The Querulous Effect (11 page)

Noon passed with no sign of the flying boat. When it reached one o'clock with still no sign, it was agreed that the children would maintain the watch whilst the Prof and Cosmo took advantage of the extra time to do a little more work in Cosmo's laboratory. Each of the children took it in turns to scour the horizon for the plane whilst the others practised their pebble juggling or had skimming contests with pebbles across the waves.

By two o'clock everyone was getting bored with those games and in any case the horizon was by then not very clear. Clouds were building up in the sky and the wind was increasing, whipping up the waves in the bay. By half past two the water in the bay was very choppy and the wind becoming quite harsh. Tim and Jay were discussing whether to take a break and retreat to the warmth of Cosmo's hut when they saw Cosmo himself coming down the slope towards them. He reported that the coastguard had been in touch with Kakrayok to say that the weather was very poor out at sea with high winds and that the McDoon's would not be able to collect them that day after all.

At the time, this seemed an unfortunate but acceptable delay. However, when the same message was received from the coastguard the next day and the day after that, the professor seemed more concerned. On the third day the Prof was able to speak directly with Sandy McDoon via the coastguard radio, with the children listening in. Sandy reported that whilst it might be just possible to take off from their present naval base the journey to the Inuit settlement would be too hazardous because of strong headwinds. Even if they could make it, the height of the waves in the bay at present would make it almost impossible to land or take off again. Certainly it would be unsafe to try. As Jay listened to this report and looked out of the window into the bay, he could only agree with that conclusion. After further discussion it was agreed that the McDoons would take off from the naval base as soon as they sensibly could and fly south to Reykjavik in Iceland where they would wait for an improvement in the weather. As soon as the winds eased, they would be back to pick everyone up.

For the Prof and Cosmo, the extra days proved very useful. With Cosmo being so pleased by the success of the clean-up operation in the next bay, he returned to his former optimistic self and was bursting with confidence about the experiments underway in his laboratory. The Prof's relief that his solution worked on a large scale was equally obvious and the working relationship between the two of them seemed entirely restored.

Poring over the bubbling jars and flasks in his laboratory, Cosmo expanded on the progress he had made in developing food from algae and from different types of sphagnum moss. As he had pointed out earlier, the local diet was fat-based with seal and fish at nearly every meal, with, occasionally, some whale or polar bear meat. This was a fact with which Jay, Tim and Ella could totally agree, having spent the extra three days eating meals prepared by Kakrayok's wife, Tarra. Eating fat was, of course, very important for keeping the body warm whilst living in such a cold climate but Cosmo felt that some foods based on vegetation or proteins from algae would add another food source and be healthy. That might be especially useful if, due to global warming, the ice sheets receded making the traditional hunting of seal much more difficult.

This research had been his main area of interest but new possibilities had also emerged. Since the collapse of the factory, the Inuit hunters had reported noticeable increases in the number of fish they were catching. They thought at first that this might have been a coincidence or due to disturbances in the water caused by ice-falls from the melting glacier which had undermined the factory in the first place. But when they had been in the adjoining bay to treat the spillages with the Prof's antidote, everyone had noticed how many fish were congregating around the spillage area. Cosmo's theory was that the algae thrived on the mixtures he had developed at the factory. As the algae multiplied, so did the phytoplankton that ate them and so on up the food chain to the fish.

“So,” Cosmo concluded, “whilst you were right, professor, to warn earlier of the dangers of colour and bioluminescence moving up the food chain from species to species, now that we have the right formula through the development of your antidote, we can have all the benefits of increased fish supplies without the problems! Perhaps we could even start fish farms here. The possibilities are endless!”

“The possibilities may be endless,” responded the Prof, looking just a little exasperated, “but they haven't even begun yet. This time, Cosmo, let us please go more slowly. They may be great ideas but as true scientists let us test them steadily and safely every step of the way.”

Cosmo nodded ruefully and had to agree that taking into consideration all that had happened over recent months, he would now go step by step, experiment by experiment. All the same, the prospect of some real benefits emerging out of all the past troubles cheered everyone up greatly. And by the end of the fourth day with the clouds still building in the sky and the wind whipping up the waves even higher in the bay, everyone could do with some cheering up.

That evening there was reason for their spirits to be lifted further. Although the McDoons were still stuck in the bay at Reykjavik, the coastguard reported that the Claythornes' trawler, the ‘Grampus' was only a day's sail away and making good progress despite the poor weather. The plan now was that on arrival the ‘Grampus' would moor in the bay and unload all the chemicals and equipment the Prof had supplied for future use. Then it would pick up the Prof and the children and sail back to Reykjavik where they would join the McDoons for the flight back home. Once the trawler had discharged its passengers in Reykjavik, Captain Barry Claythorne then planned to sail on to his usual Arctic fishing grounds. He did not intend returning to England with an empty hold and a successful haul would mean a profitable voyage for him after all.

