by Jon Mayhew
Georgia looked pale. ‘You’re a strange one, Prince Dakkar,’ she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I doubted you.’
‘Will you do it?’ Dakkar asked.
‘Nnngh!’ Blight shouted from above. Clearly there had been too much whispering.
Georgia nodded her head and Dakkar gave her a genuine grin.
Georgia scrambled back up into the captain’s seat, leaving Dakkar to stare out at the shoal of Qualar that escorted them. The seabed sloped downward; coral and seaweed swept past seemingly at angles with the sub.
They sank deeper and the Qualar began to fall back. Soon the water darkened and the planks of the Liberty creaked ominously as the water pressure increased.
Dakkar felt as though he had something blocking his ears and his head ached. He lit oil lamps and placed them at the viewing portholes down below.
The seaweed thinned out, revealing skeletal coral stalks that looked like dead hands reaching for the distant surface. Strange, luminous fish glared at them through the portholes, all teeth and eyes.
Up in the captain’s cabin, Blight dabbed his brow with a handkerchief and Georgia peered ahead as she negotiated rocky outcrops and thick branches of coral. A tense hush descended on the Liberty.
In the distance, a blue light began to glimmer. Dakkar and Georgia stared in wonder as shoals of the glowing fish swarmed around their boat, lighting up the side of the volcano.
Up ahead, something else added to the blue glow.
A vent poked out of the side of the volcano, spewing boiling black gas up into the sea. Around it lay hundreds of colossal, wide-open, white clams. Each was the size of the Liberty, at least, and they dotted the seabed as far as Dakkar could see.
The largest sat at the very base of the vent with what looked like an electric blue pearl snapping and fizzing at its heart. Arcs of electric blue charge leapt and curled around it like whips of lightning. The light bounced off huge pearls in the other shells, dazzling Dakkar and making him shield his eyes with his hand.
‘The Eye of Neptune,’ Dakkar said. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘It’s deadly,’ Georgia replied, slowing the Liberty right down. ‘How are we going to pick it up?’
‘The pincers are coated with rubber from the Americas,’ Dakkar said. ‘Apparently it neutralises the electric charge.’
‘Nngh!’ Blight grunted, pointing at the Voltalith.
‘I think he wants us to get on with it,’ Georgia said, curling her lip at Blight.
They drifted towards the glowing shell. Dakkar hurried down to the lower cabin to prepare the grippers. The alien world of the seabed looked even stranger cast in the blue light. He grimaced. They were over the outer clam shells now and he could see bones scattered around them, some complete, some fragmented. The water outside was deadly.
Perhaps the clams live off the dead remains, he thought, shivering at the thought of the molluscs filtering the rotten slivers of flesh through their bodies.
The light became more intense as they drew nearer to the Eye. The downy hair on Dakkar’s arm stood up and he felt his scalp prickle.
Georgia had killed the engine and they drifted gently. Dakkar watched through the front porthole as the two pincers glided either side of the Voltalith. Dakkar staggered slightly as they stopped with a bump. For a second, he stared at the intense blue light that crackled and fizzed around them, mesmerised.
Shaking himself, Dakkar jumped forward and gripped the inside handles of the pincers and shut them. His fingers tingled as the arms closed round the blue rock. The well-oiled joints slid and clicked into place, and Dakkar turned the screw that locked them.
‘Take it away,’ Dakkar called up.
The engines whirred but a sudden lurch sent Dakkar stumbling to the stern of the cabin. A metallic thump vibrated through the front of the Liberty and Dakkar watched in horror as a clam closed round the pincers, shrouding the light of the Eye of Neptune.
‘We’re held fast,’ Georgia yelled.
Blight clambered down and squinted through the porthole at the bone-white teeth of the shell that had clamped the arms tight.
‘Give it full power,’ Dakkar said, looking over Blight’s shoulder.
The whole sub shuddered as Georgia tried to back away from the clam. The engines whined and clanked but nothing happened.
‘Ack!’ Blight shouted, waving his arms at Dakkar in frustration.
Georgia pushed the Liberty forward and then rammed her into reverse, sending Blight and Dakkar tumbling across the floor of the cabin.
‘It’s no good,’ Georgia gasped. ‘We’re trapped.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Death Grip
The Liberty’s engine clunked and grumbled as Dakkar and Blight wound it to full power. Georgia reversed again, twisting the wheel to make the sub jag from side to side. The planks of the Liberty groaned.
