chapter 1 at kirrin cottage

'i feel as if we've been at kirrin for about a month already!' said anne, stretching herself out on thewarm sand, and digging her toes in. 'and we've only just come!'

'yes - it's funny how we settle down at kirrin so quickly,' said dick. 'we only came yesterday, and iagree with you, anne - it seems as if we've been here ages. i love kirrin.'

'i hope this weather lasts out the three weeks we've got left of the holiday,' said julian, rolling awayfrom timmy, who was pawing at him, trying to make him play. 'go away, timmy. you're tooenergetic. we've bathed, had a run, played ball - and that's quite enough for a little while. go andplay with the crabs!'

'woof!' said timmy, disgusted. then he pricked up his ears as he heard a tinkling noise from thepromenade. he barked again.

'trust old timmy to hear the ice-cream man,' said dick. 'anyone want an ice-cream?'

everyone did, so anne collected the money and went off to get the ice-creams, timmy close at herheels. she came back with five cartons of ice-cream, timmy jumping up at her all the way.

'i can't think of anything nicer than lying down on hot sand with the sun on every part of my body,eating an ice-cream, and knowing there are still three weeks' holiday in front of us - at kirrin too!'

said dick.

'yes. it's heaven,' said anne. 'it's a pity your father has visitors today, george. who are they?

have we got to dress up for them?'

'i don't think so,' said george. 'timmy, you've eaten your ice-cream in one gulp. what a frightfulwaste!'

'when are these people coming?' asked dick.

'about half past twelve,' said george. 'they're coming to lunch - but thank goodness father toldmother he didn't want a pack of children gobbling all round him and his friends at lunch, so mothersaid we could go in at half past twelve, say how-do-you-do and then clear off again with a picnicbasket.'

'i must say i think your father has some good ideas at times,' said dick. 'i suppose they are somescientist friends of his?'

2'yes. father's working on some great scheme with these two men,' said george. 'one of them's agenius, apparently, and has hit on an idea that's too wonderful for words.'

'what kind of modern idea is it?' said julian, lazily, holding out his finger-tips for timmy to lick offsmears of ice-cream. 'some space-ship to take us on day-trips to the moon - or some new bomb to setoff - or...'

'no, i think it's something that will give us heat, light and power for almost nothing!' said george. 'iheard father say that it's the simplest and best idea anyone had ever worked out, and he's awfullyexcited about it. he called it a 'gift to mankind' and said he was proud to have anything to do with it.'

'uncle quentin is very clever, isn't he?' said anne. george's father was the uncle of julian, dick andanne, and they were cousins to george - short for georgina. once more they had all come down tokirrin for part of their holiday, the last three weeks.

george's father was certainly clever. all the same, george sometimes wished that he was a moreordinary parent, one who would play cricket or tennis with children, and not be so horrified atshouting and laughter and silly jokes. he always made a fuss when george's mother insisted thatgeorge should have her cousins to stay.

'noisy, rowdy, yelling kids!' he said. 'i shall lock myself in my study and stay there!'

'all right, dear,' said his wife. 'you do that. but you know perfectly well that they will be outpractically all day long. george must have other children to stay sometimes, and her three cousins arethe nicest ones i know. george loves having them here.'

the four cousins were very careful not to upset george's father. he had a very hot temper andshouted at the top of his voice when he was angry. still, as julian said, he really couldn't help being agenius, and geniuses weren't ordinary people.

'especially scientific geniuses who might easily blow up the whole world in a fit of temper,' saidjulian, solemnly.

'well, i wish he wouldn't keep blowing me up if i let a door bang, or set timmy barking,' saidgeorge.

'that's only to keep his hand in,' said dick. 'just a bit of practice at blowing up!'

'don't be an ass,' said george. 'does anyone feel like another bathe?'

'no. but i don't mind going and lying in the very edge of the sea, and letting the waves there just curlover me,' said dick. 'i'm absolutely baked lying here.'

3'it sounds lovely,' said anne. 'but the hotter you are the colder the water feels.'

'come on!' said dick, getting up. 'i shall hang my tongue out and pant like timmy soon.'

they all went down to the edge of the water and lay down flat in the tiny curling waves there.

anne gave a little shriek.

