Free The Crossing of Ingo by Helen Dunmore Page B

leave Ingo. But what if the gulls attack now, out of the night sky? They will be able to see better than us. There are hundreds of gulls roosting in the cliffs.
    “Listen.”
    This time I hear it too. A muffled groan. It could be an animal but I’m immediately sure that it’s not. It’s a human sound.
    “Is anyone there? Are you hurt?” calls Conor. His voice is much too loud.
    “Conor, don’t!”
    “Answer if you can!” calls Conor, ignoring me. Again, a faint moan carries towards us. “It’s close. I’m going to shine the torch.”
    We weren’t going to shine the torch until we needed it for climbing down to the cove in case its light gave us away. Conor flicks on the beam of light and passes it slowly and thoroughly over the dense mass of brambles, bracken and furze. The sound comes again.
    “It’s down here!” Conor pushes forward, down the little hidden path that goes to the cove. I’m close behind. “Stop, Saph! Here! There’s someone here.”
    He shines the torch down. A figure huddles on the path. There’s something else – two long pieces of metal reflecting in the torchlight. Conor kneels down. “It’s Gloria Fortune,” he says over his shoulder. “Hold the torch, Saph.”
    I take the torch. “Don’t move her if she’s injured, Con.”
    “I’m not stupid.”
    I recognise Gloria Fortune now. The metal things are her crutches. She must have slipped and fallen. “She’s soaking wet,” says Conor.
    “Oh my God.” She has done it. Somehow she has crawled down over the lip of the cliff, down the rocks to the sand. She has got to the sea.
    “Don’t shine the torch in my eyes,” says Gloria. Her voice is faint but steady.
    “Are you all right? What happened?” asks Conor.
    “I’m not hurt. Just – tired. Had to lie down a minute.”
    “You were groaning. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
    “Cold, that’s all. Got to get home – Richard’ll be back soon. He’ll think s-s-something’s – happened to me.”
    “Something
has
happened to you,” says Conor grimly.
    “I should never have gone down there,” mutters Gloria.
    “Can you get up if Saph and I help you? Your crutches are here. We’ll get you back home, it’s not far.”
    “But, Conor!” I burst out. I can’t go back again. We’re more than halfway to Ingo. The pull has become so strong my whole body is possessed by it.
    “We’ve got to, Saph.”
    Gloria is moving. Slowly, painfully, she rolls over and struggles up on to her knees. She waits, gathering strength.
    “Maybe we should get Richard. If you’ve damaged your leg any more you’ll need a stretcher,” says Con.
    “No!” says Gloria. “He mustn’t see me like this. Help me up.” One on each side, we support Gloria under her arms and help her up. Her clothes are soaked with water. She smells of the sea.
    “What happened?” asks Conor.
    “I thought – thought someone was calling me. Into the water. Don’t know how I got down there … found the way somehow. I think I was on the rocks … A wave came over me and then I was afraid.” Her voice drops to a whisper. I lean close. “There was something in the water that hated me,” I hear her say.
    I feel both horror and relief. Gloria hasn’t been to Ingo. Her Mer blood must be strong enough to take her to the gateway, but not to allow her to enter Ingo alone. There was no Faro there to guide her. What if she had gone into the water and found Mortarow there – or Ervys?
    I thought Granny Carne was protecting Gloria and keeping her safe on the Earth. It must be the Call that is making Ingo so powerful tonight. No one would have seen Gloria go. No one would have missed her, until Richard came home. Gloria might have been found days later, washed up miles down the coast. No one would ever guess what really happened. They’d say it was a terrible accident.
    “You must never do that again,” I say protectively. I can help Conor take her back to her cottage. It will only delay us for a