Notes: Written for xsabrix in the Yuletide 2012 read by El Staplador. All remaining mistakes are totally my fault.
It was not until after dinner that they heard the full story of the ABs' adventures in the tunnel. Nancy glanced across at John, remembering how he had looked coming out of the tunnel. She noticed through the council that evening that he had very little to say. However, as he and Roger were sleeping at the gorge that night, she did not have a chance to talk to him in private until the party left for Beckfoot the next morning.
Nancy and John left the camp after breakfast, while Susan was tidying up thoroughly - still in a very native mood, and for once Nancy did not blame her. Once they were safely out of earshot, out onto High Topps, crossing towards the mine, she said,
"The string went right into a rock fall?"
"Yes," John slowed, and looked back at her - his face set. "I couldn't help but imagine if we'd found it before we saw they were safe; or if Susan had seen it."
"Or Peggy. I've seen falls in some of the tunnels before." Nancy shivered. "She wanted to go in to look yesterday - I stopped her, otherwise she'd have made a fuss."
"Thank you. That would have upset Susan even more."
"I'm surprised she hasn't been worse about it today."
"Not seeing it would have helped, and not knowing until they were safe."
"Yes."
"Roger can be a real idiot. I'm just surprised the Ds went along with it - they've usually more sense. I suppose it was an adventure to them - they are young enough."
"I couldn't help thinking what Mother would say if I told her."
"Daddy or Mother would be very disappointed with us and even more justifiably that for sailing in the dark. We should never have let them go off alone – after all Roger will always find trouble. I mean, finding gold is all very well-"
"But not as important as anyone's life."
"Look here, Nancy. Do you think what we're doing is really safe - I know we aren't blasting, but-?"
"In the mine? Yes - you can see the walls and roof are all rock. It's the tunnels under earth that collapse."
"I mean - should we be up here at all. We're so far from help if anything goes wrong."
"Not really any further than Wild Cat Island, with the pigeons. I doubt even Roger is going to try anything that stupid again."
"He'll always find new ways to be stupid."
"He can anywhere!"
"Look, I know." John interrupted her, hurriedly turned down the gorge, but not before Nancy caught a look at his face and saw something glistening in the corners of his eyes.
She hesitated, trying to think of the right thing to say."We've all done dangerous things," she said at last, "but at least everyone is safe and there is no reason to go into any other tunnels now. If we keep Roger busy with the gold, he is unlikely to do anything else silly."
John pulled out the pestle and mortar, grabbing more of the lumps of quartz.
"I don't know, but unless Susan says otherwise it is probably best not to tell the natives."
"I'll speak to the Ds when they get back and make sure they don't say anything."
"I'll tell Roger and Titty, although Susan'll probably want to talk to Titty in case she is more shaken up over it - although she didn't seem too bad last night."
"Distracted by the news of Slater Bob's treachery."
"I suppose it is for the best that we're not talking to him."
"Jib booms and bobstays! It is! We can't talk to him - we mustn't - we need to keep it a secret until Captain Flint comes back."
"Nancy?" John was looking at her, clearly wanting to ask why she was so insistent.
She took a deep breath and tried to explain, glad that none of the others were around. "If we prove to him there is gold here, he won't have to go off looking for it all over the world and will be here for the holidays. I know he won't stay all the time, but term time doesn't matter." She rubbed her eyes hard. "At least when your father is overseas, you know where he is and can write to him. Uncle Jim will just go off, then send a postcard or telegram back from some random place. No news on when he is going to come back, go or where we can write to him. Then a telegram saying he is returning."
John looked across at her, not starting to crush the quartz. "He is the nearest thing to a father you have around?"
"Yes. Not that I'd say anything to Mother, but it's not even as if I could remember Father properly. Just a few vague images, smells, the sound of his voice."
John nodded. "I remember Roger worrying that he wouldn't remember Daddy before - when he had been away for so many years."
Nancy sat down on the rock, and took the pestle and mortar. "Better get going on this. Nothing else will change any of it."
"Yes. At least the Able Seamen are safe today, and then we'll keep them busy."
"A good thing Dick is here to direct us all. We could hardly have prospected at all without him."
"I know - if it hadn't been for you wanting to include them in the polar expedition, we'd never have been doing this."
"I suppose it was mostly about thinking they'd be lonely, and they did have good ideas - signalling to Mars indeed."
"And then could skate better than any of us."
"Impressive of them to manage to sail to the pole."
"So I persuaded Mother to invite them this summer, even when it was clear there wasn't going to be much camping or sailing at the beginning."
"If not, we'd probably just be camping in the Beckfoot garden, waiting for Mother and Bridget to come up for adventures."
"Instead we're here, and we've found gold."
Nancy grinned, in spite of everything, and after a moment John did too.