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tremendous splashes. Waves of water surged towards the kayaks. Ben and Zoe rowed madly back into the fog, but more animals were diving into the sea. Shiny heads were popping up all over the place, giving terrified cries as they swam away.
    Zoe let out a yelp of fright as the wash of water tipped her sideways. Ben twisted in his seat to try and spot his sister through the wall of fog. But Zoe was nowhere to be seen.

CHAPTER
SIX
    â€œZoe!” Ben’s voice sounded muffled in the fog. “Zoe, where are you?”
    He listened. For a moment all he could hear was the crunch and grind of floating ice bumping into the kayak. His heart raced. He knew that if Zoe had capsized she couldn’t survive long in the freezing Arctic water.
    He began to paddle around, searching the choppy waves. Nothing. Hands shaking with fear, he steered the kayak through the ice, looking to right and left. He called again. This time he could hear the rising panic in his own voice. Vital minutes were passing.
    Then at last he heard a call, so faint at first that he thought he was imagining what he wanted to hear. No, there it was again. He propelled the kayak quickly towards the sound through the swirling fog.
    â€œBen!” Now he could see the outline of a figure on the edge of the ice floe. It was waving frantically.
    He swiftly brought his kayak up to the bank of ice. Zoe was kneeling, her hand stretched towards him to help him climb out.
    â€œI thought you’d capsized!” panted Ben, as he pulled his lightweight craft out of the water and put it next to his sister’s.
    â€œI nearly did!” Zoe replied. “I was so scared. The walruses made such rough waves! Remember that capsize session we did with Erika in the canoes?”
    Ben nodded. “You were really good at it.”
    â€œJust as well,” said Zoe. “Every time I felt myself keeling over I just about managed to slap the water with the paddle and twist myself up. As soon as the walruses had gone I got myself on to the ice. I never want to do that again.”
    Ben could hear a tremble in her voice. “Well, we’re both OK,” he said, putting his arm round her shoulders. “But we must be more careful.”

    â€œToo right,” said Zoe, vehemently. “Let’s get away from here.”
    â€œMustn’t forget to fit our trackers to the kayaks first,” said Ben. “Then we’ll be able to locate them wherever we are.”
    He detached a small gadget from his BUG and clipped it firmly on to the kayak. Zoe did the same with hers. They then turned them upside down and covered them with snow.
    â€œWe don’t want anyone passing to see empty kayaks and try to rescue us,” said Zoe.
    Ben checked the screen of his BUG. An orange light pulsed. “Tracker’s working.”
    He tapped some more keys. “I’ve put in the coordinates I remembered from the map Lukie showed us,” he told Zoe. He studied the map on his screen and pointed across the snow. “It’s this way. Northward ho!”

    â€œAnd now – time for the RATs,” declared Zoe. The two children pulled their slim snowboards out of the side pockets of their backpacks and put them down on the snow.
    They looked out towards their destination. At their feet the ice floe was covered in a smooth, flat layer of snow, but further on, the ice had been sculpted into strange shapes by the wind. Some formations made gentle mounds; others looked like sheer jagged rocks, their ledges thick with overhanging snow.
    The children pressed their heels on to the starting buttons and the RATs’ motors whizzed into life. Off they went, weaving two parallel tracks in the untrodden snow. Ben surged ahead.
    â€œWatch this!” he yelled back to his sister. He steered the RAT towards a hump in the ground and took off, balancing expertly in the air with outstretched arms.

    â€œOlympic jump!” he boasted, as he landed several metres