Grimsdon (14 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

‘Today's our lucky day, Snowy.' Jeremiah skipped around in his slippers and clapped. ‘Very lucky. We have guests. And what fine guests they are. You said they'd be back, and here they are! Please sit, sit.'

Isabella and Griffin lowered themselves onto a lounge that Jeremiah must have dragged from some other part of the library, judging by the scratch marks across the floor.

Griffin handed over a bag. ‘We thought you'd like this.'

Jeremiah looked inside. He rubbed the back of his fingerless gloves across his eyes. ‘Beans and oranges, ah! Carrots! It's like Christmas.'

He pulled a hanky from his pocket and blew into it loudly. ‘Thank you.'

‘We saw your sea monster,' Isabella said.

‘You did?' Jeremiah bounced on his armchair, sending great plumes of dust into the air. ‘He's a beauty, isn't he? Sleek, majestic. The king of the oceans.' Jeremiah stood tall as he recited:

He chuckled to himself. ‘Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote that in 1830. And here it is, the sea monster in our very midst. Isn't it marvelous?'

‘I would have used other words to describe it,' Griffin mumbled.

‘I thought you said he was called the Skelene?' Xavier frowned.

‘He's had many names over the centuries.'

‘This one rescued me from a sneaker wave,' Isabella added.

‘He did?'

‘I would have died without him.'

Jeremiah slapped his hand on the lounge again for another explosion of dust. ‘Well, that makes him even more magnificent!'

‘Fly calls him Herman.'

‘Fly?'

‘A little girl who lives with us,' Isabella explained. ‘She talks to him, through her thoughts.'

‘They are highly intelligent.'

‘Do you think there might be other sea monsters?' Griffin asked.

Jeremiah tugged at his beard. ‘Since this one exists, there are bound to be more.'

Griffin slumped in his chair. ‘Great.'

‘We've come to ask you a favour,' Isabella said.

‘A favour?' Jeremiah sat upright. ‘Yes, yes, if I can.'

‘Xavier and I went inland with a flying machine he built.'

‘Inland? On a flying machine?'

Xavier shrugged. ‘Any genius could have done it.'

‘It's like you guessed,' Isabella said. ‘There are a lot of poor people living in tent citites. Whole neighbourhoods have been wrecked and abandoned.'

Jeremiah looked pained. ‘Part of me hoped I was wrong.'

‘Do you know where the documents about the floods were kept?'

‘Parliament House. In their library.'

‘Do you think they'd have survived the floods?' Isabella asked.

‘The library is high enough, but maybe years of mould, water rats ... Who knows?'

‘Could you help us look for them?'

Jeremiah took Snowy and hugged him. ‘It's in the past. Maybe we shouldn't...'

‘I need to know why they did nothing. Why all those people are now suffering...' Isabella looked down. ‘And to see if there's anything from my dad. A letter or paper he wrote.'

Jeremiah paused. ‘Might be hard to get inside.'

‘We know some kids who live there,' Xavier said.

Jeremiah's head tilted as if he'd misunderstood. ‘There are
kids
living in Parliament House?

‘Quite a few of them,' Griffin said.

‘There are more who survived?' Jeremiah shook his head. ‘Did you hear that, Snowy?'

‘I can't guarantee they'll let you in,' Xavier said. ‘Most of the kids have had pretty bad experiences with adults, so you won't be very popular.'

‘But Jeremiah's not an adult,' Griffin said.

‘Eh?' Jeremiah pouted.

‘I mean you're not like the other adults,' Griffin clarified.

‘Oh.'

‘Still doesn't mean they'll let him in,' Xavier said.

‘It can't hurt to try,' Isabella said.

‘It might,' Xavier warned.

Jeremiah tugged nervously at his many coats.

‘They won't hurt you.' Isabella stood up. ‘They've learnt not to mess with us. Plus, Griffin gave them the technology to have their first hot bath in years, so they owe us.'

‘They have hot baths?' Jeremiah asked dreamily.

‘We can arrange one for you if you like,' Isabella said. ‘Just as soon as we do some scavenging in Parliament House.'

The Submariner piloted its way towards Parliament House. The water bubbled past them and, to Griffin's dislike, so too did the giant bodies of a fluther of jellyfish and the many-toothed jaws of a swarm of silver eels.

‘Do you think we're nearly there?' Griffin's voice trembled.

