The tiny shell rolled back and forth on it. “Ta da, first whole one of the morning.” We’d been given the rare permission to hike to the beach and look for shells. I’d walked a few of the island’s edges on my own, but this was the first time Becky was allowed to join me. I’d convinced Katherine it was a hands-on science field trip. She just couldn’t find a reason to stop it. Although she gave it a good try. Becky dropped the shell in the bucket. “James says it’s because of the rocky shoreline. There is no smooth, easy path off this lump of sand.” She lifted her head and glanced around as if there were eyes and ears in the surrounding trees. “But I do know of a spot where there is a break in the rocks,” she whispered. “I found it when I was exploring for artifacts. In fact, I think that the tribe that once lived here long ago cleared the rocks to leave a big enough space for their canoe. That’s what they used to fish and travel to other islands.