‘Stop!’ Dakkar cried.
Water had dribbled from the prow, where a combination of rubberised leather and oiled cloth waterproofed the holes that allowed the pincers to move and be controlled from inside the ship.
The air had become stale and the crew’s breathing shallow. Sweat trickled down Dakkar’s temples. The stink of Phoebus Blight filled his nostrils as the man stood next to him.
‘We could let the Eye go and see if it releases us,’ Dakkar panted.
‘Could we blast it with the last Sea Arrow?’ Georgia asked.
‘We’d blow ourselves up,’ Dakkar murmured.
‘Nah!’ Blight growled, shaking his head. He tapped the side of his nose and lowered his hands up and down in a calming motion.
‘You think if we keep still the clam will open again?’ Dakkar said, pouting his lip.
Blight nodded enthusiastically. ‘An pah!’ he yelled, skidding his fist across the palm of his other, open hand.
‘Then we back out quickly?’ Georgia interpreted.
‘But how long do we wait?’ Dakkar wondered aloud.
He sat down on the floor of the Liberty and stared out of the porthole. If I just set the last Sea Arrow off here and now, the Eye might be destroyed and Cryptos would be foiled, Dakkar thought. Maybe Oginski can find some way to escape and defeat his brother on his own.
He shook his head. No, I can’t sacrifice Georgia too. I have to get out of this and stop Cryptos myself.
The heat grew stifling. Dakkar felt dizzy with the pressure. His head ached and he was losing track of time.
‘Aah!’ Blight whispered, bringing Dakkar to.
The clam’s shells were beginning to part. It was opening. The blue light of the Eye of Neptune crackled to life once more.
‘Georgia, can you see?’ Dakkar hissed up to her.
‘I can,’ she said quietly.
‘Wait for it to open fully,’ Dakkar said, watching the shell edge lift. ‘Wait, wait, wait . . . Now!’
Georgia rammed the Liberty into reverse. Bubbles frothed around the portholes and the engine whined and clunked. Dakkar was thrown on to the floor as they were catapulted back. They were free!
The Eye of Neptune hung before them in the grip of the pincers, lighting the way as they turned and began to climb back to the surface.
Blight sat staring at the Voltalith from the cabin below while Georgia steered them over the sloping seabed. Dakkar glanced at the Sea Arrow box. It was behind Blight and out of his line of vision. Dakkar eased over to the box and lifted the lid. It creaked horribly and he froze. Blight seemed engrossed in the flickering deadliness of the Eye. Lifting the explosive out of the box, Dakkar slid across the lower cabin and crept up the steps.
He placed the missile to the side of Georgia’s seat.
‘When we get to a depth you can handle,’ Dakkar whispered, ‘shut the bottom hatch and swim out with the arrow.’
‘But I can’t get out with water pouring in!’ A thin sheen of sweat covered Georgia’s brow. ‘I’ll have to wait for the water to fill this cabin before I can get out, and that may capsize the sub
.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll handle that,’ Dakkar said in a low voice.
‘And what about the Qualar?’ she said, her knuckles white on the wheel.
‘I don’t think they’ll come near the Eye of Neptune,’ Dakkar reassured her. ‘Just don’t swim near it yourself! Good luck.’
Dakkar climbed back down and glanced at Blight but he still sat hypnotised by the electric storm flickering in front of him.
The water grew lighter and Dakkar felt a little less thickheaded as they came nearer the surface. His palms felt slick and he couldn’t stop glancing up at the hatch to the captain’s cabin. When will Georgia make her move?
Blight was preoccupied, watching the death throes of fish that swam too close to the Eye of Neptune. He grinned as they writhed and twisted in agony. He turned and pointed at a small squid that floated by, its legs rigid. Then his eyes widened.
Dakkar turned just as the hatch slammed shut. He dived over in a feigned attempt to grab the handle to the hatch and ended up tripping Blight, sending them both into a heap on the floor.
‘Rarrgh!’ Blight yelled, clambering up the ladder and grabbing the hatch handle.
‘No!’ Dakkar cried, pulling him back down to the floor again. ‘Listen. She’s opened the outer hatch. You’ll flood the sub.’
