The Last Loon by Rebecca Upjohn

Author:Rebecca Upjohn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2010-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

The Promise

Aunt Mag nearly crushed me in a hug when we got back to shore. Her face was so white that her freckles stood out on her skin like a spotty disease. She didn’t say anything. She just looked at me and then squashed me against her again. For once Cedar was quiet. Kait and Trinnie stood a little behind him and stared at me. Mac wrapped a blanket around me, but his expression made me glad Aunt Mag’s arm was around my shoulder.

“You were lucky this time, Evan,” said Mac in a low voice. “You couldn’t have been expected to know before, but now you do. You are never to go out onto the ice without an adult. Do you understand?” He clenched his hands by his sides. I swallowed hard and nodded. “Not ever!” he said even louder.

Peter put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Mac,” he said.

Mac stepped back. The look on his face made me shiver. He turned away and led the girls up the path without another word.

“Something hot to drink would be in order,” said Peter.

Aunt Mag didn’t let go of me until we reached the door to the house.

“Cedar, why don’t you and I make some tea,” said Peter.

“Okay,” said Cedar. He glanced at me and then followed his uncle inside. Peter shut the inner door behind them. My aunt sank down on the bench in the mudroom.

“I should never have left you alone,” she said in a choked voice.

“I’m okay though,” I said.

Her face was all screwed up like she was trying not to cry. “You were lucky that Cedar saw you when he did,” she said. “When I think of what might have happened…” She pinched her lips together. Her chin wobbled.

“But I got rescued,” I said. “I’m fine. Look,” I said, trying to make her feel better. “I’ve got all my arms and legs.”

“Evan, this isn’t some kind of joke! You could have drowned! Do you know that? You could be dead. Right now! This isn’t something to laugh about.” She blew a big breath out. “Oh, Evan.” She closed her eyes and shook her head.

A big lump rose in my throat. I sat down beside her. “Sorry, Aunt Mag,” I said. “I didn’t think about the ice. I just wanted to help the loon.”

“We all want to help the loon, Evan, but there are ways to go about it that are not so dangerous,” she said. “None of us want to see it die.”

“But you made it sound like you might let it,” I said.

Aunt Mag sighed. “We may not be able to prevent that from happening. Even if we’re able to rescue it, there is no guarantee it will survive.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes. “Loons are…” She paused. “They’re wild spirits. They don’t do well around humans. We may harm it just by rescuing it.”

“But you said it would die for sure if it’s trapped here. Can’t we try and save it?”

Aunt Mag nodded.

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