Upside Down Inside Out by McInerney Monica

Author:McInerney, Monica [McInerney, Monica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780345506245
Google: b75DW_WGQ4gC
Amazon: 1743108168
Barnesnoble: 1743108168
Goodreads: 82442
Publisher: Pan
Published: 2002-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

They reached Phillip Island just as the sun was setting. Their bus group joined many other groups of people strolling along the beachside boardwalk to a kind of open grandstand facing the ocean. As the sun disappeared into the horizon, sending bright pink and orange light into the sky, the seats filled completely. There were hundreds of people sitting there.

Eva shivered, the cardigan she was wearing not much protection against the sea breeze.

‘Are you cold?’ Joseph asked.

She turned toward him and shook her head. ‘No, it’s not too bad, really. I’ll be grand.’

He had taken off his coat before she had time to protest. ‘Please, wear this.’

‘But you …’

He gave her that slow smile again, the one that did odd things to her heartbeat. ‘I’m fine. Please, you wear it.’

He helped her put it on. It was still warm from his body. She could smell the subtle aftershave he wore. Then someone called out from behind them. ‘Look, here they come!’

Eva was glad of the distraction. Completely conscious of Joe sitting close beside her, of the feel of his coat around her, she gazed out to sea, trying to sight any penguins in the water. There were just a few at first, all under two feet high, surfing the waves into the beach and waddling up the sand, past the grandstand packed with people and up to their burrows in the sandhills behind.

As the minutes went by, there were dozens more, each one funnier than the last. There were small darting penguins, in a big rush to get back to their burrows. Slow-moving, plump ones, their tiny wings outstretched as though they were carrying invisible and very heavy suitcases. Several indecisive ones, coming halfway up the beach before changing their minds and starting to head back to sea. There was a very round, comical one that Joe pointed out to her. She indicated a tall, thin one. ‘Ally McBeak,’ she whispered. He gave a quick, low laugh, an amused look in his eyes.

Soon there seemed to be hundreds of penguins, the sea alive with them, the beach crowded with small waddling bodies. As another few dozen birds ambled by, so close they could have leaned over and touched them, Joseph leaned over and spoke in a quiet voice.

‘Do you suppose there’s a penguin tourist industry operating at the bottom of the sea as well?’

She was puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You know, maybe word’s got around among the penguins. “Come on, let’s all go to this beach, just on the edge of this little island near Melbourne. It’s incredible. Night after night, there are hundreds of humans just sitting there, looking out to sea. It’s really worth a look.”’

Eva’s sudden burst of laughter brought a sharp glance from the guide.

Their bus was back at the hostel by ten o’clock. Stepping off it, they stood side by side. Eva felt a little awkward. She didn’t want the night to end yet. Summoning her courage, she was about to ask if he’d like to have a drink when he beat her to it.

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