Blight looked on in horror as the sound of water hammering on the hatch door subsided. The upper cabin was full. Dakkar listened and was rewarded by a second thud as Georgia closed the outer door. Now the Liberty listed as the weight of the water above them began to drag the sub upside down.
Dakkar scrambled for the inside door before they were completely capsized and dragged the handle open. Blight gave a bellow of rage as gallons of seawater roared in from above, soaking them both and sending the Liberty rolling upright again. They tumbled from one side of the sub to the next, bumping and banging into things. A chair clipped Blight in the temple and the table slammed into Dakkar, knocking the wind out of him. He crawled across the wet floor, dodging cases and tubes of sea charts as they clattered around. On the third or fourth roll of the boat, Dakkar lunged forward and heaved himself into the captain’s cabin. He settled the ship but there was no sign of Georgia or the Sea Arrow.
Blight climbed up, trailing a waterfall from his sodden clothes. He slumped beside Dakkar, glowering through the porthole as if he might see Georgia waving to him as she swam past. He slammed his fist on the wheel of the Liberty and yelled some incoherent curse.
‘She won’t get far,’ Dakkar said to Blight. ‘Those Qualar will find her – that’s if she doesn’t drown.’
Blight gave a nasty smile that told Dakkar he hoped for the latter.
They returned to the cavern in silence, Dakkar hardly noticing the beauty of the jellyfish and the distant shapes of the wary Qualar.
Cryptos dismissed with a shrug the news that Georgia had escaped. He stood leering at the Eye of Neptune as it sat sizzling in the water at the front of the Liberty.
‘Excellent,’ he murmured. ‘You have both done well.’ He clapped his hands and four human guards dashed forward. ‘Place the Voltalith into the rubberised sling and bring it to my laboratory. Be careful not to touch it or you will die in an instant. I’d hate for it to be dropped.’
‘Nagh,’ Blight growled, and pointed to the water.
Cryptos turned to face him. ‘The girl doesn’t matter. If she survived, my God, we’ll soon recapture her.’
I hope not, thought Dakkar, following them out of the cavern.
‘Success is so close!’ Cryptos said. ‘I will slice this Voltalith into sections. Each one will power a different device, including the Mole. It’s best not to tell Oginski and Fulton about the girl. They’re modifying the Nautilus’s engine to accept the Eye of Neptune and I don’t want them becoming difficult. Soon it will begin.’
Dakkar forced a smile, then went to his room to change and to put the next part of his plan into action.
A few hours later, Dakkar crept from his room down the corridor. He’d noticed a lot of activity. Guards were carrying boxes and sacks. It seemed they were packing up. Dakkar moved among the bustle unnoticed. His bodyguard had disappeared and Dakkar wondered whether this was because Cryptos trusted him now or because everyone was needed to clear the island.
When it goes up, anyone left behind will be killed in an instant, Dakkar thought as he squeezed past people.
He came to the slave chamber and pushed the door open. A Qualar guard blocked his path with a spear.
‘Do you not know who I am?’ Dakkar spat, glaring up at the guard. ‘I am Count Cryptos’s heir apparent. Would you make an enemy of me so soon?’
The guard glanced around for some higher authority but Blight was clearly still recovering from his undersea ordeal and wasn’t present. Finally the guard pulled back his spear and Dakkar strode through, searching the chamber for Olszar.
He found the Shoal Lord sitting with a group of other Qualar at the side of the cave. Human guards stood close by, rifles clutched in their hands.
‘We have a few minutes’ rest,’ Olszar murmured, looking sidelong at the nearest guard, ‘before we resume. The work is nearly complete though. And there are fewer guards.’
Dakkar laid his jacket down next to Olszar.
‘This island is going to be blown apart,’ Dakkar said quietly. ‘In a few days’ time you and your loyal followers will be dead. I want to prevent that.’
‘If we fail, then Cryptos will destroy our spawning chambers,’ Olszar replied, lowering his head. ‘He will doom our race.’
‘But if we succeed,’ Dakkar said, ‘then you will be free and the Qualar can live as one again.’
‘What is your plan?’ Olszar muttered as the guard wandered out of earshot.
‘In two days,’ Dakkar said under his breath, ‘my friend Georgia will drop an explosive from up there.’ He glanced up at the hole high in the darkness. ‘Under my jacket is another charge. Can you attach it to the Mole?’
‘We can try,’ Olszar whispered back. ‘It was worth a bump on the head then?’ He smiled slightly and rubbed his head.
