two large silky scarves. She tied one around her top and one around her waist to look a bit like a sarong. It looked trendy but totally out of place on her Mother. Middle aged flesh was just about OK on strangers, but on your own parents it was just disgusting.

"Mum," she pleaded," You can't go out like that. Dad will go spare."

"Stick in the mud! You leave Reggie baby to me."

This was too much. Her father and Mother had always been very particular on names.

He was always 'Your Father,' occasionally, Dad or even Mr Jones. But Reggie or even worse Reggie baby-never.

"You said we had to clean the van, Mum and get everything spic and span," said Jen.

"Later Genicans, maybe tomorrow if I can be bothered. Who cares? Life's for living and communing with nature, not cleaning." and with that she disappeared out of the caravan door, and sashayed down towards the beach.

Mr Jones looked up from the car and stared at her in disbelief, with an open mouth.

This was not cool decided Jen. Something weird was going on.

Making a quick decision she snatched up the pendant and ran off looking for Sunny.

Sunny and Moonbeam had arrived back at Home Meadow in double quick time.

"Look at this place! Mr Halliday "she said."It's a complete tip and it's going to take us three days just to make it look tidy for your father when he comes home. Don't think for one minute that you can bunk off. I need help and I need it now." She looked around the site with eagle eyes and he could see some form of plan developing in her mind. It was like watching the wheels spin on a gambling machine. Slowly the wheels stopped spinning and clicked into place

"That caravan is a disgrace," she announced." We will start there. You will wash the outside and I will gut the inside and air it. I've had enough of living in a tent. Get your Father's tools and nail the edges closed again. See if you can repair the piping that covers the exposed edges. If you can't, we will have to buy some new ones from the site shop. Is there any gas left in the cylinder? I will need plenty of hot soapy water to scrub the walls and ceiling. That dried green sludge covering the outside will need lots of hard scrubbing young man. You will have to put your back into it." She caught sight of herself for the first time in the murky caravan window that they had now strolled close to.

"Oh my gosh! I look a sight! You make a start and I'll change into something more appropriate. Jump to it. There's a good lad."

Sunny was stunned. Whoever this woman was, it wasn't his Mother.

He needed to talk to Jen urgently.

"Don't just stand there gawping Sunshine, get it open and make a start whilst I'm changing."

This new tone of hers and the unheard of urgency, was already grating on Sunny's nerves. He had half a mind to leg it up the beach and away from this madness, but she was his Mum and he felt obliged. No it wasn't just obligation, it was guilt. He knew some where along the line he was somehow responsible for this. He climbed the tiny metal steps that led to the caravan door and tried to open it. It was stuck fast with years of weather beaten and hardened green grime. He went and fetched a small flat headed screw driver and scribed all along the seam. He pulled with all his might and the door finally gave up the fight and opened rather quickly. He fell backwards onto the grass. The heat escaping from the confined space was overpowering, as was the smell. It was a terrible stink of damp and must and heaven knows what else. He waited a few seconds for the first blast to disappear and stuck his head inside. It was a graveyard for dead insects. The floor was covered in dead black houseflies. In fact you could not see the carpet on the floor for them. The windows had spiders and moths glued to them when the condensation had wetted them and then the sun had re-dried them. He was sure that there were mouse droppings on top of the dead flies. Ugh! it was horrific.

Moonbeam, in what looked to him like winter clothes, had by now re appeared. She was clothed from head to foot in garments he had no recollection of ever seeing before. Her hair had all been pulled back severely and tucked into what Sunny could only describe as an emerald green turban. She looked like some shady character from a Sherlock Holmes novel. She actually looked quite comical to Sunny, but he decided it was not appropriate to laugh at this juncture.

"Get those windows open young man. We need air in this place and fetch me the besom. It'll take the rest of the day just to sweep the floor. When it's clean I want you to take all the carpets out and give them a good beating. We may have to buy new ones and by the looks of it we will probably have to replace all the cushion covers and definitely buy new curtains."

Sunny now knew for sure that this was not his true Mother. It couldn't be.

House proud was never one of her traits and any form of consumerism was alien to his real Mum.

End of Book 1

Continuing adventures for Sunny & Jen in Book 2