This new plan seemed, as the Prof put it, “more than satisfactory” and both the coastguard and Kakrayok, on behalf of the villagers, gave permission for the ‘Grampus' to anchor in their bay when it arrived. The Prof suggested that since they had successfully treated the spillages from the factory, Cosmo could also return with them and recuperate properly in England before returning later to continue his work in the Arctic. Cosmo said he would think about it.

Now that there seemed the real prospect of leaving soon, the children realised how much they would miss their Inuit friends. Although they had helped the Prof and Cosmo a lot over the past four days they had also enjoyed many hours with their new friends. Apart from the juggling and other games they had learned on the first day, they had been taught some of the basic skills the children were acquiring for fishing and hunting. Chulyin, who had defeated Tim in the strength games on the first day, was now good friends with him, especially since Tim, from his reading, already knew a great deal about Arctic wildlife. This both surprised and impressed Chulyin and they discussed polar bear and Arctic fox tracks like seasoned hunters. Jay meanwhile was learning how to carve with one of the boy's small hunting knives, whittling some drift wood into what looked to him like a seal. All the Inuit children were skilled at carving and were pleased to show their collections of small animals, decorative bracelets and amulet charms they had fashioned from wood, bone and walrus and narwhal tusk.

Time was spent cleaning seal skins ready to make clothes and they learned that the word ‘anorak,' which they knew so well, was really just a short version of the Inuit word ‘annurraaq.' Ella helped Chulyin's sister, Sialuk, with some intricate embroidery to decorate a pretty belt and pouch. The three children found it difficult to remember and pronounce all the Inuit personal names but were interested to learn that each one had a meaning. For example, Chulyin meant ‘raven' and ‘Sialuk, ‘raindrop'. When they asked what ‘Kakrayok' meant, all the children laughed then explained it meant ‘cheerful' because, as Chulyin said, “he is nearly always serious!” So there was humour in some names but many just reflected the natural world in which the Inuit lived. ‘Tarra,' Kakrayok's wife's name, for example, was short for ‘Tarralikituk,' which meant ‘butterfly.' Ella thought it was a lovely idea they should adopt themselves but her suggestions did not get very far before Tim and Jay began thinking up some very unsuitable names for her and for each other, which made them roll about with laughter but did not amuse her at all.

A highlight on the afternoon of the fourth day was a short expedition on one of the dog sleds, with Kakrayok taking the controls. Above the village, the snow was quite deep and powdery and the dogs clearly loved the exercise as they hauled the sled at a great rate up the hill and even faster back down again. The children were allowed to have a go at trying to steer the sled. They pulled as hard as they could until their muscles ached but even with all three pulling at the harness, they were no match for the power of the sturdy dogs and Kakrayok had to take over and haul the charging dogs back under control again. It had been a real thrill; the most exhilarating way, Jay thought, to end their stay at the village. For this expedition, Chip had to be left back in Cosmo's hut and when Ella arrived back to collect him, it would have been difficult to judge who was most pleased to see the other. Certainly from Ella's point of view, for all the mischief and scrapes that Chip got up to, after trying to control the sled dogs, she regarded Chip that afternoon as one of the most obedient dogs in the world.

So it was three exhausted but happy children and one ‘well behaved' dog who settled down that night, content in the knowledge that they had made the most of their time in Greenland and would tomorrow be on board the ‘Grampus' bound for home.

The sun had dipped in the night sky to just above the horizon but had not set and as it started to rise again the next morning it was hardly visible through a grey mist.

Jay was first up and peered out through the window. Looking into the distance, he could not make out where the sea beyond the bay ended and the sky began. All was a hazy grey. He rubbed the condensation from the window with his sleeve and looked harder at the bay, which looked different in some way. The wind had dropped and the bay appeared still and calm. It shimmered a little too in the morning light and he realised that there were large plates of ice covering much of the water, having drifted in through the night. The headland to the left, where the bay opened up into the sea, looked somehow different too. He shook Tim awake and they stared out together. As their eyes focussed through the mist, they could see a large shape emerging into sight from just beyond the headland and as high as the headland cliffs.

“I don't think it's the trawler,” said Tim, “it's much too big. I think it must be an iceberg; probably part of the glacier that disintegrated near the Blusterton factory and brought down from the next bay by the wind and the current. It says in my book on the Arctic that when bits fall off a melting glacier to form icebergs, it's known as ‘calving,' so I bet that's what's happened.”

They roused Ella and all three quickly dressed and went outside with Chip dutifully at their heels. The sun, as it rose higher in the sky, was burning off the early mist and, sure enough, emerging just beyond the mouth of the bay, glistening white and pale blue, was the side of an iceberg.

