Crossing the Black Ice Bridge by Alex Bell

Author:Alex Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2020-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE CAMP WAS SHROUDED in ghostly sea mist, almost like a mirage. The rescue party that had gone after Adrian Albert Smith had snatched up some of the explorers’ personal possessions to take back with them but otherwise hadn’t lingered for too long. No one wanted to test their luck or tempt fate on the Black Ice Bridge.

There were five tents, a couple of which had collapsed, but the other three remained standing, as if a dazed explorer might crawl out of one at any moment. In fact, the whole camp had the air of a place that had only just been left. There were still piles of supplies scattered around, such as rifles, camping mugs, and coils of rope, and the freezing temperatures had kept everything well preserved. There were even still iced gems inside the sacks of unicorn food.

The explorers poked around inside one of the tents to see if there was anything useful they could take with them. They found an entire untouched plate of food, perfectly frozen, as well as a rickety desk with a map and a magnifying glass still set out on it. Some of the stuff outside had been covered up by fresh snowfall, but they could still just about see the outlines.

Stella noticed that Beanie had a pale, pinched look about him, and she knew it must be difficult for him to come here, to the last known place where his father had been.

“Shall we go on a little farther and then set up camp for the night?” she asked.

Beanie shook his head. “We should check all the tents before we leave,” he said. “There might be something useful here.”

Stella didn’t think that was too likely—even the rifles had rusted beyond repair. She suspected Beanie just wanted to search for signs of his father. Nevertheless, they went through the collapsed ruins of the two crumpled tents and found nothing but a few empty cans of Spam.

“There aren’t enough tents here,” Beanie said with a frown. “There were more expedition members than this.”

“Perhaps they fell down and got covered by snow?” Ethan suggested. “Or perhaps they didn’t get around to putting all the tents up before whatever happened… happened.”

“Maybe,” Beanie replied, although he still looked dubious.

Finally, they reached the last tent.

“Nothing in this one, either,” Beanie said glumly.

“Hang on,” Stella said, peering into the corner. “What’s that?”

“It’s just a stone,” Shay replied.

“It’s a stone with a hole in it,” Stella said. “That means it belongs to fairies. They use them as little bags sometimes—I’ve seen them do it in the backyard at home. They use the hole in the rock to tie a piece of string through, like a handle.” She scooped up the stone. “You just have to know where to press.…”

She removed her glove to feel around the stone, and the next second it sprang open with a soft snap.

“I was right!” Stella exclaimed as the others crowded around to get a better look. The stone contained several explorer items,

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