Stolen Treasures by Summer Waters Read Free Book Online Page A

it?”
    Antonia nodded, wishing that Cai didn’t look so disappointed. Claudia and Spirit had warned her that being a very powerful Silver Dolphin was a big responsibility. She thoughtshe had understood, but now she was beginning to realise how it would affect her in others ways, too.
    “Clever you, finding two rocks,” she said, quickly changing the subject.
    Cai handed the rocks to Antonia but she refused to take them.
    “You free Topper,” she said. “You found the rocks, so it’s only fair.”
    Cai smiled gratefully and set to work sawing at the rope with the rocks. Gradually the netting fell away and Antonia rolled it up to prevent any further accidents. Cracker hovered close by and when Topper was free, he swam to his son and nuzzled him on the head. Then Topper’s mum, a pretty young dolphin called Grace, was allowed near thedisintegrating net. There was a joyful reunion of nose rubbing and stroking with flippers. Grace kept thanking the Silver Dolphins, until Spirit kindly shooed her away with her son.
    “Topper needs to rest,” he said. “And the Silver Dolphins must get this rope ashore before it injures more creatures.”
    “Can we help, Dad?” asked Bubbles, who was hovering nearby with Dream and Star.
    “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” said Star, but Spirit waved her concerns away. “It’ll be perfectly safe if the net is kept in a bundle. The Silver Dolphins have a long swim back to shore. They could do with some help.”
    Cai trod water in a slow circle. “Where is the shore?” he asked. “I don’t remember how I got here. The sea all looks the same—blue!”
    “That’s something I can teach you,” said Dream, swimming forward. “Make a clicking sound like this.” She demonstrated. “Then listen for an echo. When the clicking sound hits land, it bounces back. With practice, you can work out how far away the shore is, as well its direction.”
    “Cool,” said Cai, experimenting a few times. “I think I’ve got the hang of it.”
    Antonia and Cai folded the net into an even tighter bundle, then secured it with a loose end. Then they began towing it ashore with Bubbles and Dream.
    “Where are we going?” asked Bubbles.
    “Aunty Claudia’s beach,” and “Gull Bay,” said Cai and Antonia together.
    They laughed.
    “I left my things on Gull Bay beach,” said Antonia, “but it would make more sense to go back to yours and use the Sea Watch bins to get rid of the net. I can get my things later.”
    “Where did the net come from?” mused Cai. “Was it dumped on purpose?”
    Bubbles stopped swimming and excitedly smacked his tail on the water.
    “Dad meant to tell you, but in the drama, I expect he forgot. Some of the dolphins saw that fishing boat again, the one that’s been causing the damage. There was an old net, like this one hanging from the boat rail.”
    “Why didn’t someone call us when the dolphins first saw the boat?” asked Antonia.
    “It was going too fast. It was gone before the dolphins found Dad.”
    Antonia’s grey-green eyes blazed with fury. “This has to stop,” she said in a low voice. “Topper could have died. We must find out who owns that boat and deal with them before it’s too late.”

Chapter Ten
    B ubbles and Dream left the Silver Dolphins in sight of Claudia’s beach. They rubbed goodbye with their noses and Bubbles did the twister, leaping up and standing on the surface of the sea on his tail, while he turned a full circle.
    “Show off,” teased Dream, before launchinginto a series of arches, her silver body flashing in and out of the water.
    Cai and Antonia swam the final distance home, struggling under the weight of the net, now there were only two of them to tow it. As they waded ashore, Antonia wished that after binning the net she could go back to the sea to practise arching and leaping like Bubbles and Dream. She knew it was impossible, though. Now she wasn’t needed the magic was fizzling out. Her legs were working