“You will not be leaving today,” said a deep voice behind them. It was Kakrayok. “This wasn't predicted in the forecast,” he added, “let's hope it drifts on by into open sea. If it drifts into the bay, it could stay here a long, long time until it melts. Either way, the trawler can't risk trying to get in today. The problem with icebergs is that what you can see on the surface is only a part of them. There will be more, much more, under the water. I had better alert the professor and let the coastguard know on the short wave radio what has happened so that he can alert the trawler.”

With that, Kakrayok was off down the hill to pass on this unwelcome news. Tim, Jay and Ella looked at each other. What a blow.

“I can see why they call old Kaky ‘cheerful',” quipped Tim, trying to make the best of it, “but I suppose he's right.” Jay nodded in agreement. This wasn't in the plan!

By then the word had got round and nearly everyone in the settlement had come out to see the iceberg. For them it was not an unusual occurrence but close up it was always an impressive sight. Like Kakrayok, they all hoped it was, indeed, just passing by.

As the day wore on, the iceberg came into full view almost filling the horizon between the cliffs at the mouth of the bay. This, the villagers knew, was a critical time and everyone congregated on the shore with great concern. Would it slow down and be drawn into the bay or would it drift on? Everyone watched and waited. Even at a distance the children could hear it creak and see it roll slightly as it melted in the heat of the daytime sun. Twice there were loud cracks like gunfire as small parts split off and fell into the water sending waves back into the bay. As everyone watched intently, a wider view of the horizon slowly began to emerge between the headland on the left and the body of the great white iceberg. A short while later, the tip of the other side of the iceberg began to disappear behind the headland to the right of the bay. There was an audible sigh of relief from the gathering on the shore. The iceberg, they concluded, was, without doubt, drifting on. Through the afternoon it continued its slow and majestic journey into open sea, until finally it disappeared from sight entirely behind the headland on the south of the bay.

The immediate danger of the iceberg entering the bay or grounding by the headland had passed. But for the trawler out at sea, awaiting further news, there were still hazards to face. There might be other, smaller icebergs or fragments in the approaches to the bay. In the bay itself, the segments of ice Jay had spotted in the morning had not all melted away during the day. The wind had dropped and the water was much calmer but that only meant that the plates of ice remained static or gently rocked against one another on the swell and locked together more firmly. In the middle of the bay where the water was deep, there was no ice and plenty of room for the trawler to anchor. But could it get in? And, more importantly, if it got in, could it get out again?

That evening, Prof and the children consulted Kakrayok, Atka and Ukaleq, who, they now knew, was Chulyin's father, for their expertise on local conditions. When did they think the weather and ice conditions might change to enable the trawler to make a safe approach? Unfortunately, they were all of the same opinion that there was little prospect of much change for several days. The trawler could not, however, wait out at sea indefinitely. In any case, now that Cosmo had been located and the antidote had proved effective, its cargo was needed so that any further problems could be tackled without delay. Finally there was the major consideration, uppermost in everyone's mind but not actually voiced by anyone, that no trawler meant no rescue for the foreseeable future.

“Well, those are the facts,” said the Prof, having listened to the views of the local experts, “and we can only deal in facts. Let's talk to the coastguard again on the radio and see if he can come up with any bright ideas.”

Kakrayok tuned in the short wave radio and called the coastguard service. The coastguard confirmed that following their earlier call he had contacted the trawler, ‘Grampus.' It was holding its position out at sea for the time being but, as the coastguard confirmed, it could not hold out for long. Kakrayok outlined to the coastguard the present conditions in the local bay. He then he handed over the microphone to the Prof. Everyone clustered round to listen as the Prof explained their predicament. He emphasised the importance of the research work being undertaken by Cosmo and the urgent need for the Prof's supplies on board the ‘Grampus' to tackle any problems left after the Blusterton factory collapse.

The coastguard knew about the factory and shared the Prof's concern about any potential danger to local wildlife and ecosystems. He made a careful note of all that had been reported and promised to call back with a response and any suggestions early the next day.

So it was with great uncertainty as to what would happen next day, that Tim, Ella and Jay went to bed later that evening for yet another night in Greenland. For the second time on his Arctic adventure, Jay thought to himself, as he snuggled under the pile of furs Tarra had provided as a bed, that perhaps, on balance, he would rather be back at ‘The Cedars' or even at home in his own bed. Thinking of home, what would Mum say if she knew what a fix they were in now? Or Dad, especially Dad? If Mum had managed to get together with him again on holiday, what on earth would he say if he knew? Jay concluded that it was a good job neither of them did know. They would hardly be likely to let him stay with Aunt Mavis again and certainly not with the Prof if they thought he could end up in difficulties like this. And, despite the present predicament, that would be a great loss. He really would like to have more adventures with Tim, Ella and the Prof. He looked over at Tim who had been reading his book by torch-light but was now lying back staring up at the ceiling.

“What a pickle the Prof's got us into this time,” said Tim. “I'm glad we're sharing a room.”

“So am I,” said Jay. They smiled ruefully at one another and settled down to sleep.