Jeremiah checked his compass. ‘From my reckoning,' his fingers scanned over his scribbled map of the watery underbelly of Grimsdon, ‘it should be right ahead of us.'

Slowly, the large stone foundations and lower floors of Parliament House wavered into view.

‘Griffin, slowly raise her up, me boy.'

Griffin pumped the lever that expelled water from between the walls of the vessel. When it surfaced, Jeremiah quickly turned the valve, sealing the cavity. The Submariner bobbed silently beside the sandstone block walls of Parliament House.

‘Are you okay?' Isabella asked Jeremiah. He nodded and opened the hatch.

After tying the Submariner to a metal railing, they climbed through one of the tall, arched windows and stood in a small anteroom lined with wooden panels and paintings of gentle countryside settings. Across the door was graffitied the words:

Below was a painting of a skull.

‘Are you sure we'll be okay?' Jeremiah tucked Snowy up to his chin.

‘It's just their way of being funny,' Xavier said.

He opened the door onto a series of corridors until they approached the main hall of the Haggle. It brimmed with the usual tables and was alive with the sounds of kids.

‘So many kids,' Jeremiah surveyed the room. ‘They must belong to someone.'

A hush fell over the hall. All eyes zeroed in on the scruffy adult in the coats and tied-up slippers, carrying a toy bear. Isabella took Jeremiah's hand and led them through the silent crowd, some with their mouths open, to Raven, who was seated at his lounge area.

‘You brought an
adult?'
He stood and glared at them through his fringe.

‘One of the good ones,' Isabella said.

Raven looked Jeremiah up and down. ‘He'd be very rare then.'

‘We think so,' she said firmly.

Behind them, kids with towels draped over their shoulders stood in a long queue that snaked from the bathroom.

‘There was never any deal about an adult.'

‘I wouldn't bring one here unless I knew I could trust him.'

Raven looked unconvinced. ‘I've never met one yet who
could
be trusted.'

‘How are the warm baths?' Griffin asked pointedly.

‘They're good, but I'm not sure even they're worth having to put up with an adult.'

‘So you'd rather be without warm baths?' Isabella asked.

Raven sneered. ‘You have thirty seconds to convince me why I shouldn't have him thrown out.'

Isabella smiled. ‘This is Jeremiah Pain.' She gently took the old man's arm and drew him beside her.

Jeremiah wiped his hand on his trouser leg and held it out to Raven, who stared at the stuffed toy in the old man's other hand.

Xavier leant into him. ‘Okay, so he's a little mad, but he's harmless.'

‘Jeremiah's a scientist who tried to convince the government that the floods were coming. He had a plan to stop them, but they wouldn't listen.'

Raven scowled. ‘The floods could have been stopped?'

‘I believe so.' Jeremiah almost bowed.

‘Why didn't they listen?'

‘We're not sure,' Isabella said, ‘but we think there might be some answers in the library.'

‘It's in the far east wing,' Jeremiah blurted. ‘I can show you.'

‘What's the good of knowing now?'

‘My dad worked with Jeremiah,' Isabella said. ‘He didn't survive the floods and everything we had together is lost. This might be my only chance to find something that was his. Please, Raven.'

Raven's whole body seemed to soften. ‘Okay.' He stepped carefully over to Jeremiah, brushed his long coat aside and tucked an axe into his belt. ‘But the old man stays in my sight the whole time.'

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The far east wing was tucked at the end of a series of long corridors, several spiral staircases and through an assortment of large and ornately carved doors, the last of which made Jeremiah stop: ‘This is it.'

He tried to open it, but it was locked.

Raven slipped the axe out of his belt. ‘You'd better step aside old man, if you don't want to get hurt.'

Jeremiah shuffled out of the way and patted Snowy.

Raven swung the axe. Jeremiah flinched each time it gouged into the wood. With a few more swings, the lock clanged to the floor.

Raven held up the axe before tucking it back into his belt. ‘It's amazing what you can do when you get fired-up.'

The door creaked open into a high-ceilinged room with rows of shelves stretching into the distance. Metal ladders hung from the tops on rollers.

Jeremiah took a step and then stopped.

‘Are you okay?' Isabella asked.

‘It's been a long time since I've had to face any of this.' He shivered as if a chill had run through his bones.

‘We'll be here with you.' She smiled.

‘What are we looking for?' Griffin asked Jeremiah.