'it feels icy! i knew it would. i can't lie down in it yet - i can only sit up!'

however they were soon all lying full-length in the shallow waves at the edge of the sea, slidingdown the sand a little every now and again as the tide ebbed farther from them. it was lovely to feelthe cool fingers of the sea on every part of them.

suddenly timmy barked. he was not in the water with them, but was just at the edge. he thought thatlying down in the sea was quite unnecessary! george raised her head.

'what's the matter?' she said. 'there's nobody coming.'

but dick had heard something too. he sat up hurriedly. 'gosh, i believe that's someone ringing a bellfor us. it sounds like the bell from kirrin cottage!'

'but it can't be dinner-time yet!' said anne in dismay.

'it must be,' said julian, leaping up. 'blow! this is what comes of leaving my watch in my blazerpocket! i ought to have remembered that time at kirrin goes more quickly than anywhere else!'

he ran up the beach to his blazer and took his wristwatch from the pocket. 'it's one o'clock!' heyelled. 'in fact, it's a minute past. buck up, we'll be awfully late!'

'blow!' said george. 'mother won't be at all pleased with us, because those two scientist people willbe there!'

they collected their blazers and tore up the beach. it was not very far to kirrin cottage, fortunately,and they were soon running in at the front gate. there was a very large car outside, one of the latestamerican models. but there was no time to examine it!

they trailed in quietly at the garden door. george's mother met them, looking rather cross.

'sorry, aunt fanny,' said julian. 'please forgive us. it was my fault entirely. i'm the only one with awatch.'

'are we awfully late?' asked anne. 'have you begun lunch yet? would you like us just to take ourpicnic basket and slip off without interrupting?'

'no,' said her aunt. 'fortunately your uncle is still shut up in his study with his friends. i've soundedthe gong once but i don't expect they've even heard it! i rang the bell for you because i 4thought that any moment they might come out, and your uncle would be cross if you weren't therejust to say how-do-you-do!'

'but father's friends don't usually want to see us,' said george, surprised.

'well, one of them has a girl a bit younger than you, george - younger than anne too, i think,'

said her mother. 'and he specially asked to see you all, because his daughter is going to your schoolnext term.'

'we'd better buck up and have a bit of a wash then,' said julian - but at that very moment the studydoor opened, and his uncle quentin came out with two men.

'hallo - are these your kids?' said one of the men, stopping.

'they've just come in from the beach,' said aunt fanny hurriedly. 'i'm afraid they are not really fit tobe seen. i...'

'great snakes!' said the man, 'don't you dare to apologise for kids like these! i never saw such a finelot in my life - they're wunnerful!'

he spoke with an american accent, and beamed all over his face. the children warmed to him atonce. he turned to george's father. 'these all yours?' he asked. 'i bet you're proud of them! how didthey get that tan - they look like red indians! my, my - wish my berta looked like that!'

'they're not all mine,' said uncle quentin, looking quite horrified at the thought. 'only this one ismine,' and he put his hand on george's shoulder. 'the others are nephews and a niece.'

'well, i must say you've got a fine boy,' said the american, ruffling george's short curls. as a rule shehated people who did that, but because he mistook her for a boy, she grinned happily!

'my girl's going to your school,' he said to anne. 'give her a bit of help, will you? she'll be scaredstiff at first.'

'of course i will,' said anne, taking a liking to the huge loud-voiced american. he didn't look a bitlike a scientist. the other man did, though. he was round-shouldered and wore owl-like glasses, and,as uncle quentin often did, he stared into the distance as if he was not hearing a single word thatanyone said.

uncle quentin thought this gossiping had lasted long enough. he waved the children away.

'come and have lunch,' he said to the other men. the second man followed him at once, but the bigamerican stayed behind. he thrust his hands into his pocket and brought out a pound note.

he gave it to anne.

'spend that on yourselves,' he said. 'and be kind to my berta, won't you?'

5he disappeared into the dining-room and shut the door with a loud bang. 'goodness - what willfather say to a bang like that!' said george, with a sudden giggle. 'i like him, don't you? that must behis car outside. i can't imagine the other man even riding a bicycle, let alone driving a car!'

'children - take your picnic basket and go!' said aunt fanny, urgently. 'i must run and see thateverything is all right!'

she thrust a big basket into julian's hands, and disappeared into the dining-room. julian grinned as hefelt the weight of the basket.

'come along,' he said. 'this feels good! back to the beach, everyone!'