Quest for the Sun Read Online Free PDF

Adam Equinox stirred and shuffled shamefacedly in the dark recesses of my mind. My fault — again. But one good thing: the others don’t know what we’ve lost … and if I don’t tell them, they never will.
    Slowly, stiffly, I peeled myself off the rock, turned my back on the abyss and shuffled back to where the others were waiting. ‘That’s it, guys — it’s gone.’ I shrugged. Took a deep breath. ‘It gets worse. I’ve just realised what it was: invisibility potion. Zagros told about it in the diary. Would’ve been pretty useful, huh?’ I looked from one face to the next, meeting their eyes, and saw nothing there but sympathy. What was there to say? ‘I’m sorry.’
    Â 
    I shared out the energy bars and we munched in gloomy silence. Everyone kept well away from the edge of the platform — except Blue-bum. I watched as he sidled to the edge and peered over, bum in the air, tail twisted tight round a protruding knob of rock for safety.
    â€˜Do be careful …’ cautioned Kenta.
    There was a brilliant flash of lightning right above us, alongwith an explosive crack of thunder that made us all jump. Blue-bum jumped highest, giving a shrill chitter of fright and landing perilously close to the edge. ‘Come back here right now! ’ Kenta yipped in alarm.
    I couldn’t help agreeing: the sight of him so close to the drop was making me dizzy. ‘Kenta’s right, Blue-bum — it’s a long way down, and it’s not as if there’s anything to see.’
    I was wrong. Blue-bum was chittering and capering and pointing downwards … he had seen something. I crawled to the edge, lowered myself gingerly beside him, and waited for the next flash. It wasn’t long coming — and then I saw it too, caught in the tangled branches of a thorn bush way down out of reach, almost hidden by the overhang of the cliff.
    The cylinder of potion, safe and sound. My first thought was that it might as well have been on the moon. But then I had an idea … and I felt myself begin to smile.

A vanishing act
    â€˜I’ve made up my mind.’ I’d never thought Kenta would remind me of the dreaded Miss McCracken, but now she did — right down to the thin line of a mouth and flashing eyes. I felt a familiar urge to back off, the only thing stopping me the sheer drop two paces behind.
    â€˜But —’
    â€˜Adam Equinox …’
    I looked helplessly at Rich, who gave a resigned shrug. ‘Kenta has a point, I guess. She’s the littlest and lightest … and if anyone can be guaranteed not to let Blue-bum fall, she can.’
    So the only person left to convince was Blue-bum, the reluctant hero of the rescue mission. Hunched in Kenta’s arms he looked anything but keen, and who could blame him — I’d have had doubts myself about being lowered by my tail over a bottomless chasm. But Blue-bum was the only one with a built-in rope, and none of us were happy to rely on Jamie’s scout knots.
    â€˜Adam will be holding onto my legs, and I won’t let go ofyou, I promise,’ said Kenta. ‘You know you can trust me.’
    â€˜And it’s our only hope of getting into the fortress,’ added Rich. ‘I’d do it like a shot, if only I had a tail.’
    I watched Blue-bum’s face. I was betting he’d refuse. It wasn’t easy to read his expression, but it wasn’t enthusiastic. Yet it didn’t seem to be fear tightening the little monkey-face … he looked almost insulted, as if he was being asked to do something totally beneath his dignity. Yeah, that was it: the kind of expression a school principal would have if he was asked to strip to his boxers in front of the entire school …
    I shook my head impatiently. I was imagining things. Since when did a chatterbot worry about dignity? It was a waste of time trying to guess what was going on in