Chapter 25
People will surprise you any chance they get.
It turned out that Warren already knew who was coming to Deeper Harbour. He’d known for quite a while. He told us all about it while we carried Molly’s clothesline pole back to her backyard.
Or at least we were carrying what used to be Molly’s clothesline pole. Granddad Angus had changed it considerably. That was just what Granddad Angus did, I guess. He laid his hands on things and they changed. It had been a pine tree that had become a clothesline pole and then Granddad Angus had changed that pole into a caber.
And then he’d changed it one more time.
He’d changed it in the dark of Warren’s boat shed, working alone on it with a mallet and gouge and chisel whenever we weren’t out in the dory monster, turning that clothesline-pole caber into something else.
Something beautiful.
Granddad Angus had carved the top of Molly Winter’s clothesline-pole caber into a sea serpent.
“I got the idea from Dulsie’s today tattoos,” Granddad Angus said. “I wanted to make something out of this old caber before we gave it back to Molly and set it up for her as a clothesline pole again.”
The top of the caber was the sea serpent’s head and the rest of its body wound down around the body of the clothesline pole, with its tail curled neatly around the base. It was painted and thickly covered with at least three coats of marine varnish.
“I had Dulsie paint in the details and I glued two chips of amethyst where the eyes are supposed to go.”
I stared at it, thinking to myself how amazing it was that this old Jack pine had been cut down and used as a clothesline pole until Granddad Angus turned it into a caber and then threw it through a dory and now both dory and clothesline pole had grown up into sea monsters.
Dulsie, Warren, Granddad Angus, and I carried the pole down to Molly’s house and nearly half the town followed us. Some of them even helped carry the sea serpent clothesline pole. While we were carrying it I told Granddad Angus and Dulsie and Warren about who was coming to town.
Which was when Warren told us that he’d already known who was coming to town.
Like I said, people will surprise you.
“The prime minister of Canada himself is coming to Deeper Harbour,” Warren confirmed, “for the town’s annual Fogopogo Festival.”
It struck me a little funny how something that had just been invented could suddenly be described as annual. I guess that it was something like a dream, painted with the hope that a festival and a town could outlast a new highway.
“I bet he read my letter,” Warren went on. He was about the most excited I’d ever seen him. “He wants to meet with me, I know it. I bet you he’s hoping to get a good look at Fogopogo.”
Granddad Angus snorted.
“My guess is he reads the newspaper,” he said. “I expect the man knows a photo opportunity when he sees it.”
“No,” Warren said. “He’s coming because he got my letter. I just know he is.”
Granddad Angus still wasn’t convinced.
“It must be an election year,” Granddad Angus said. “I wonder if he thinks that sea monsters can vote.”
“Say what you want, Angus,” Warren argued. “When he gets here, I expect him to see this sea monster. And I intend to be there with him when he sees it.”
“Well, how will we move that rig without you to help?” asked Granddad Angus, lowering his voice.
“You’ll just have to figure out a way,” Warren replied. “I need to make as much profit out of this as I can.”
“Do you figure he’s going to give you money?” Dulsie asked.
“They’re called grants, girl. Prime ministers give them out all the time.”
I wasn’t so sure about Warren’s logic, but there was no reasoning with the man. He had his heart set on getting next to the prime minister and pumping his arm like a pump handle.
“Since when did you get so greedy?” Granddad Angus asked.
“I’ve got expenses to deal with,” Warren said. “Up until now the only way I’ve made any money out of that boat shed has been selling some of my dad’s tools to an antique dealer.”
“Why don’t you just sell the shed and be done with it?” Dulsie asked.
“I’ve got plans for that shed,” Warren said.
“Plans?” Granddad Angus said with a snort of derision. “You figuring on expanding your ostrich egg exhibit?”
“I’ve got plans,” Warren repeated.
And that’s all he would tell us.
Then we got to Molly’s place and found out the truth of it.