Neil and Jack looked in the direction that Lefty was gazing. In the distance, through the sheets of rain and seawater, the shores of Smuttynose Island appeared, materializing like a shadowy apparition. There were many rocky outcroppings, areas of sand, and windswept dunes. Further inland, the ground became elevated, and the edge of a thick forest could be seen.
None of that was what had captured Lefty’s attention, however. The thing that had captivated him was the fantastic beast that had appeared, rising from the ocean like an angered sea serpent.
On one side of the island there was a cove: a sheltered bay that was full of rocky shores and the entrance to a large cavern, the mouth of which loomed like a yawning, toothy mouth. It was within this cove that the creature rose, defying the imagination of all who turned their eyes upon it.
The beast was built from muscle and sinew; an ancient, reptilian creature that was covered in wet, green scales that glittered like liquid emeralds. Ornate antlers rose from behind its pointed ears. It had a mustachioed snout, piercing eyes, and when its jaws opened, rows of pointy teeth were revealed.
Some distance behind the head of the beast, its long tail emerged from the surface of the ocean. It was feathered with gold and green accents, and it swept about as if it were an elaborate flag, flicking the seawater and raindrops through the air like an angry waterspout.
The creature’s emerald eyes, startling in their clarity, were clearly directed at the Quantum Conundrum. The boat’s occupants withered beneath that terrible gaze, feeling the power within those ancient eyeballs.
As it stared at the boat, its tail flicking from side to side and its mouth yawning open, the creature released a growl. It was a noise of such powerful bass and formidable sound, it traveled to the ears of the seafarers, even over the noise of the thunder and waves. The creature snorted, and dark smoke streamed from its nostrils, curling into the air amid bright orange sparks.
“Just look at the size of it!” Lefty hollered. “It must be the creature we’re seeking, that’s for sure… It must be Pan Gu!”
“Here there be monsters!” Neil shouted with glee (a phrase he had always hoped to have the chance to belt out, ever since he had read it in a book featuring pirates).
The beast’s green eyes flashed each time a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, and its chest expanded with a rhythm of breath that seemed to mirror the heartbeat of the storm. The passengers remembered what they had been told of Pan Gu - legends said that the monster was nothing short of a force of nature, and it had the ability to alter the weather, bringing destruction in its wake.
Had the creature summoned this storm? As unimaginable as such a thing might have seemed, they were witnessing the rather convincing evidence firsthand. This was a monster whose very existence transcended what might be considered “possible” or “normal”, and its true capabilities were a mystery.
Pan Gu’s emerald eyes shifted to darker colors, and they began to swirl like the storm itself. As he looked into those mesmerizing orbs, Lefty seemed to become hypnotized or weakened, and he slumped at the wheel.
“Uh-oh. This is no time to be sleeping on the job, Lefty!” Neil shouted, peering over his shoulder as the boat began to wildly spin.
He recalled that his friends, Maria and Sara, had described a similar effect befalling the adults in their presence, when they had encountered the beast. Lefty, it appeared, had been stupefied by forces that were not easily understood.
“Noodles, take the wheel!” Neil hollered, doing his best to resist his increasing dizziness.
“Beep-boop!” the robot answered in the affirmative.
Noodles supported Lefty with one hand, making sure he didn’t fall to the deck in his newfound, oblivious condition. With the other, he reached down and grabbed the steering wheel, wrapping his strong, noodly fingers around it.
The robot was very powerful, and he immediately gained some control over the boat. The Quantum Conundrum slowed its spin, though it was still buffeted and rocked by the waves and wind. Noodles beeped with alarm as his blue eyes observed the inclement conditions, trying to adjust on the fly to the challenges that hurtled at him with alarming rapidity.
Despite his strength and willingness, there was only so much Noodles could do. The small boat had its limitations, and it was not fit for traversing a storm of these epic proportions.
“It’s a rogue wave!” Neil hollered.
He pointed to the starboard side of the boat, where a gigantic wave approached. It was the largest one they had yet seen, and far taller than the boat itself.
“It’s a real monster of a wave, I tell you,” Neil said with admiration and wonder. “We’ve got no choice but to face it head on! If we try to outrun it, that thing will broadside us and capsize the boat for sure!”
Jack had still not found his voice, but he did manage to utter an alarmed gasp in response to Neil’s declaration.
“I know, I know - I’m quite knowledgeable about this stuff,” Neil said to his friend, chuckling and grinning as the seawater pelted them. “Reading all those adventure books has really paid off, don’t you think?”
“Woof!” Nibbler assented, barking up at Neil.
“Noodles, you’ve got to turn directly into the wave! We have to face it head on - it’s our only chance to avoid being capsized!” Neil shouted.
“Beep boop!” Noodles answered agreeably.
With quick motions of noodle-like appendages, he spun the wheel. The Quantum Conundrum slowly turned, even as Noodles pushed the throttle lever all the way forward, utilizing every bit of power that the boat’s engine could generate.
The bow of the sea vessel came to point at the rogue wave, which had swelled to even greater size by this time. The engine roared and strained, and the boat pushed toward its looming, watery adversary. There were blasts of thunder, and the crashing of waves, and rumbling beneath it all - the chilling growl of Pan Gu.
“Woo! I’ve got to tell you guys, this is going to be a close one!” Neil shouted over the cacophony of raucous noise.
“Woof!” Nibbler barked.
“Boop!” Noodles beeped.
“Meep!” Murphy squeaked.
Jack, for the time being, still had nothing to say, but the expression of dismay and alarm on his features was certainly worth one thousand words.
Seeing his friend’s face, Neil chortled. “I really wish I had a camera right now! The look on your face is priceless!”
As he looked forward once more, he saw the rogue wave on top of them. It towered above like a liquid mountain that was ready to avalanche upon them and erase them from the sea. The front of the boat began to rise, as it attempted to best the tremendous obstacle.
With a defiant whoop, Neil raised his voice to be heard over the storm. “Hang on, and hope for-”
But he never got to complete his thought. There was a tremendous impact of immeasurable power. And then, for the occupants of the Quantum Conundrum… there was only blackness.
Chapter Four
Shipwrecked, Soaked, and Sandy
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 3
