CHAPTER 41

As the coach rolls along the driveway, toward the gates of Lunar House, clouds drift and the wind drops to a hush. Evie clings to Grandpa’s tweed coat, which smells of all the things she loves, bran and molasses, and smoke and ink.

“What does this mean, Grandpa?” whispers Evie.

“Rhino is staying, Evie,” says Grandpa. His face is glowing and his eyes are twinkling and crinkling at the corners.

Grandpa laughs and picks Evie up, swinging her around. “He’s staying, Evie. He’s staying!” Grandpa is laughing and crying.

Cook and Mr Duffer embrace and they too are laughing and crying at the same time.

“The daft thing is staying, Mr Duffer!”

“We’re blessed, Cook. We truly are.”

“Can this be true, Grandpa?”

“It is. The unthinkable has happened.”

Albine burk burks in the portico.

“But why, Grandpa? Why did George leave without Rhino?”

“Because he’s our friend, Evie. George has put Rhino’s happiness first, our happiness first, ahead of his father, and ahead of the zoo.”

Evie is unable to contain herself any longer. She scoops up Albine and dances and twirls. Now she comprehends. Now she understands George. That’s why he’s been such a mess these last few days. Evie can’t imagine what he must have been through to come to this decision, but she is so happy he has. She remembers Gerta, and Grandpa’s stolen work and all the pieces of the puzzle. George has set past wrongs to right.

Evie watches the coach pass through the gates. George gives a last wave of his hat out the window and as the coach veers left onto the track, she freezes on the spot. Her mouth drops wide open as there, swinging off the back of the coach, are two, cheeky little monkeys.

“Oh, no!” cries Evie.

“How did they git out?” wails Cook.

Evie gapes at Grandpa and Grandpa shoots her a surprised, wide-eyed look. Cook twists a knot in her apron and Mr Duffer’s tartan cap falls off.

“Go on, child. Go an, get the bleedin’ little devils,” says Cook.

Out of the blue, Rhino appears, bellowing. He’s somehow got himself out of the stables.

“How did he git out?” says Cook, scratching her head.

Grandpa rushes forward and gives Evie a leg-up onto Rhino’s back. He takes off like a train, kicking and spraying gravel into the air as he accelerates.

Evie leans forward for balance and she can feel the power in Rhino’s hindquarters and he goes faster and faster. They catch up to the coach within a couple miles and gallop alongside until the coach driver sees them.

“Bloomin’ heck?” cries the driver in shock.

“Please, stop!” waves Evie, and he eases the horses to a halt. George pops his head out of the window in alarm.

“What’s the matter, Evie? Are you all right?”

“Everything’s fine,” puffs Evie. Just as she’s saying this, Simon somersaults from the roof of the coach. He swings in through the window, landing next to George. Mini leaps from the coach onto Rhino’s back, landing behind Evie.

George sits up in surprise, but then he begins to laugh. He holds his hand out to the little monkey and Simon takes it, giving George one of his best gummy grins.

Evie gives George a sheepish grin. She wags her finger at Simon and he hangs his head, knowing he’s done the wrong thing.

“What on earth? Evie? They’re Rhesus monkeys?” George doubles over with laughter again.

Evie doesn’t know what to say. She’s aware she’s kept the monkeys a secret and they belong to the zoo, as well as Rhino. She holds her arms out to Simon and he clambers out of the window of the coach, leaping onto Rhino’s neck. He moves in to Evie’s side, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I found them hiding in the stables not long before you arrived,” says Evie.

George wipes tears from his eyes, but he can’t seem to stop himself from laughing. It bubbles up from somewhere deep inside of him. Something catches his eye in the bush and a look of recognition flickers across his face. George bursts out laughing again, quite out of control, thinks Evie.

“There’s nothing for me to see here,” George says to Evie, smiling at her. He knocks on the roof of the coach. “Drive on, driver. Farewell, dear Evie.”

With both little monkeys sitting behind her, Evie breathes a sigh of relief. She watches as George’s coach trundles off into the distance.

“Thank you, George,” Evie whispers. “Thank you for everything.” She stares into the bush where George was gazing and gasps in surprise at some unusual looking rare white cranes. She’s never seen a species such as these before and thinks back to the cargo list from the shipwreck.

It couldn’t be?

It couldn’t be? Evie shakes her head. But she knows it could be. That dark and light exist in this world. That anything can happen, that things can change and magic is everywhere.

Evie’s not sure what this fluttery feeling inside of her is. Hope? Joy? Gratitude? Could it be all three? She laughs. The trees appear greener, the sky is bluer, and the sun feels different upon her face, warming her inside like a generous serve of Cook’s apple pie.

“Let’s go home, Rhino,” says Evie, patting his neck. Rhino flicks his ears and saunters down the track.

Evie and Rhino and the little monkeys ride through the gates of Lunar House, and Grandpa, Cook and Mr Duffer whoop and dance in a circle.

“Three cheers for George!” cries Grandpa.

The celebration soon brings a bounding Francie and Freddie and two sleepy-eyed cats from the study. The ladies appear, running with their wings held high, Albine squawking the loudest. It also brings into the garden a curious old coach horse and a devoted milking cow.

Rhino’s ears are swiveling and flicking and his tail twirls in the air. Evie dismounts, wrapping her arms around Rhino’s head and he licks her face and snuffles her hair, bellowing. Evie feels the vibrations ripple through her.

“You’re staying, Rhino,” she whispers into his hairy ears. “You’re staying here. Forever.”

Grandpa and Cook and Mr Duffer gather around Rhino. Everybody is talking at once, including Simon and Mini, who are chittering and chattering. They admire Rhino’s magnificence, his enormous massiveness, his impressively huge horn, his lovely long eyelashes, and his hairy ears. They praise his kindness and gentleness and stroke his neck and scratch his ears.

Rhino bellows loudly. He can’t help himself, and he bellows and moos and bellows. It’s a contagious feeling. He can feel the energy of the humans around him. It vibrates through the air, vibrates through him. The golden-haired child laughs as she hangs off him. She’s glowing with joy, as pure as sunshine after a storm. And he feels they’ve just come through one. Something significant has happened. And the air is alive. The rippling happiness of the human child ripples through him and he curls his lip, nibbling and snuffling her hair, inhaling her milk and honey sweetness. He can feel the adoration of the adult humans, touching him, patting him and praising him. He knows he’s admired, and he stands very still so they can all rub and scratch him at their leisure.