We present an extract from The Light Thieves: Search for the Black Mirror, the second book in an eco-adventure series for young readers from the author of A Place Called Perfect, Helena Duggan.
The energy from the sun is being stolen. It's a catastrophe for the planet and every living thing on it! Friends Grian, Jeffrey and Shelli are desperately trying to work out how it's happening. They know tech genius Howard Hansom is behind the theft and they're determined to stop him. But they can't use any of Hansom's smart technology in their quest as it will track them wherever they go. The three young heroes need to find a strange black mirror to help them save the sun.
Grian spotted a group of children in wetsuits, chatting and laughing a little ahead. The group was led by a man in board shorts and a lifejacket. He seemed to be some sort of instructor.
"Come on," Grian said, rushing after them. "I bet they're heading to the harbour – we’ll blend in."
The threesome sped up and slipped in at the back of the group.
"I can’t wait for today’s lesson," one of the kids in front said to their friend. "Mam says I’ll be the best sailor in the class!"
The group were passing a large grocery shop when a police car drove slowly past them. Grian shivered as he looked away.
"Act natural!" Shelli hissed, as the group turned off the main road down a steep slope towards the harbour.
They stopped at the bottom of the hill beside a bunch of docked sailing dinghies.
"Welcome to the first day of summer sail camp!" the instructor announced as the group spread out around him. "Now that you’re all here, let’s get straight to business. For any of you who don’t know, these dinghies behind me are beginner sailing boats and this is what you’ll be learning to master over the next few days…"
"Will the big mark on the sun affect the sea?" A little girl quivered, as she raised her hand into the air. "My sister told me it would and I’d be swallowed up by a giant wave if I went out on a boat."
"No, it won’t affect the sea." The boyish instructor seemed a little nervous too though he kept a brave face.
"But my sister said—"
"Is your sister a scientist?" the instructor interrupted, looking slightly frustrated now.
"She’s eleven. She likes football…"
"So she’s not a scientist," the instructor continued. "Why don’t we leave the sun to the scientists, and we’ll get on with our sailing. I’m sure everything will be fine, so let’s just have some fun!"
A few children gave cheers of excitement, while others looked nervously about.
Grian felt for the small cloth bag he’d stuffed inside his wetsuit when he got changed. He suddenly realized that if he went into water the letter would get wet, and then no one would be able to read it. He spotted a white plastic bag stuck on a thick rope that tied a fishing boat in place nearby and scooted over to pull it off. The bag smelled of fish. He grimaced as he popped the cloth bag inside the plastic one before knotting together the plastic handles.
He stuffed the bag down the neck of his wetsuit and moved back to his friends just as the class began to head towards the dinghies.
"Three or four per boat," the instructor called.
"I think we should slip off now," Shelli whispered.
Grian was about to agree when he spotted three police officers standing on the footpath high above the harbour. They were glaring down at the group.
"Don’t leave yet," he whispered to the others, heat rising in his face. "I think we’re being watched. Act normal, as if we’re meant to be here, and get on the boats like everyone else."
His heart thumped as they moved in line towards the top of the group. He glanced back over his shoulder. The police were heading down the slope. Surely they’d seen them.
Grian panicked, forgetting their plan to act normal. The line was moving too slow. They needed to move faster. He elbowed past the kids in front waiting for the next boat. Shelli followed, forcing Jeffrey forward as he apologized loudly to everyone he jostled past.
Grian scrambled clumsily onto the small sailboat as some kids protested behind him. Then he turned and pulled his friends on with him.
"What are ya doing?" Shelli exclaimed, stumbling onboard. "I thought we were meant to blend in?"
"Hey, stop them! Police!" a policewoman roared, running down to the harbour just as the instructor launched Grian, Shelli and Jeffrey out into the waves.
"Stop. That’s them! They’re those kids who destroyed the Tipping Point!" she cried at the instructor, who seemed frazzled as he looked from the boat back to the officer.
"Stop, you three, or I’ll use these!" She was addressing Grian and his friends now, as she held up her black gloved hands.
The policewoman was wearing Hansom’s hThoughtTech gloves, just like the police officers in the hForest.
Grian stumbled forward. He thought his heart might burst as he grabbed clumsily at the sail rope trying somehow to move the boat faster. They had to get away. They couldn’t get caught.
The policewoman stopped at the water’s edge and closed her eyes before thrusting her hands powerfully forward.
"Duck!" Grian cried out, just as a large wall of water rose up from the sea to tower above their little boat.
He barely had time to scream before the weight of water crashed down on top of them and the boat splintered to pieces.
The Light Thieves: Search For The Black Mirror is published by Usborne