‘Anything that mentions the Flood Barrier Project. Under the Department of Sustainability. Dated five years ago.'

‘I was a pretty good snoop as a kid,' Raven rubbed his hands together, ‘so this should be easy.'

They broke away and began searching through folders, letters, reams of research papers and endless notes from meetings.

‘Is that all they ever did in Parliament, have meetings?' Griffin asked.

‘And lots of fancy dinners and parties while talking about their boats and holiday homes,' Raven sneered.

Raven pushed up his sleeves. Griffin noticed a scar running the length of his forearm. ‘Is it true you had fights with kids who ended up in hospital?'

Raven slunk his arm around Griffin's shoulders. ‘Only the annoying ones.'

‘Oh,' Griffin's voice cracked and he went back to searching.

He flicked through a bulky folder marked with a deep red ‘Confidential' across the front. ‘There's a report here about disappearing islands.' He frowned and looked to Jeremiah. ‘Is that true?'

‘Oh, yes,' Jeremiah said. ‘Small islands around the world have been disappearing for years.'

‘How do whole islands disappear?' Xavier asked.

‘Rising sea levels swallowed them up. Small ones, mainly, in the middle of oceans where no-one lived. Governments knew about it bit did nothing, as if the destruction would somehow stop if they just ignored it. But it didn't. Soon islands with small populations began to disappear too.'

‘What happened to the people who lived there?' Isabella asked.

‘They were paid money to be quiet and relocated anywhere in the world they wanted to live.'

‘What a surprise!' Raven said. ‘An untrustworthy adult.'

‘But look at how long this list is.' Griffin turned through several pages.

‘It's longer than that. They must have stopped counting after a while.'

Xavier looked at the list. ‘I've never even heard of these places.'

‘Most people never have and never will.' Jeremiah shook his head.

‘Why didn't we know about it?' Isabella asked.

‘Some people knew and even tried to tell the world, but was only when it began to affect us that people started to ask questions, but by then it was too late.'

‘And you tried to warn the government?' Raven asked.

‘With other scientists.'

‘And they did nothing?'

Jeremiah nodded.

Griffin flicked further. ‘There are papers here by scientists and letters from sailors about the seas changing and acting strange – the disappearance of seabirds and fish; spiders moving in swarms out of the city.'

‘The month before the floods you couldn't find one spider left in the city,' Jeremiah said. ‘Most animals have a good sense of trouble ahead.'

They went back to their search, spread throughout the aisle.

Raven retrieved a box from a high shelf and climbed down a ladder. He perched beside Griffin and lowered his voice. ‘How did you guys meet Xavier?'

‘He tried to break into our place but walked right into a trap. We had him swinging by his ankles.'

‘Really?'
Raven sniggered. ‘The way he tells it, you saw his flying machine and begged him to stay.'

‘But that's not true, he–'

‘Don't get upset,' Raven said. ‘He was always good at telling stories. One time he convinced the principal he'd been away from school because his parents had died in a plane crash over the Congo.' He laughed. ‘Got suspended for a month when the real story came out. Copped it from his dad pretty badly.'

‘So you knew him well?'

‘All through school. His parents were loaded. Never seemed to be around much. Travelled a lot for business. There were times when he'd stay at my house for days or weeks, and his parents never even called.'

‘Even so, it must have been hard not being able to save them.'

Raven squinted at Griffin through his fringe. ‘Save them?'

‘From the floodwaters. He tried to save them, only–' Griffin stopped.

Raven shook his head. ‘Looks like someone has been telling fibs.'

‘They're still alive?'

Raven nodded. ‘They live in a posh house in Summerfield. Xavier sometimes goes back and gets fresh food. Cakes and stuff. Steals them even when his mum's there. After the floods, his mother and father carried on as if nothing had happened. Parties, fancy clothes and social clubs. His dad was even making money out of it, don't ask me how. Xavier had a big fight with them and left to come here.'

‘Why?'

Raven shrugged. ‘Adventure.'

‘Adventure?' Griffin scowled.

‘He was bored. Everything his parents did seemed so fake.'

Isabella waved a document in the air. ‘I found something.'

The others hurried over as she turned through pages. ‘There are some mentions of Jeremiah and the other scientists, plans to improve the flood barriers and even construct flood storage areas. This is from a session in parliament.' She read out loud:
‘With respect, I don't see why we should waste any more time talking about this. This city is as likely to be flooded as it is to be taken over by sea monsters. Let's deal with the facts and not the overactive imaginations of a few scientists wanting attention.'