‘Well worth it,’ Dakkar said. ‘Are you with me?’
‘We won’t sit here and wait to die,’ Olszar hissed, narrowing his pearly eyes.
‘If we destroy the Mole and your people rise up,’ Dakkar said, ‘we may be able to take Cryptos by surprise. Now bow before me.’
‘What?’ Olszar said, looking bewildered.
‘I said, bow before me, dog!’ Dakkar said, raising his voice and pushing Olszar down.
Olszar fell to his knees and grabbed the jacket, pushing it behind the feet of his comrades. ‘Forgive me, Prince Dakkar,’ Olszar said, not too convincingly.
‘Good,’ Dakkar said. He turned to the guard. ‘Get this dolt back to work. I’ll teach him to insult me.’
‘Get up!’ the guard yelled as Dakkar stalked off.
He glanced back to see his jacket and its contents being carefully slipped behind a large rock. He turned and walked straight into a worker dragging a barrel.
‘Pardon me, monsieur,’ said the familiar figure, standing straight and then making a slight bow.
‘Monsieur Lafitte,’ Dakkar said, raising his eyebrows.
The pirate’s once-fine clothing hung in rags, and dirt streaked his face. He looked intently at Dakkar.
‘You forget that I am a master smuggler,’ Lafitte said in French. ‘I saw what you did there – the work of an amateur!’ He spat on the ground.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Dakkar said, his heart thumping. Sweat trickled down his back. ‘What do you want?’
‘Just for you to know that I am with you and your fishy friends,’ Lafitte said, and winked at Dakkar before hefting the barrel on to his shoulder and striding off.
Dakkar’s stomach lurched. If Lafitte had noticed, then had any of the guards? He glanced around but they seemed at ease. With Blight out of the way and the impending evacuation of the island, they seemed more relaxed
than normal.
There was nothing to be relaxed about though. Dakkar knew that. So much could go wrong in the next few days.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Worst Laid Schemes
Cryptos kept to his laboratory the next day, leaving Dakkar to wander the jetty unsupervised while Oginski and Fulton worked inside the giant Nautilus. Dakkar could hear them through the hatch.
‘I’m tellin’ you, Frank, I’m worried about Georgia,’ Fulton said over the clinking of tools. ‘Cryptos hasn’t let me talk to her since she went off with Dakkar in the Liberty.’
Oginski’s head popped up from the hatch and he fixed Dakkar with a steely gaze. ‘Why can’t we see Georgia? What’s going on?’ he snapped.
‘I don’t know. Cryptos hasn’t told me. He’s working on the Voltalith,’ Dakkar said, shrugging and staring at the floor.
He wanted to tell them that she’d escaped, that she was all right – but was she? He hadn’t seen her reach the surface. All he knew was that she’d escaped from the Liberty. If he told them that now, they might down tools and delay everything. Or do something rash and endanger the slaves in the chamber.
Oginski paused and looked long and hard at Dakkar. ‘Why are you doing this?’ he asked softly.
‘Why did you lie to me?’ Dakkar said, his breath quickening and tears stinging his eyes.
‘Sometimes we have to lie to those we care about,’ Oginski murmured. Shaking his head, he disappeared back into the Nautilus.
‘Then that’s your answer,’ Dakkar whispered, and rushed from the jetty before he gave in and told Oginski everything.
Time dragged by. Dakkar wandered the quiet corridors. He even tried to see what Cryptos was doing in his laboratory but his guards blocked the way. He crept up the vent at the side of the chamber and looked down on the toiling slaves. Few of them were actually carrying things now. The last barrels of gunpowder were being rolled up the side tunnels. Gangs of exhausted slaves sat gasping at the side of the chamber, watched over by armed guards. Blight stalked those poor souls still working.
Dakkar squinted, making out the lines of what he thought was fuse wire leading from each side tunnel to a central core near the Mole. Presumably, once the Mole had dug deep enough, the fuse would be lit and the whole island would go up. He crawled back out of the tunnel and returned to his room, thankful that it was late and time to sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day. Only a handful of guards remained in the volcano now. The others had been sent elsewhere. Dakkar frowned. Where to? he thought. Cryptos must have another base like this. His stomach tightened as the thought struck him. His brothers may be there, planning similar schemes, breeding similar monsters. Stopping Cryptos might be only the beginning of what was necessary.
