Free The Shiver Stone by Sharon Tregenza

I mean, what sort of fish?’
    â€˜Whelks,’ I said.
    â€˜I don’t think I even know what a whelk looks like.’
    â€˜Think big snail with a grubby shell,’ I said. ‘People say they’re delicious boiled with a drop of vinegar.’ I made a puking action with my finger in my mouth.
    â€˜Not a fan, then?’ Jago laughed.
    A sudden shadow made us turn around. A huge figure towered over us. Hug Howells, dressed in her big man trousers and a floppy black t-shirt, did an odd little wave.
    Her voice boomed out. ‘Um, sorry about yesterday, kids.’
    Tia jumped up at her tree trunk leg and, without thinking, Hug bent down to pat the little dog’s head lovingly.
    â€˜I was just er … having a bad day, I suppose.’ Her heavy moon face went red and her eyes shifted away from us. ‘Yes, that’s it. Bad day. No harm done, huh?’
    Jago shook his head. I said, ‘No.’
    â€˜Right. Good. Good. No harm done.’ She took a sudden interest in Jago. ‘And you must be Tristan’s boy? Yes. I can see that you are. Although he has the look of a blond American Indian with those plaits of his.’
    For a minute I thought she was going to pat Jago’s head like she’d patted Tia’s but, with a repeat of, ‘Well. Good. No harm done,’ she went on her way down the hill towards the shops.
    â€˜Crazy,’ I said.
    We reached the start of the cliff path. Gulls screamed and flew somersaults over our heads. From this height we could see the bay spread below us. The further along we went the fewer people we saw and that suited me fine. Jago and Tia were quiet company and that’s just what I needed.
    There’s a small woodland near the path and a river bubbles down to Glen Beach. This is my favourite part of Carreg. Even in summer it’s peaceful and the birdsong is strong and clear. Here, with the sun bright and warm and the familiar rush of the sea below, I feel happy.
    When we reached the giant Shiver Stone, we saw a figure sitting beside it at the edge of the cliff. She was staring out at the bay. If I hadn’t recognised the binoculars and the short black hair I would certainly have recognised the thick snake-like scar running down her back.
    She seemed so lost in thought I was afraid, if I spoke, it might startle her and she’d fall.
    Jago obviously hadn’t thought of that.
    â€˜Hello,’ he called.
    She jumped, but grabbed at the grass on either side of her to steady herself. She scuttled back from the edge and got up to face me. She looked strange, blank.
    â€˜This is the Shiver Stone?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜It’s magnificent.’ She brushed her hand over the surface of the rock with affection.
    Jago handed me Tia’s lead and took a few nervous steps towards the edge. He peered over. ‘Wow, you said your dad dived off here when he was a kid? Awesome.’
    The woman who’d rescued Jago was now looking at Tia with the same blank stare. ‘And this little creature belongs to Tristan. He must love her very much. We all love our pets, don’t we? They are special in our lives.’
    It was a weird thing to say, and she didn’t sound like she meant it. She sounded almost angry.
    A cloud covered the sun and the shadow of the Shiver Stone grew longer and darker. Jago was still peering down over the cliff at the sea below. I picked Tia up and cuddled her into me. I thought for a minute. ‘How’s the birdwatching going? Have you seen the lesser-spotted seadrake?’ I asked. ‘They’re very common around here.’
    â€˜What? Oh yes, loads of them.’ She seemed nervous, awkward. She was rubbing at the back of her head and it made her hair stick up. ‘I’ve got to go,’ she said and hurried away back in the direction of town.
    We watched her for a short while and then Jago shrugged.
    He took his little hammer thing out of his geology bag and,