Billy takes off his backpack and opens it. He pulls out the book and unfolds the map; by the look of it, they are not too far from the quarry. The direction they are headed is still sound.
Peter pushes at his glasses and studies the detail.
“Have you been to the quarry before?”
Billy and Rufus both nod.
“It looks big,” Daisy says.
“Yeah, it’s big, full of water too,” Rufus replies. “Rex, you’re gonna have to stick with me.” Rex looks at Rufus and lifts one eyebrow. It’s the oddest expression, for a dog.
“The wolves are still there,” Peter mutters, glancing around behind them. “All five.” Peter is wearing his helmet; it bobs as he turns his head.
Daisy looks at Peter and rolls her eyes.
“Well, we are just fine. They are just keeping us company,” she says emphatically.
“Wonder what time it is,” Rufus says.
Billy replies, “Sun is still high.”
They walk for what feels like ages, but eventually they get to the end of the forest. When they clear the forest, the land fills with scrub grass, framed by a dense hedge.
“Hmmm, I think we are going to have to get through that somehow,” Billy says thoughtfully.
Daisy points at one part, “Looks like there might be a bit of a gap there.”
When they get to the hedge, they realise Daisy is correct. She looks smug but says nothing, not even ‘I told you so’. They have to crawl in, but the ground is dry and the brambles are high enough not to bother them. They climb up and up. The ground is steep and Peter’s helmet keeps on getting caught in the thorns, resulting in a lot of minor screeching.
It feels like forever but they get to the top. Rex has picked up a bone; he flops down and starts chewing and chomping at it.
They are super-high up and can see the whole quarry. It is massive. There are four pools the size of football pitches. The first pool is flanked by hedge and trees, and feeds into the second pool – there, the banks are steep and sheer. The third pool is straight in front of them, long and thin, and the fourth is just towards the right of them, again steep banks. It is darker and looks very deep.
There are no birds, no bats; in fact, there is no sound whatsoever. The quarry seems empty of life.
Daisy says, “I don’t much like it here.”
The three boys are quiet.
Daisy says, “I don’t like it at all.”
“Yeah, know what you mean, Daisy. The water is poisonous, you know – think if you fell in, you’d shrivel up. Like a really old orange before it turns mouldy,” Rufus says. “Birds don’t like it here cause the water turns their beaks lemon and then the worms can see them and then…” Rufus trails off.
“What? Like a proper lemon, with pips and all?” Peter says.
“No! Oh Screech. Like yellow, you know,” Rufus replies seriously.
Billy looks straight ahead. “We’re going that way,” he says, pointing west. It means going straight through the quarry. “We’re going to have to go round the edge.”
Suddenly, Gunner Sharpie appears, as if out of nowhere.
“Well now, isn’t this a fine coincidence,” he says.
“How’d you get here?” Daisy asks.
“A little bit of respect would do you no harm at all, young lady,” Gunner Sharpie says briskly.
Daisy narrows her eyes. “Uh huh, how’d you get here, sir?”
“There’s a good girl,” he says. “I fish here, don’t you know.”
“But…” Rufus starts.
“That’s it, that’s it, well it is fine to see my young adventurers once again – blessed am I,” he beams at them.
“Mr Sharpie, it might be a bit dangerous here for you,” Billy says.
“Don’t you worry, son, I’ll be right careful. Aren’t you the thoughtful fella,” he replies kindly.
Daisy looks at him.
“OK,” Billy says. “Let’s go this way.”
Billy turns to his right and starts to walk around the quarry. The ground veers between a dry scrub and squelchy mud, particularly where it dips near the water. Peter glances back, the wolves are still following but the distance between them has lengthened just a bit.
“We’ll just take it nice and slow,” Billy says.
Once they get moving, Rufus calls out to Rex, “Come on Rex, come on boy!” Rex looks at Rufus, then looks at his bone. He whines but gets up, leaving the bone behind him.
They have to take their time as they walk the perimeter of the quarry, as the ground is treacherous.
Gunner Sharpie scans the quarry, peering intensely at the water.
“I’ll hazard a guess you young ones would love to go for a swim, would do you the world of good.”
Daisy watches him carefully.
Rufus says, “Oh we’re too busy for that, Mr Sharpie.”
“Is that right? When I was a young fella, oh Lord, all I’d have wanted was to swim in such a lovely lookin’ stretch of water,” he replies.
Peter looses his footing and scrabbles at the pebbly bank. He starts sliding down to the water, but Daisy and Billy see him in time and rush after him. Daisy grabs hold of his helmet; it pulls off but gives Billy just enough time to grab his arm before he hits the water. When they are steadied, the three of them sit down. The fastener on Peter’s helmet is broken but that is the worst of the damage. Daisy hands back his helmet and Peter inspects it with an air of dejection.
“That’s it then, helmets broke now. This day just gets better and better,” Peter says.
Daisy retorts, “Peter, your bike was broke and your helmet never fit you properly anyway! Stop feeling so sorry for yourself.”
“Well that’s easy for you to say, little miss perfect.”
Uncharacteristically, Billy cuts in. “Pack it in you two, we need to keep going. Peter, take it handy and watch your step,” he finishes seriously.
All five, plus Gunner Sharpie, walk on. Rex stays close to Rufus, his nose touching Rufus’s calf from time to time. To Rufus, this is most unusual but highly gratifying.
The five wolves track them, but have veered further away from the quarry, keeping their distance from the water.
Billy and everyone have almost reached the far side of the quarry when the banks give way and a gap of maybe seven feet widens. Far below, the water rests flatly.