Sky dived under Kushtaka and surfaced on her other side, where he took Tikka’s paw and pulled her out of the water and over to his slide.
I didn’t think you could put your bubble where there was no volcanic vent, Murel said to Kushtaka.
For a short time we can, when we have gathered full power. There is no vent here, but also there are no sharks.
Before Murel could make another remark, Kushtaka said, The otters say that new trouble threatens our world. Why?
Murel and Ronan began to explain. Despite the mistrust that had marked the beginning of their dealings, Kushtaka listened carefully to everything they said, asking questions when she didn’t understand. When they finished, Murel and Ronan felt they finally had an adult ally who understood the entire problem and was willing and able to help solve it.
Tell Da that Kushtaka says we won’t be long, Murel told a sea otter cousin.
And tell him to tell Mum not to do anything rash, Ronan added. Then, with Tikka and Sky sliding down the ice crust and jumping into the sea to join them, the twins followed Kushtaka, Mraka, and Puk back to their undersea bubble.
About the Authors
ANNE MCCAFFREY, the Hugo Award–winning author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern novels, is one of science fiction’s most popular authors. She lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland. Visit the author’s website at www.annemccaffrey.net.
ELIZABETH ANN SCARBOROUGH, winner of the Nebula Award for her novel The Healer’s War, is the author of numerous fantasy novels. She has co-authored nine other novels with Anne McCaffrey. She lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Visit the author’s website at www.eascarborough.com.
BY ANNE MCCAFFREY AND
ELIZABETH ANN SCARBOROUGH
Powers That Be
Power Lines
Power Play
Changelings
Maelstrom
Maelstrom is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2006 by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
www.delreybooks.com
eISBN: 978-0-345-49736-9
v3.0
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