Cliffhanger Read online

  'That's the ticket. Now. It's OK.

  Have a little rest if you like. It's not so bad now, is it?'

  Yes!'

  You can dangle t h e r e all day if you really want,' said J a k e .

  'No!'

  'Or you can get hold of t h a t old rope and walk yourself down, one foot at a 47

  time, easy-peasy. Mmm?'

  I peered up at him.

  'Can't you pull me up?' I begged.

  We're trying to get you down, pal, not up!' said Jake. 'You can do it.

  You're being ever so brave.'

  He had to be joking!

  'Stay there long enough and you'll get such a head for heights you'll become a trapeze artist,' said Jake.

  'I don't think!'

  'So just reach out —' Jake urged.

  I thought about it. My fingers were hurting terribly. My hands were so scratched and sore. I couldn't hang there for ever. Maybe if I let go and grabbed the rope I could get down. So I loosened my grip, I reached out suddenly, I tried to grab . . .

  I swung round and it was so scary I shut my eyes and caught hold of the rock all over again.

  I heard the others groaning. But Jake didn't give up on me.

  'Nearly. Try again. Go on.'

  So I tried again. I reached out. I 48

  made another grab at the rope. My hand was sticky with sweat but I got it – I held on to it – I had it safe!

  Well done!' Jake called. 'There! I knew you could. Just keep hanging on to it this time, eh? Now walk yourself down. One step.'

  I tried to move my feet. They were numb inside my boots. I made a teeny-tiny mouse-move downwards.

  'Great!' said Jake. 'Now another step.'

  My other leg moved. And I moved too. I was going down.

  We're back in business,' said Jake.

  'There we go. That's it. You're getting the hang of it now.'

  'I'm doing it!' I said, stepping myself down through space.

  'That's right. You're doing it, Tim,'

  Jake called. 'You're nearly halfway

  down. Doing just great. Carry on.

  Nice and easy. Good boy. Well done.'

  ' I ' m doing it,' I mumbled. 'I'm doing it. I'm doing it. It's awful. But I'm doing it!'

  'Come on, Tim!' Biscuits called up at me. He sounded much nearer now.

  'You're nearly there!'

  I carried on, quicker and quicker –

  and then suddenly I was at the bottom and Biscuits gave me such a thump on the back to congratulate me that I very nearly fell over.

  'You did it, you did it, you did it!'

  Biscuits sang.

  Jake was cheering me from right up at the top of the rock.

  'Well done, Tim! It wasn't so bad, was it? Do you want another go, eh?'

  I shook my head so hard my helmet wobbled.

  'Never ever ever again!'

  All the others managed it without making a fuss. Giles was especially good at it. I knew he would be.

  He went on and on and on at me

  going back to the Centre.

  You were so scared!' he said. You just dangled there. And you cried! Boo hoo, boo hoo, little baby.'

  He kept pushing and punching me too, when he thought Jake wasn't watching. Really hard.

  After tea Jake asked me to help him look for lost balls in the garden. Just him and me.

  I found a red ball right in the middle of the roses. Jake was pleased with me.

  Well done, Tim.' He patted me on the back. His hand stayed on my shoulder. You're finding it a bit tough at the moment, aren't you, Tim?'

  'They keep teasing me, saying I'm scared. Well, it's mostly one person in 51

  particular. In my bedroom. The one who isn't Biscuits.'

  Jake sat down and I did too.

  'Giles?' said Jake, throwing the red ball at me.

  'Giles!' I said, sighing, catching the ball.

  'You caught it!' said Jake.

  I threw the ball back. He threw it to me. I caught it each time. But Jake was giving me very easy throws.

  'You could try standing up to him,'

  Jake said, bouncing the ball.

  'Hmm!' The ball skidded into the roses again and I went to fetch it. I found a little wiggly worm too. It almost got run over by the ball, but not quite. I stroked it very gently.

  'I'm like this little worm,' I said, holding it in my hand. 'And Giles is like a great big blackbird. Going peck peck peck at me.'

  52

  Jake seemed surprised that I liked worms so I told him about this pet worm I had once called William. I filled a shoe-box with earth and made him a special Wormotel but then Mum made a fuss and I had to empty the shoe-box into the garden – and

  William got emptied out too.

  'I'll tell you a secret, Tim,' said Jake.

  Jake said he was scared of worms!

  Always, ever since he was a little boy.

  And all the other boys teased him and threw worms at him to make him

  squeal.

  'So one day I thought this is nuts. I made myself pick up a worm and

  I threw it right back. And it was OK

  after that.'

  I wondered whether Giles was

  scared of worms.

  Jake said everyone's scared of

  something. Mice. The dark. Wetting the bed!

  I held the wiggly worm out and he squealed and made out he was dead 53

  scared. But he was only kidding.

  'I think you've been kidding all along, Jake,' I said. 'To make me feel better.'

  Jake laughed and said I was amaz-ing at sussing things out.

  I've sussed out one thing. I know what my friend Biscuits is scared of.

  Running out of biscuits!

  54

  Chapter Four

  Biscuits and I teamed up for the canoe race. Biscuits sat at the front. Our canoe tipped forwards. We swopped round which was exceedingly difficult.

  We got a bit wet in the process, but eventually I was squashed in the front and Biscuits sat behind me. Our canoe tilted backwards. We decided to put up with it. We agreed not to take the canoe race too seriously.

  Giles and Kelly took it very seriously indeed. Jake had paired them up in one canoe. Giles stuck his nose in the air at the thought of sharing with Kelly. Kelly held her nose at the thought of sharing with Giles.

  But they made a very speedy pair 57

  and they were soon racing ahead through the water. Laura and Lesley were nippy too, paddling away like crazy.

  'Come on, you Tigers!' Giles yelled, craning back at us.

  There were just two huge Panthers ahead of Giles and Kelly. They had arm muscles like cannon balls and were way out in front. Giles and Kelly paddled frantically, desperate to catch them up.

  'Nutters!' said Biscuits, wiping his brow. 'Phew! I don't think much of this canoeing lark, do you, Tim?'

  'Yeah. This isn't my idea of fun,' I said, paddling hard.

  'You can say that again,' said

  Biscuits.

  'This isn't my idea of fun,' I said.

  'You can say that again,' said

  Biscuits.

  58

  'This isn't my idea of fun,' I said, cracking up laughing.

  'You can say that again,' said

  Biscuits, spluttering.

  We were soon laughing so much we nearly capsized our canoe.

  Giles and Kelly were getting nearer and nearer the mighty Panthers.

  They drew close, maybe too close.

  The Panthers went a bit wobbly – and suddenly Giles and Kelly were

  ahead.

  We're in front!' Giles yelled triumphantly.

  'We are the champions!' Kelly sang, and she took something small out of her pocket and gave a victory wave.

  She waved a little too vigorously.

  The small something flew through the air and did a swallow dive into the river.

  Kelly screamed.

  'Theresa! Come back! You c