They wheeled round in time to see the wooden window shutters suddenly flung back and then something heavy hurtled through the glass and a large stone landed on the table. The wind tore and whistled through the broken pane. Something smaller followed the stone and fell with a clink into the fireplace, and as David stooped to pick up a key Jon, open-mouthed with astonishment, realized that Valerie was outside and calling to them. Her voice came faintly through the turmoil, but although she had gone almost as soon as she had spoken, he thought he heard her say:

"They're in the front room. But hurry, hurry! The bank is breaking and the sea is coming in."

11. Wednesday: Noah's Ark

When the shutters closed out the light and they heard the iron bar which locked them fast clang into place, Penny and the twins were almost too surprised to realize that they were actually imprisoned in the front room of Beach View, Macbeth was still barking furiously at the closed door, and the noise of the wind and pounding waves seemed to be increasing. The room was not quite dark; a thin line of light where the shutters did not fit showed them the position of the window, but as the light outside was failing fast Penny knew that before very long they would be in complete darkness.

Rather more sharply than she intended, she said:

"Keep the dog quiet, Mary. He can't do any good by making that noise."

"Be quiet, Mackie! Come here!" Mary said, and although she spoke softly the little dog obeyed at once and came over, wagging his tail but still growling quietly. Mary picked him up and he licked her face.

"You're a brave boy, darling, but just keep quiet now, 'cos we're going to have a council of war... I don't care for it dark like this, do you, twin?"

Dickie was fidgeting between the window and the door.

"No, I don't like it. I don't like the way the sea keeps banging away outside there."

Mary said: "I wish we could see. Where are you, Penny?"

"I'm here. Don't worry. We'll soon get out of this... Jon will come, you'll see! He'll find out and come. I specially asked Auntie to let him know where we'd gone."

"I'm going to break the door down now," Dickie said. "Let's make so much noise that they'll have to let us out."

"Not much sense in that really," Penny said. "Let's try and get out by cunning. They won't take any notice of noise. Are you twins cunning?"

Penny could not see him clearly, but she sensed that Dickie was grimacing wildly.

"Are we cunning?" he muttered, and then, "But all the same I'm going to kick the door."

Unfortunately he forgot that he was wearing sandals and his yell of baffled fury was partly a cry of pain. Mary groped her way over to him.