CHERUB: Guardian Angel Read Online Free PDF Page A

GLASS
    The three trainees split up. Ning stayed on the beach and built a fire from a mix of dry reeds and driftwood. She used the metal ammunition box in the hope that it would reflect heat, making the fire hotter and giving a better chance of melting the glass around the T-shirts.
    Daniel and Leon went on reconnaissance, each taking one side of the island. They hoped to find something that would help them smash the glass, or maybe even a more accessible T-shirt or three. But they were back within half an hour and neither twin looked ecstatic.
    ‘No good?’ Ning asked.
    Leon shook his head. ‘Had a rummage. Island’s maybe five hundred metres by eight hundred. Mostly stubby trees and undergrowth, couple of small caves that didn’t amount to anything. The only thing I found was a few rusty bolts, and lots of spent ammunition cartridges.’
    Daniel told a similar story. ‘The only thing I found was an old turret with a couple of rusty old cannons inside. Must have been used to fend off invaders in the olden days.’
    Ning nodded thoughtfully, before explaining what she’d been doing on the beach.
    ‘The fire is set to burn in the metal box. But if the glass starts melting the flames could burn the T-shirts, so we’ll need to be able to pull it out quickly.’
    The twins nodded to indicate they were following before Ning continued.
    ‘So I’ve tied a rope around the box, and I’ve got some big bits of driftwood. So if the experiment works and the glass starts to melt in the heat, we tug the rope to tip the box over, then we can sweep the glass slab out of the flames with the sticks. I’ve also filled my rubber backpack cover with sea water so we can douse it.’
    ‘But if you stop the glass melting we won’t be able to get to the T-shirts,’ Leon said.
    The twins loved an opportunity to outsmart one another and Daniel jumped in and answered on Ning’s behalf.
    ‘She’s experimenting, dummy,’ Daniel said. ‘If we find out that the glass melts, we can build a frame or something and melt it a bit at a time.’
    Leon bristled. ‘What temperature does glass melt at?’ he asked.
    ‘I think glass melts in a fire,’ Ning said. ‘At least I’ve seen them doing glass blowing on TV. But normal glass shatters when you smash a rock against it as well.’
    ‘Only one way to find out,’ Daniel said warily.
    ‘It had better melt,’ Leon said. ‘Cos there’s bugger all else on this island.’
    Ning had already heaved the glass-encased T-shirts into the steel box. She had a magnesium-block firelighter which she used to spark some kindling and she then used this to ignite a length of driftwood. When she dropped the burning torch into the box the dry reeds erupted in a fog of damp smoke.
    ‘Your kindling’s too wet,’ Daniel said anxiously. ‘It’s gonna fizzle.’
    But Ning fanned the sparks and soon bigger flames began erupting beneath the damp smoke. As the fire took hold, she squinted as she leaned into the stinging smoke, tossing on more reeds and bits of driftwood.
    ‘Is it melting?’ Leon asked, once the fire had really started to roar.
    ‘Can’t see much,’ Ning answered.
    Daniel grabbed one of the big pieces of driftwood and gave the glass a poke. ‘Still feels solid.’
    Over the next quarter-hour, Ning and the twins fed the flames and occasionally jabbed the glass slab.
    ‘Shit!’ Daniel shouted, as he gave the glass its umpteenth nudge. ‘We’re wasting our time.’
    Ning gave the flames a couple more minutes before reaching the same conclusion. With Leon’s help she tugged the now badly singed rope to pull the box on to its side. Daniel created a blast of steam as he drenched the embers in seawater from Ning’s rubber pouch.
    When they’d pushed the slab away and given it time to cool, the three trainees squatted around it, while Leon scraped off a layer of soot with the blade of his hunting knife.
    ‘It’s not even melted a tiny bit at the edges,’ Leon said. ‘It looks like