was light again to look for the body I hated Captain Cury being so nosy but didn’t dare be rude again, for he frightened me “Don’t like him here,” I whispered to Miss Elizabeth “Don’t trust him Can’t you get the Days to bring it home now, ma’am?” Billy and Davy were sitting on a rock, passing a jug and a loaf of bread between them They looked as if they would not budge, though it was twilight, and frost was already covering the rocks and sand “They deserve their rest,” Miss Elizabeth said “The tide will move them along soon enough.” At last the brothers wiped their mouths and stood Once they’d picked up the stretcher, Captain Cury vanished into the gloom towards Charmouth We headed in the opposite direction, back to Lyme, following the Days as if they were carrying a coffin to its grave Indeed, we took the path that led into town through St Michael’s graveyard, and then down Butter Market to Cockmoile Square Along the way people stopped to peer at the slabs of stone on the stretcher, and there were murmurs of “crocodile” all along the street The day after we got the skull out, I run back to Church Cliffs as soon as the tide let me, but Captain Cury had already got there He was willing to wade through water and freeze his feet so he would be first I couldn’t challenge him, for I was on my own—Joseph had been hired to do a day’s work at Lyme’s mill, where one of the workers had taken ill, and couldn’t give up the chance to earn us a day’s bread I hid and watched Captain Cury poking into the great hole the skull had left in the cliff Cursing him, I hoped a rock would fall from above and hit his head Then I had a wicked, wicked idea, and I’m ashamed to say I followed it I never told anyone how bad I was that day I run back along the beach, then climbed the path above Church Cliffs, creeping along it to where I was just above the crocodile hole “God damn you, Captain Cury,” I whispered, and pushed a loose rock the size of my fist over the edge I heard him give a shout, and smiled as I lay flat on the ground to be sure he wouldn’t see me Though I did not mean to hurt him, I did want to scare him off He would be standing away from the cliff now, watching to see what more would come down I chose a larger rock and shoved it over, along with a handful of dirt and pebbles to make it seem like an avalanche This time I heard nothing, but kept low If he knew what I was doing he would punish me, I was sure Then it occurred to me he might come looking Though it was common for rocks to fall, Captain Cury was the suspicious sort I crept back from the cliff and hurried back down the path Just in time I darted behind a clump of tall grass