The third world 7/10

Next morning dawned bright and sunny with a nice sailing breeze from the west. Jennifer Jane washed, put on her own clothes and ran up to the sea wall to look at the water. The tide was just starting to come in and there were lots of boats swinging at their moorings. Most of them looked ordinary enough, but there was one large catamaran with a wing sail similar to the model yacht she'd seen yesterday.

‘Oh crumbs, I bet that contraption is Dave's boat,’ she
thought.

She looked upriver to Attersea Island. There were no signs of smoke, downstream on the northern shore she could see the coastguard cottage and the creek through the mudflats that led to the goblin boatyard in her world. Pulled up on the beach below her was a nicely varnished small sailing dinghy.

"I wonder if that's ours? perhaps it won't be too bad after all and if I can find the magic fog I should be alright."

Just to check if magic worked here she signed for a chocolate swiss roll but nothing happened.

"Jane where are you? breakfast's ready," called Mary.

After the meal Jennifer Jane offered to help with the washing up while Dave ferried a picnic across to the yacht. Jenny sat in a chair with a sulky look on her face dressing one of her dolls.

At last the chores were finished and they all walked down to the beach. Sure enough the varnished dinghy was ready with an outboard engine clamped on the transom. Dave carried Mary and Jenny to keep their feet dry, but Jennifer Jane just rolled up her trouser legs and took off the yachting shoes she'd been lent. She held the dinghy steady while Dave started the engine and then hopped in over the bows.

"That was very helpful," said Dave, "I can see you've been around boats before. Do you know how to sail?"

"Of course I do, I crew for Dad in his racing dinghy and I have my own canoe."

As she'd expected, Dave came alongside the catamaran and Mary and Jenny went straight down into the cabin. Dave looked rather strangely at Jennifer Jane as she led the dinghy aft on its' painter and made fast to a cleat on the stern.

"You really do know about boats, don't you, most unusual for a girl. In this world of course," he added hastily in case he upset her.

"It really is all true," said Jennifer Jane

"Yes my dear I'm sure it is," however she felt that he might be beginning to believe her story.

Mary and Jenny came back on deck wearing swimsuits and spread some towels on the foredeck.

"Lovely day for sunning yourself," said Mary as she lay down, "don't you want to join us Jane?"

"I'd rather help Dave sail the boat if you don't mind."

"Strange child, but you carry on dear, just enjoy yourself."

Dave took Jennifer Jane into the wheelhouse and proudly showed her how the yacht worked. As well as an ordinary steering wheel, there were levers marked 'DRIVE' and 'NEUTRAL'. Just above the steering wheel was a green dial with a small red sector at the top. More levers were marked 'MOOR','UNMOOR','ANCHOR' and 'UP ANCHOR'.

"It's the very latest technology," said Dave proudly "and all controlled by a computer."

Jennifer Jane couldn't help smiling, he sounded just like Barnacle Bill showing off his paddle steamer.

Dave pressed a button, an electric motor whirred into life and a green light appeared on the dashboard.

"Simple to sail," he said, "switch to 'drive' and steer anywhere you like with the needle in the green sector. The sail angle is computer controlled for maximum efficiency. Can't sail in the red sector so we have to go on the other tack to keep the needle in the green. If you want to stop, put the lever in neutral and the sail automatically lines up with the wind direction."

He pulled the 'unmoor' and 'drive' levers at the same time, spun the wheel until the needle was just in the green and the catamaran was off on its' first tack towards Attersea Island.

It was all very clever but also very dull.

"Isn't it wonderful!"

Jennifer Jane agreed politely, thinking how exciting dinghy sailing was by contrast. Still, they only had to make three tacks and they were up to the old pier at Attersea Island. Dave pulled the levers to 'Neutral' and 'Anchor' and the boat stopped.

"We'll wait here for a bit until the tide's higher before we go ashore."

"Could I take the dinghy for a sail by myself?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"Are you sure you know how?"

"Oh yes, it's similar to the one I'm used to, but a bit smaller, I should be able to manage it on my own without any trouble."

"Well make sure you're back in about an hours time, else we won't be able to go ashore for our picnic."

Jennifer Jane promised, hoisted the dinghy sails and was sailing up the creek where she hoped to find the magic fog, before anyone could think of a reason why she shouldn't be allowed to go off on her own.

"Gosh that's really old fashioned boat handling, that kid certainly knows her stuff. I'm sure she's not from anywhere around these parts, but another world; really!"

Jennifer Jane sailed up the creek and past the inlet with the human boatyard where the fog usually started. On and on she went but no sign of any fog, magic or otherwise. She finally gave up. She was well past anywhere she could recognise and the creek was becoming narrower and narrower. She got back to the catamaran just in time. She had to spend the rest of the day on the beach chatting, but with every word she was becoming more and more certain that Dave at least was beginning to believe her story.

At last with much pulling of levers the catamaran returned to it's mooring. Dave pulled the 'Moor' lever and a magnetic arm clamped itself to the buoy and the yacht was switched off.

‘Just about as exciting as Jenny's dolls,’ thought Jennifer Jane.

Back in the cottage Dave made a 'phone call.

"I've just spoken to my friend Jack at the museum," he said. "He'll come over to the house on Monday and see if he can help Jane. He sounds quite excited. He's got a friend in the University who's doing research on divergent time lines and the possibility of parallel worlds and they'd both like a chat with her."

‘Wait until Monday,’ thought Jennifer Jane, ‘whatever must Mum be thinking by now?’