Magnus Fin and the Selkie Secret by Janis Mackay Read Free Book Online Page B

horseshoe and chipped silver saucer. And then there was the box under his bed with the really special treasures – the ones only Tarkin, and occasionally Granny May, got to see. In that secret box Fin stored his signs from the Titanic . Gentlemen , said one. Dining Room, said another, and his favourite – Captain’s Quarters. Fin loved his signs.
    Of course, finding something worth a lot of money, now that would come in handy – like pirates’ treasure, booty of gold and rubies hidden away in a locked treasure chest at the bottom of the sea. Or – Fin let himself think of it for a second – buried under the sand?
    He tugged at his hair with the brush and tried to bat the thought away. He had decided not to think about the box thing under the sand. It spelt trouble, and who needed trouble? He felt the hairs bristle on the back of his neck. But what if… what if it really was a rusty old treasure chest?
    “Magnus, Aquella – breakfast!” A delicious smell wafted up from the kitchen. His mother called again, her voice bright and cheery. “Come on, kids! I’ve got a treat for us – sausages!”
    Fin loved sausages. He tried to forget plans to race to the beach, uncover the buried treasure (with protectivegloves on this time) and make his family rich so they could have holidays and sausages every day – not only on special occasions…
    Oh dear, was this a special occasion? He let the hairbrush fall to the floor. It was, and he had completely forgotten!
    Quick as lightning he ripped a piece of paper from his jotter, bent it in two, fished out a blue felt pen and drew a seal. Then he drew a few crinkly waves and above that a blue sun, then inside he wrote:
     
    Happy birthday dear Mum.
    Love you loads
    Magnus Fin
    Xxxxx
     
    “Good to see you here on time, Magnus Fin,” said Mr Sargent, who hadn’t even begun to mark the register. “And glad to see that hand of yours has gone back to normal.”
    Fin gave his teacher a broad smile and sat down at his desk. He thought he’d better say something (Robbie was good at conversation) so he blurted out, “It’s my mum’s birthday today. We had sausages for breakfast.”
    Mr Sargent nodded. “Me too, with scrambled eggs and black pudding. Always do.” He looked again at Magnus Fin. “Hair’s very smart this morning,” he remarked.
    Fin grinned and pulled out his reading book, at which Mr Sargent nodded again approvingly.
    Maybe, thought Mr Sargent as he studied this neatly turned-out, happy looking boy, he’d got the wholething wrong about Magnus Fin? Maybe he was just like everyone else? Maybe he really was normal? Mr Sargent pulled out the register then swept his gaze around the room. He coughed loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Right then – Saul?”
    “Here.”
    “Robbie?”
    “Here.”
    “Tarkin?”
    Silence. Everyone turned to look at Tarkin’s desk.
    “Where is Tarkin? Can you, by any chance, tell me, Magnus Fin?”
    Fin shook his head. He swallowed hard. “No,” he replied in a small voice, “I’ve no idea.” Which wasn’t quite true. He chewed the end of his ragged nail and glanced back expectantly at the classroom door. He had a very good idea where Tarkin might be. He shot a glance at Aquella.
    Mermaid , she said in the selkie thought-speak, and winked.
    I can’t believe it, said Fin. He was the one who said we had to act normal. Now he’s running after a mermaid!
    Let’s hope the beach doesn’t explode, Aquella added.
    Meanwhile Mr Sargent had moved on. The register was folded away. “ Ceud mile fàilte, ” he said, loudly and slowly, with a sing-song lilt to his voice.
    “ Ceud mile fàilte, ” the pupils replied in their best Gaelic.
    “ Ciamar a tha sibh? ” he asked, enquiring how they were.
    “ Tha gu math, tapadh leibh, ” they replied in sing-song unison, saying they were doing fine, thanking you.
    Magnus Fin fingered his moon-stone, hoping as he did so that his best friend Tarkin, no doubt down at the seaside