Perusina, Perusino and Franz in Illescas

The first clue was stuck to Franz's nose.

"Hold still," said Perusina.

"I am holding still," Franz mumbled. "But the fish smell isn't."

A silver scale hung from his snout. It was larger than a coin, shone in the sunlight, and smelled so strongly of the sea that Perusino immediately felt hungry.

"We're in the middle of the desert," he said. "Why is Franz finding fish here?"

In front of them, Illescas rose from the flat Sechura desert like a stone back. Sand stretched towards dark rocks. Beyond them, the Pacific raged.

Perusina knelt down. More scales lay between the stones. Next to them, a feather. Gray, short, ruffled.

"The trail isn't coming from the sea," she said. "It's leading to the sea."

A cry cut through the wind. Short. High. Gone again.

Franz pricked up his ears. "That wasn't a normal bird call."

"Then what?"

"A cry for help."

They started running. The path led over hot sand, then over rock slabs smoothed by the wind. To the right, the coast dropped steeply. Below, water crashed against the rocks.

Perusino stopped at the edge. "I think cliffs should have railings."

A young seabird sat on a rock ledge. It flapped wildly but couldn't get away. Something dark was wrapped around its wing.

"Net," said Perusina.

A piece of old fishing net had snagged on the rocks. Each time the bird flapped, the loop tightened.

Then a wave crashed against the rock beneath them. The ledge trembled.

Franz ducked. "I don't like this at all."

Perusino pointed downwards. Between two rocks, water rose into a narrow channel. It was only half full. But each wave pushed more sea into it.

Perusina understood immediately. "If the tide comes up higher, the ledge will be underwater."

The bird cried out again. This time, a deep bark answered from below. Sea lions lay on a rock. One lifted its head as if it knew something was wrong up there.

"We need a way," said Perusina.

The direct path was too narrow. A gap yawned between them and the bird.

Franz sniffed the ground. Then he ran not towards the bird, but to the left, along a wall.

"Wrong way!" shouted Perusino.

"My nose says no!"

Behind a rock, they discovered a crevice. Just big enough for Franz. Behind it, a low passage led under the rock.

"I can't get through there," said Perusino.

"Me neither," said Perusina. "But Franz can."

Franz looked at the bird. Then at the water. Then at his bag.

"I need something to cut with."

Perusino pulled out a small shell scraper they had found on the beach. "Will this work?"

Franz carefully took it between his teeth. "If I don't have to sneeze."

He crawled into the rock crevice. On the other side, the wind flattened his fur. Very slowly, he pushed the shell scraper towards the net. A fiber snapped. Then a second.

Then there was a crash. A piece of rock broke off the edge of the ledge and fell into the sea.

Franz slipped.

"Franz!"

He clung on tight. The shell scraper fell, bounced once over the stone, and landed right next to the bird.

Perusina ripped open her bag. Inside: string, a pencil, a piece of cloth, three shells, and Perusino's half-eaten biscuit.

"Why is there a biscuit?"

"For emergencies!" shouted Perusino.

Perusina tied the string to the pencil and threw it over the gap. The second time, it caught on a rock pinnacle. Franz grabbed the string with his teeth and pulled the scraper towards him.

Snap.

The wing was free. The young bird sat for a heartbeat, then spread its wings and jumped. First, it fell. Then the wind caught it. It flapped, rose, and shot out over the surf.

Franz exhaled too soon. The next wave crashed into the channel. Water slopped over the ledge. A net remnant had wrapped around his bag.

Perusino fell to his stomach and stretched his arm through the gap. "Give me the bag!"

The newly freed bird circled back once more. It swooped down, brushed against the loose net remnant, and pulled it aside.

Just a moment. But it was enough.

Franz slipped out of the bag, crawled through the rock crevice, and landed headfirst at Perusino's knee. The next wave washed over the ledge.

Perusina picked up the silver scale that had started it all. "Illescas takes care of its animals," she said.

Franz looked at the empty net on the rock. "Then we'll help too."