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knew it she was telling Joel everything that had happened last night. Nan's story, the rhyme in the old Bible, how the shape in the garden suddenly vanished – and the eerie moment when Nan's painting had seemed to come to life.
    ‘It made me think of Moonlight,’ she said. ‘When I first met you on the beach, his coat looked blue against the storm clouds, just like the horse in the picture. Last night I… I thought it was protecting me. And now… I've got this weird feeling that Moonlight wants to protect me, too. That's why he bolted when that wave broke. He was trying to get me away from it.’
    ‘So you think it had something to do with this Grey Horse?’
    Tamzin bit her lip, hesitated, then nodded. ‘Yes.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Tam! Magic horses, evil spirits – it's all a bit far-fetched!’ Joel peered more closely at her. ‘Are you sure you didn't bump your head when you fell?’
    ‘I didn't! You saw the wave!’
    ‘I wasn't looking at any waves. I was trying to catch Moonlight.’
    Her face fell. ‘So you don't believe me.’
    ‘Well…’ Joel sighed. ‘I'm not saying there isn't a legend, like your nan told you. But you don't honestly think it's true, do you?’
    ‘I don't know!’ Tamzin said in distress. ‘But weird things have been happening ever since I broke that statue. The storm, and the horse in the garden; and now the wave and Moonlight bolting.’
    ‘Moonlight's just an ordinary pony,’ Joel insisted. ‘He was scared by a big breaker. That's all there is to it. As for all the other things, it's coincidence, Tam. It can't possibly be anything else.’
    She wasn't going to convince him, Tamzin could see. ‘OK,’ she said dismally. ‘I expect you're right, and I'm being an idiot. But will you do something for me?’
    ‘It depends,’ said Joel cautiously. ‘What is it?’
    ‘Help me look for that missing piece of the statue that I threw into the sea yesterday.’
    He stared at her. ‘You're joking! It could be anywhere.’
    ‘Maybe. But I've got a feeling we might find it.’
    ‘One little bit of stone, among thousands on this beach?’ Joel made a snorting noise, like a horse. ‘Some chance!’
    ‘I'm going to try,’ Tamzin persisted doggedly. ‘And if I do find it, it'll make me feel a lot better.’ She frowned at him. ‘Will you help me or not?’
    There was a pause, then Joel sighed. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘I'll help. But I still think it's a crazy idea.’
    Tamzin didn't answer that, but turned at once towards the tumbled rocks at the foot of the cliffs. Joel followed, leading the ponies. Moonlight was subdued now and walked quietly, though now and again he looked back at the sea.
    They started to search. They combed shallow pools, dug among piles of seaweed, sifted sand and stones. Tamzin worked with all her concentration, until at last she was forced to stop for a minute to ease her back, which ached from bending. Joel was a little way off, with the ponies. He had given up searching, and Tamzin was beginning to understand why. The piece of the statue could be anywhere among the rocks and pools and seaweed. The sea might have carried it away. Or it might be lying at the bottom of a deep pool, far out of reach. But Tamzin didn't want to give up. She hadn't looked in any of the caves yet. There was a large one nearby and she went towards it. It was dank and gloomy and as she ventured in she could hear water dripping. It was a dismal echoey sound, and when she called out, ‘Come on!’ to Joel, her voice echoed too.
    Joel appeared at the cave mouth. ‘Tam, there's no point,’ he said. ‘It's as dark as a mine. Even if the piece was in there, you'd never see it.’
    She sighed. He was right; this was hope-less. And the cave was giving her the creeps. It was like being in the mouth of a huge animal, which might at any moment clamp its jaws shut.
    ‘Never mind,’ Joel said as she trailed disconsolately outside again. ‘It wouldn't have made any difference if you'd found