Free Dolphin Child by James Carmody Page A

Lucy’s eyes were puffy and red. It was
obvious she’d been crying. Lucy hesitantly recounted the story of
her encounter with Paul and what his mother had said to
her.
    ‘ That Rachael Treddinick’ said Thelma angrily. ‘I’ll be having
a word with her when I next see her, you mark my words.’
    ‘ But what did she mean?’ asked Lucy miserably.
    ‘ Oh I shouldn’t worry about her’ said Bethany, her arm around
her niece’s shoulders. ‘She’s not a happy woman. Some people say
thoughtless things when they’re miserable themselves.’
    ‘ That’s right young Lucy’ added Thelma. ‘She doesn’t know what
she’s saying. Take no notice now.’
    Bethany had been ready to leave when Lucy got back and so
after a few more minutes they thanked Thelma and made for the
door.
    ‘ My Nate was wondering if you’d like to go out in the tourist
boat with him and Bob tomorrow afternoon’ said Thelma as they stood
by the door. ‘They’ll be going out seal watching. He reckons you’ve
got a good pair of eyes for that kind of thing. Now what do you
say?’
    ‘ How about it Kiddo?’ asked Bethany. ‘It’ll get you out of the
studio sure enough.’
    ‘ Yes I’d love to’ smiled Lucy wanly, still feeling
tearful.
    ‘ Good. I’ll let Nate know to expect you’ replied Thelma. They
waved and walked back to Bethany’s Land Rover. As they drove
through the town on their way back to the studio, Lucy stared out
of the window, half expecting to see Paul Treddinick on the street
again, but she saw no one she knew and they were soon rattling down
the lane that led to the farm.
    Later on, after her daily phone call to Dad and Bethany had
announced it was time to get ready for bed, Lucy’s thoughts turned
back to Paul Treddinick and his mother.
    ‘ That boy said I was a Dolphin-Child’ she told Bethany, but I
don’t know what that means, not really.’
    ‘ Well I suppose it means that you’ve got a special gift’
replied Bethany cautiously.
    ‘ Like Mum did?’ asked Lucy.
    ‘ Yes, yes I suppose so.’
    ‘ Did people call her a Dolphin-Child?’ Bethany paused before
replying.
    ‘ Not that I know of Kiddo’ she said eventually. ‘Now come on,
let’s get you off to bed.’
    ‘ And then Paul’s mum said my kind were dangerous. Do you know
what she meant by that?’
    ‘ One thing I’m certain about Kiddo’ said Bethany with passion
in her voice, ‘is that there’s absolutely nothing wrong, bad or
dangerous about you and your gift. Don’t listen to that woman.
She’s just silly and confused.’
     
    Despite the assurances of Bethany and Thelma, Lucy had laid
awake for a long time, staring up into the rafters and wondering
about what Mrs Treddinick had said. When eventually she had drifted
off to sleep, it had been into fitful and restless dreams. Then
just before waking up, she had had the unsettling dream of the lone
dolphin in the murky saltwater lagoon.
    Later today she’d be going out on the tourist boat with Nate
and Bob to look for seals. She had some time to kill before that
though and wondered what she might do. A lazy morning reading her
book in the field behind the studio would be just the thing she
decided.
    It was like an electric shock when Spirit had broken through
to her, telling her quickly about the little girl trapped on the
rocks at the beach. It jolted her upright and although she was
pleased and amazed that Spirit had been able to reach out to her
instead of the other way round, it had been an almost painful
sensation when he did.
    When Spirit had told her of the danger that the little girl
was in, she realised that she had to do something that instant.
She’d burst into the farm office to get Mary to call the
coastguard, but could hardly believe that Mary or anyone else would
listen to her. Yet Mary had unquestioningly picked up the receiver
and called the coastguard straight away, telling them that there
was a little girl in trouble on the rocks at the side of Black Gull
Sands.