“Now or never!” Lilly whispered, and she dashed off.
That very moment the big man took the hands from his eyes. He sniveled and looked puzzled. And then he screamed, “Stop!”
Lilly and Fin swam a little faster, but they were still too slow. The fat king grabbed them with his fingers and held them in front of his red eyes.
“Ah!” he roared. “Merpups. Little nasty merpups! Yuck! What are you doing here?”
“That’s none of your business!” Lilly shouted. She was desperately trying to wiggle out of his big hand.
“Ha! Disgusting, impertinent little slitherers!” Neptune snorted. “I am the king, remember that!”
“You’re not the king anymore,” Fin retorted coldly. “You haven’t been for centuries.”
“Yes!” the fat man howled, shaking his fists, and the merpups with them. “And that’s why I am so sad.” Tears started bubbling out of his red eyes again, and he let go of the merpups.
Lilly and Fin swam away as fast as they could. Neptune didn’t even look after them.
“He crushed all my cookies!” Lilly muttered. “Just look.”
“We’ll eat the crumbs. So what?” Fin replied. “At least we got away quickly. The last time we spent an eternity in his pudgy fists.”
“And poor Lamps,” Lilly muttered on. “Just look at him. The shock almost turned out his light.”
“If that’s the worst that happens, I’ll be happy,” Fin growled. “My scales are itching like crazy. I think the real trouble is still ahead.”
“Oh, stop it!” Lilly said impatiently. “You’re already as crazy as the fat king. See? That’s our cave. What could possibly happen now?”
“No idea,” Fin replied. He looked around warily. But he didn’t spot the metal nose poking out from behind a nearby rock.
“There!” Mrs. Snorkel called out. She was staring rapturously through the Sea Devil’s periscope. “There are two! Oh my goodness, they are adorable!”
“Let me see,” Mr. Snorkel said, pushing his wife out of the way.
Lilly and Fin were clearly visible. Lamps had recovered from the shock of meeting the king of the oceans and was bathing the two merpups in his brightest light.
“Excellent!” Mr. Snorkel declared, grinning broadly. “Two of them. What do you think, my dear? Should we just take both?”
“Oh yes!” Mrs. Snorkel clapped her hands. “You know, we could put them in the entrance hall. In a pink fish tank! Then everybody will see them right away.”
“May I?” Ignatius Harkenear cleared his throat impatiently. “Do you think I could have a look?”
“Certainly!” said Mr. Snorkel, offering him the periscope. “You’re the one who brought us here.”
Flattered, the detective put his eyes to the ocular. “Nice specimens!” he declared expertly. “Quite a successful hunt indeed.”
“Let’s get the grappling arms ready,” said Mr. Snorkel. “Those little wigglers will be swimming past here soon.”
“No, Herman!” his wife called. “You always forget: the jars first!”
“Ah yes,” Mr. Snorkel agreed. “Let’s get to it!”
The Snorkels and Mr. Harkenear stepped onto a conveyor belt that brought them quickly and smoothly to the rear end of the Sea Devil. There they took an express elevator to the lower level.
“Heavens!” Mr. Harkenear breathed as they stepped off the elevator. “Quite something, isn’t it?” Mr. Snorkel blushed with pride.
They were standing in a huge room lined with towering shelves that were filled with jars of every imaginable size and shape. Some were so small that they could only hold a single tadpole. Others were so big that they could comfortably accommodate a baby whale.
“I think those will be perfect,” Mrs. Snorkel said, pointing at two jars that looked like large vases.
“Copy that!” Mr. Snorkel went to a large panel of buttons. “Number one-three-four,” he said, pressing a button with his short finger.
Now it was time for Detective Harkenear to be even more amazed. A thin mechanical arm appeared from a hole in the wall and stretched itself up to shelf number 134. It grabbed one of the jars and carried it to a little round platform in the middle of the room. Then it did the same with the second jar.
“Phenomenal!” Ignatius Harkenear whispered. The Snorkels exchanged a proud wink.
The mechanical arm had now fetched a hose and was carefully filling both jars halfway with water. Not a single drop was spilled. Then the arm returned the hose to its place and gave a quick wave before disappearing back into the hole in the wall. Ignatius Harkenear was speechless.
“You see those pipes up there, Harkenear?” Mr. Snorkel asked. “They come straight down from the grappling arms. Works just like your everyday vacuum: the merpups will be sucked into these pipes, which will drop them into these jars. The arm will put lids on them, and we’re done. What do you think?”
“Absolutely perfect!” the detective answered enthusiastically.
“My invention,” Mr. Snorkel declared.
“Herman!” Mrs. Snorkel tugged her husband’s sleeve. “We have to get back up front, or we’ll lose these darling creatures after all.”
“Copy that!” Mr. Snorkel quickly led them to the elevator.
Once back on the bridge, Mrs. Snorkel immediately headed to the periscope. “Hurry, Herman!” she called. “They are swimming right past us. Quickly!”
Mr. Snorkel hit about twenty buttons in very quick succession. The long grappling arms shot out from the sides of the submarine, their big claws snapping wide open.
“Did they see us?” Mr. Snorkel asked.
“No!” his wife answered.
“Excellent!” Mr. Snorkel grinned his widest grin—the one that showed all his yellow teeth. “Then we’ve got them.”
