Chapter 12

While the Professor was watching the monitor for signs of Emma's obedient return to a life of readjustment and Mr Ferguson and the Count were beginning to go through their respective misfortunes, Emma was curled up in front of her fire. She had kept the snow clear from the mouth of the cave, using a rusty old shovel that had come from one of the, by this time, totally demolished huts. And now she was resting.

She had the three kittens clasped to her breasts and was thinking how sad it was that they didn't realise how lucky they were! All three were fast asleep, as was Emmelina, who had reluctantly concluded that the young woman was harmless enough and very warm to be near. She was sleeping on Emma's thigh, enfolded by her pretty if hairy legs.

Emma might think her legs utterly gross by this time, with their thick covering of fine golden down, but Emmelina thought differently.

"Call this fur?" she thought crossly. "How can a pathetic covering like that keep her warm!"

But it was nice and soft, was Emma's thigh. Emmelina, despite her suspicious and deeply pessimistic nature, began to feel contentment steal over her. She purred, but Emma didn't hear this. Emma was fast asleep.

It had been a busy day. Snow or no snow, wood had to be collected and the fire kept well lit at all times. And Emma wouldn't keep fresh food in the cave. Those cats had a way of finding their way to it no matter where she put it. So she had found a place to put it under a rock where they couldn't get at it.

All five had just feasted on a couple of mackerel that the industrious girl had caught the day before. She had an awful job keeping the greedy creatures away from it while it was being cooked. They might like raw fish but Emma knew it was bad for them, so they had to be patient! Her own family pet had been very ill from eating raw fish and the vet had been adamant that they must never feed it to her again.

She decided that until this snow was over, she would stay inside as much as possible and use the canned food from the crate and what was left of the store from the maintenance men's hut. Emmelina hated this stuff, getting very cross when it was put before her, and Emma wasn't too enthusiastic herself, but needs must and all that!

The snow lay on the ground for three long weeks, but there were no more falls after the third day, so Emma had no more clearance to do after that. She cleared a path to the beach where she kept her fishing line so that this daily trip was kinder on her feet, although they were pretty well used to the roughest of rough treatment. Not even the sharpest stone cut her now.

One morning Emma had time on her hands for a change and she studied her toes closely. She decided that the first item on the agenda if and when she got back to Civilisation, was a pedicure. Just as she was trying to decide on what colour nail varnish to ask for, Emmelina came up behind her and startled her. It was nice that they were such good friends at last, but she wished the creature would realise than human skin, especially that of a delicate and lovely nineteen year old female, is very sensitive to clawing!

She picked her up and went back to the cave, followed by the three kittens who were becoming very good hunters already. If Emma couldn't get them all away fairly soon they'd go wild again and develop bad habits.

After the snow had all gone the weather gradually improved and soon it was Spring. By mid March the hardy Emma could sit on the beach for hours at a time and swim until she was too tired to swim any more.

Then what she had once dreaded and now longed for happened. A helicopter was on its way. But Emma wasn't afraid. She had the pistol and was ready for the Professor and his goons this time!

She couldn't believe it when the helicopter took off an hour later and flew back the way it had just come. What were they playing at? Obviously they had left some people behind and would be back in a couple of days in the hope that Emma would have been fooled into thinking she was alone again and captured.

She decided to anticipate them and set off for the horrible compound which she had been nowhere near since her escape.

Emma found no signs of life in the compound when she first went to inspect it from the outside. But she felt sure someone was there, all the same.

Then two days after the mysterious appearance and disappearance of the helicopter she was returning from a successful fishing expedition when she heard someone coming. Hurrying back to the cave the picked up the gun and went to where the sounds had come from.

She was good at making little noise by this time and soon she had crept to within a few yards of whoever it was.

Apart from killing one poor little bunny rabbit she had never used the gun. With some nervousness she undid the safety catch. Casting about in her mind for something to say, she discarded "Go ahead, punk, make my day" and "Feeling lucky, punk?" in favour of. "Freeze! Put your hands up and turn around - and slowly!"

The intruder did as he was told. As he turned to face Emma, the naked girl dropped her arm. Then she threw the gun away and ran towards him.

CONCLUSION

"Oh, my darling! Thank Heaven you've come for me!" Emma was weeping as she ran to Alexander and threw her arms around him. The two embraced and remained in this happy position for some time. Then the Count stepped back and started to take off his coat, clearly meaning to give it to the naked girl so that she might cover herself for the first time in months.

He was startled at the sharp way his beloved snapped at him!

"Put that back on at once! NOW, Alex! You'll catch a chill. Don't worry about me! I was built to last! And if I got through the winter, I'll certainly survive another hour or two! But you, you poor man. You look terrible. You must take care of yourself. Let's get you somewhere nice and warm! I take it the Experiment is over and the current switched off?"

The Count coughed, showing that he was still far from recovered.

"Yes, my darling Emma. The Experiment is over and the Professor no longer works for me - not since your worried lawyer, Ferguson spilled the beans a day or two ago. He'll be lucky to come out of this a free man, although I might well be in trouble, too. It was my company, after all, that put you through all that misery!"

"Well, I won't give evidence against you or cooperate with any prosecution! After all said and done, I did volunteer for this lunatic scheme!"

Emma accompanied him back to her former sleeping quarters, got bedding out of the store and made him comfortable. He did not complain. He really had overdone things, contrary to doctor's orders. After she had got something for him to eat, he fell asleep. It had been very unwise of him to fly over to the island and spend a night here in a far from cosy accommodation.