فصل دوازدهم

CHAPTER twelve

Soon the acid ate through, into the boat. Acid water began to flow into the boat. Put your feet up, out of the water,’ Harry said. ‘We only have a hundred metres to go.’

Then he heard a different noise, much worse. ‘The engine is stopping,’ he said. He tried not to be afraid. ‘The acid ate into the engine. There are only thirty or forty metres to go. Perhaps we’ll get there.’

The boat moved slowly on. Thirty metres, twenty, ten. ‘Graham, give me your coat,’ Harry said.

He put the coat round his hand and used his hand to move the boat in the water. But the acid quickly ate through the coat, and then the boat stopped. ‘Only five metres to go,’ Harry said. ‘That tree is near - perhaps I can get to it and pull us in.’ He tried, but he couldn’t. He tried again.

‘Forget it, Harry,’ Ruth said. ‘You can’t do it.’ She looked down at the water. ‘I can stand here,’ she said.

Harry turned round. ‘Ruth, no’ he said.

But Ruth started to get out of the boat. Harry moved to stop her but she pulled away. She stood in the water and pushed the boat. The acid ate at her legs.

Rachel, Harry and the children jumped out of the boat, on to the ground. Then Ruth screamed. She tried to walk to them, but she fell on the ground. ‘Don’t come near,’ she said. ‘The acid.’

They sat and watched her die. ‘Oh, Ruth,’ Rachel cried. ‘I love you.’ Ruth smiled up at her.

‘My son didn’t know you, Rachel,’ she said. ‘You’re good. I want you to be happy.’ She looked at Harry and closed her eyes. She never spoke again. Rachel and the children cried.

The sky was thick with ash and gases. Harry, Rachel and the children walked down the mountain. They were tired, and wet with dirty, black rain. Now they could see the town: Suddenly they heard a big noise to their right. ‘What’s that’ asked Rachel.

‘Water, trees, rocks, buildings - all coming fast down the mountain,’ Harry said. ‘They’re going to hit the river - the river through Dante’s Peak.’

In Dante’s Peak Paul Dreyfus and the other scientists were at the radio. ‘Harry, can you hear me’ said Paul. ‘Harry, we must leave now. It’s too dangerous for us to stay. Sorry.’

They put their equipment in their cars. Dreyfus drove the car with all the equipment, and the others all went in the first car. The first car got across the river. Dreyfus, in the second car, looked up.

The river was now much bigger than usual. It was flowing fast, and there were rocks and trees in it. It flowed on to the road and carried his car away. He only had time for one scream before he died.

Harry found an old car. Luckily, the engine started. They got into it and began to drive. Small rocks hit the car; large rocks hit the ground near them. Harry thought of Marianne. ‘Not again, please,’ he thought.

Round the corner they came to a river of lava. ‘Can we drive across that’ Rachel asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Harry said. ‘But we must try.’ He drove as fast as he could at the lava. A line of fire followed them across the lava.

Suddenly Lauren cried, ‘Look! There’s Roughy!’

Roughy waited for them across the lava. ‘How did she get here’ Harry said.

‘Look’ Graham said. ‘More lava is coming up behind Roughy.’

‘We can’t stop,’ Harry said. ‘Roughy will have one try only.’

They drove along slowly. Roughy ran up to the car. Rachel opened her door. ‘Come on, Roughy’ she called. ‘Jump!’

The children screamed, ‘You can do it, Roughy!’

Roughy jumped. Rachel caught her and pulled her into the car. The children threw their arms round the dog. They laughed. Harry and Rachel laughed too.