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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

Aidan stepped back as though to get a better look at the problem. “I reckon if I hug the coastline, I can walk and swim to where the rock meets the cliff, then climb up and get to them. . . .” But his voice faded as he came to the same realization I had: there was no way. Aidan was just a kid himself, and the waves were crashing harder and harder.

And then a roar sounded somewhere behind us, followed by a siren whoop, and we all turned around to see a motorbike coming down the dirt track—blue-and-white checkered pattern on the front shield, and blue light flashing on the back.

Luca!

By now some of the crowd on the staircase were making their way back to the top to see. Luca dismounted from his motorbike, pulled off his helmet, and instantly glared at me. Tourists weren’t meant to be at this beach because of the king tide, and neither were we.

“We were just . . .” I started to explain as he came over.

“Later” was all he said, before his radio crackled. It sounded like Penny on the other end, saying, “ETA fifteen minutes, this road’s a mess!”

Luca came to the ledge and looked over.

Aidan sidled up next to him and pointed to where the Sphinx Rock met the cliff face, in a craggy bit of low granite that was only just above the tide. “There’s still sand left along the backshore. I think you can walk and swim out to the rock, then climb up and get to him.”

“Her,” I said, and Luca looked over at me. “It’s Merjeme—one of the girls from the haven.”

The radio on Luca’s lapel crackled again, but I couldn’t make out what Penny said this time, or Luca’s coded reply. My heart was pounding, and I squeezed my shaking hands together.

“Where are the lifeguards? The ambulances?” I asked, once the voice on the two-way stopped.

“The ambulance nearly hit a pothole on the road in. Only my bike could get down that track easily,” Luca said. “And we’ve had to put the call out for volunteer surf rescue since they’re not on duty, but they wouldn’t be able to get a boat close enough anyway—because of those rocks.” And then he seemed to remember we were just kids, maybe because Sam had started to cry a little bit. “Don’t worry—they’re on their way.”