Isabella read on. ‘It says Jeremiah Pain was ejected from the House for disorderly conduct.'

‘I'd been patient for months, but I lost it. Started yelling at them. Threw my shoe across the room, if I remember right. They dragged me away. All on camera for the world to see.' Jeremiah's smile had no trace of happiness to it. ‘That's what I became; a troublemaker. After years of scientific work and study, I was made out to be a madman. After awhile, I started to believe it.'

‘What else does it say?' Griffin asked.

Isabella turned the page and her face lost all colour.

‘What's wrong?'

‘It's a letter from my dad.' She read silently. ‘It's about why the government should act and then–' She bit her lip.

Griffin sat beside her and read the paper in her hands.
‘We have to act now. We're in charge of a world we've made sick, and we have the chance to change that. Every day my daughter, Bella, looks at me like I have the power to do anything. If I don't do all I can to convince you, then I'll have let her down. She deserves a world as beautiful as she is. All our kids do.'

Griffin reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.

Jeremiah wiped his own eyes before dabbing Snowy's.

Xavier looked through the rest of the folder, through more arguments for and against. ‘There's something else.' His eyes widened.
‘I vote we turn down this expensive and wasteful idea and get back to the business of running the country.'
That part was written by Byron P. Sneddon.'

‘Sneddon?' Griffin asked.

‘The lunatic Captain Hook of the harbour used to help run the country?' Raven scoffed.

‘He lives here?' Jeremiah asked.

‘On a ship in the harbour,' Griffin explained.

‘Did you know him?' Isabella asked.

‘He was the advisor to the Minister who was about to approve our plans for the improved barriers. Sneddon was always whispering in his ear whenever the topic of the floods came up.' Jeremiah frowned. ‘In fact, it was only when Sneddon became involved that the plans seemed to stall.'

‘Sneddon caused this?' Raven's look was icy.

‘Not alone,' Jeremiah said. ‘But he did everything he could to discredit the science behind what we were saying.'

Isabella folded her father's letter and buttoned it into her coat pocket. ‘And now he lives in comfort thanks to us?'

‘I knew I should have finished him off,' Raven said.

All eyes turned to Isabella. ‘Let's take what we've found and go home.'

Carrying boxes and backpacks filled with papers, they made their way through the long corridors back to the Haggle. Griffin stayed close to Isabella while Xavier stomped and blustered behind them. ‘At least we know one thing. We were right to stop paying Sneddon. He's nothing but a thief and a liar. Standing up in parliament and telling lie after lie! But that's all politicians are. Liars! Just to get what they want! Dirty, rotten...'

Griffin dropped his box and turned on him. ‘Tell her!'

Xavier stepped back. ‘Tell her what?'

‘Tell her why you're here.' Griffin's jaw clenched.

‘To help Isabella look for–'

‘No!'

‘What's going on, Griff?' Isabella asked.

Jeremiah hugged Snowy close.

‘Tell her about your parents.'

Xavier lowered the box he was carrying. ‘I told you, they died–'

‘They're not dead. They live inland in a huge house with lots of money and the food you get is from them – the cakes, the ham, the chocolate. You steal all of it from your own parents, who are still alive.'

‘They're alive?' Isabella slowly laid her box on the floor. ‘The house we stole from,' she realised. ‘That lady was your mother.'

‘Who's the liar now?' Griffin yelled.

Xavier's laugh was small and nervous. ‘It's not the same–'

‘It is!'

‘Why did you lie?' Isabella asked.

‘I thought ... I didn't mean to...'

‘Because the poor little rich boy was bored.' Griffin jabbed him in the chest. ‘He wanted adventure and a bit of fun. Isn't that right, Raven?'

Raven slunk his hands into his pocket and nodded.

Isabella flew at Xavier, knocking him to the ground. ‘You lied!' she shouted. ‘We're here because we lost our parents. You're here because you want to have an
adventure?
You told us your family died. You said you watched them, that you couldn't do anything to save them – and instead you
steal
from them.'

‘Isabella, please. I only wanted to–'

‘You asked us to trust you and we did. How could you?'

Xavier said nothing.

Isabella gave him one last push in the chest before standing above him. ‘Don't bother coming back to the Palace. You're not welcome there or in our lives ever again.'