The Shark Bites Back
Page 6
‘I hadn’t heard,’ grunted the blue shark.
Watson went on in his quiet, persuasive way. ‘Here’s a funny idea. You could always just knock him in and have a nibble. Who’d know? They’d think he just fell in and couldn’t swim.’
The blue shark was confused, and Watson didn’t give him time to think. ‘I mean, look at him sitting there, all high and mighty – not to mention, fat and juicy, with no fur to get caught in your throat. Go on, just a quick bite. I guarantee, once you’ve had meat you’ll never go back to kelp …’
‘I don’t think so,’ said the shark uncertainly, but suddenly there was a SPLASH! Peregrine had been leaning over the side of the boat to ask something. He’d leaned too far and tumbled in.
The other unfortunate thing was that Peregrine had cut himself shaving that morning. There was only the tiniest bit of dried blood, but its smell activated an ancient part of the shark’s predator brain.
‘Smell it!’ cried Watson. ‘That’s better than kelp, eh? YES! Then get it! Rip it to shreds! EAT! EAT THE MEAT!’
With the scent of blood in its nose and Watson’s insistent voice in its ear, the blue shark could control itself no longer. He flicked his tail, opened his mouth and …
‘YUCK! That’s terrible!’ said the blue shark.
His teeth had no more than grazed Peregrine’s arm before he pulled away in disgust. As he did so, the shark seemed to come to his senses.
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ he said to Peregrine. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’
‘I do, son,’ said Peregrine, treading water. ‘Luckily, I got my tube of Fletcher’s Finest Anti-Shark Gel back from Brian. It does work, you know!’ He reached out and peeled the suckerfish off the shark’s underside.
‘Get your mitts off me, you filthy mammal!’ shrieked Watson.
Ignoring these complaints, Peregrine used the suckerfish’s own sucker-pad to stick him to the hull of the little boat.
He grinned. He had waited twenty years to say these words:
‘Who’s the sucker now?’
EPILOGUE:
A Clean Start
‘Here, Tammy,’ said Pete the next day at PiPs HQ. ‘I’ve got you a crate of Slurpo-Pop.’
Tammy wrinkled her snout. ‘Thanks, but I’ve decided Slurpo-Pop is yucky!’ She held up a bright orange can. ‘I only drink Orange Bubble-GuzzleAde now. It’s deliciously refreshing!’ She chugged the can and belched. ‘I would offer you one, but I’ve only got twelve cans left.’
Just then Lola burst into the common room holding a letter. ‘I’ve won a prize from Pig Puzzle Weekly!’ she announced. ‘It’s a weekend break for two on Shark Island! Would anyone like to come?’
Peregrine folded down his copy of the Swine Times. ‘It says here that half the lagoon is going to be a holiday resort – Neil Headstrong is opening the Hammer Time Hotel there. The other half will be a kelp factory. In fact, our old friend Watson will be working there as part of his punishment. That’s something I’d love to see.’ He beamed. ‘So yes, I’d be delighted to accompany you on the trip, Lola.’
‘Great,’ said Lola glumly.
‘Hey, anyone know where Brian is?’ asked Tammy between fizzy-pop burps.
‘On the firing range,’ said Pete. ‘After yesterday’s mission, he’s got a new idea for a pig-poo catapult. I wish he’d work on something to de-frizz my hair. All that saltwater has ruined my style.’
Suddenly a gigantic brown ball splatted against the window. SPLUDGE!
‘He’s still ironing out the details,’ said Pete.
‘Good thing it hit the closed window,’ huffed Peregrine.
Two seconds later, another ball of pig poo shot through the open window. It hit the room’s electric fan and exploded everywhere.
Curly jumped up. ‘That’s OK,’ he cried. ‘We can go for a swim to clean off. Right?’
Since he’d got over his fear of water, swimming had become Curly’s favourite activity.
‘That’s all good and well,’ said Peregrine darkly. ‘But I’m afraid someone’s going to have to clean up this mess!’
‘Don’t be afraid, Commander,’ said Pete, heading out the door with the others. ‘The only thing to fear is fear itself!’
2. Tammy hides from the sharks behind this.
4. ______ Luxury Breaks.
6. An athletic pig!
8. They eat a lot of this on Shark Island.
10. Another name for a sucker fish.
11. Neil _____Strong.
1. What Curly fears the most.
2. Tammy’s favourite drink.
3. The answer to Lola’s crossword clue.
5. Watson’s chilling catchphrase.
7. Pete’s real middle name.
9. There’s a secret one on Shark Island.
* Turn to page 148 for the answers.
Unscramble these words:
1. GiVNiD
2. RAHDEMMAHE
3. SLiDAN
4. HETTE
5. FWODiDROT
6. KARSH
7. MONMAG
8. SMiSiON
9. RGAET-WETHi
10. LAMP REET
* Turn to page 148 for the answers.
Find the words opposite hidden in this grid.
(Look carefully – some may be backwards or diagonal!)
* Turn to page 148 for the answers.
BACON SUCKERFISH
RAFT PARADISE
HELMET FIN
FANG DINGHY
COMMANDER TAMMY
1. DIVING
2. HAMMERHEAD
3. ISLAND
4. TEETH
5. DRIFTWOOD
6. SHARK
7. GAMMON
8. MISSION
9. GREAT-WHITE
10. PALM TREE