And slowly, very slowly, the Sea Devil crept out of its hiding place.
“Lamps, what are you doing?” Lilly huffed. The little lantern fish was constantly circling her, wrapping his leash around her tail. He was flickering like an old lightbulb and bubbling excitedly.
“What’s the matter with him?” Fin asked uneasily.
“No idea. Maybe he just wants a cookie.” Lilly gave him some crumbs. “And now, shush!”
Lamps quickly swallowed the crumbs, but then he started darting around her again.
“We’ll be there soon,” Lilly said. “Then he can get off the leash.”
Fin slowed down. “Do you hear that hum?” he asked, holding Lilly back by her arm.
“What hum?”
Fin looked around—and froze. And now Lilly saw it, too.
A huge silver something was drifting toward them. Its massive crablike pincers were snapping open and shut. The monster was bigger than anything Lilly had ever seen in her short life. Fin just stared at it. “Fin! Swim!” Lilly screamed.
But her friend still didn’t move. His wide eyes were just staring at the terrible pincers, and before Lilly knew what was happening, one of them had sucked up her friend. It closed with a loud clang. And Fin was gone.
Sobbing, Lilly turned around and swam. She swam as fast as she could, but the humming came closer and closer. She could already feel the second pincer reaching out for her. Just then she spotted a little crevice in the rocks. It was pitch black and didn’t look at all inviting.
Normally, a smart merpup such as Lilly would never have swum into a place like that. There could be morays hiding inside, poisonous sea serpents, and a thousand other hideous dangers. But right now that crevice was Lilly’s only chance. She dashed into it with her last bit of strength. Behind her, the big monster crashed into the rock with a crunch.
Two large, bright eyes lit up, shooting out long, thin fingers of light that shot around in the dark, looking for the little mermaid.
It was the first time since the beginning of the world that light had entered that dark crevice, and all the creatures that lived there hid themselves in the cracks and crannies, squeezing their eyes shut against its
painful brightness. This was good for Lilly, for it kept those creatures from biting or stinging her as she dashed along the crevice at high speed.
Her heart felt like it was about to explode. Her little tail was aching, and her eyes were bubbling big tears.
Suddenly the crevice got tighter, and then it took a sharp turn. The fingers of light from the monster could no longer follow her, and the merpup was surrounded by darkness. Thousands of eyes were staring at her. Lilly felt her way along the rock and then realized that the crevice ended in a huge cave.
What now? Lilly thought. Trembling, she shrank back, away from the darkness and all those eyes. But soon enough she could see the light fingers going all over the rocks.
Lilly was trapped. “So I can’t go back. That much is certain!” she muttered. “I can’t swim out the top—the monster would see me there as well. So all that’s left is that big black hole there.” Lilly’s ears were twitching. “Or I wait here until the monster’s gone.”
But what about all those scary eyes? She slowly swam toward the pitch-black cave again and peered inside.
Suddenly something soft shot out of the cave, wrapped itself around her hip, and pulled her into the darkness.
And Fin?
Fin only came to after the giant pincer had snapped shut around him. He immediately started hammering against the walls, noticing to his surprise that they were cold and smooth. They felt nothing like the pincers of a crab or a lobster. They didn’t feel like anything Fin had ever felt before.
This is a strange monster, he thought as he waited for it to stuff him into its mouth and swallow him. Instead, he felt something pulling at him. He tried to hold on, but there was nothing to hold on to, just cold, smooth walls.
He was being sucked toward a narrow tube.
Now I’m getting swallowed! Fin thought, and with that, he was already sliding headfirst into the tube. The little merpup shot like a cannonball down a long pipe. His head ached, and his rainbow-colored scales felt very, very itchy.
Then, suddenly, there was a lot of light. Fin flew through the air, only to land with a loud splash in water again. It was the strangest kind of water he’d ever seen. It had no color whatsoever. And when Fin reached out with his hands, they quickly hit an invisible wall.
That wall was all around him. Fin could barely turn without hitting it with either his head or his tail.
And the place was bright. Terribly bright. The light hurt his eyes and blinded him.
Something dark came down from above and shut his see-through prison with a loud squeak.
Fin pressed against it with all his strength, but it didn’t budge. Now he was truly trapped.
But where?
Where was he? What was he in?
So…I definitely haven’t been eaten, the merpup thought. This really doesn’t look like a stomach. Or does it? After all, he’d never actually been in a stomach.
But before Fin could form his next thought, he was already in for another shock. Three huge figures were approaching his prison. Fin couldn’t see them properly, because his eyes just would not adjust to the horrible light. Blinking and squinting, all he could see was that they were coming closer.
As little as he could see, he did notice that the three creatures were absolutely hideous-looking. And they were walking on legs! Two-Legs! The thought shot through Fin’s aching head. Those are Two-Legs!
The hideous faces were coming ever closer, until their big noses squished against the invisible walls of his prison.
Oh no, now I’m going to get eaten after all! Fin thought. And he squeezed his eyes shut.
“Goodness, how adorable!” Mrs. Snorkel called as she leaned closer to the jar with their new prisoner. “Herman, look! I think this is a merboy. Isn’t he cute?”
“Indeed!” Mr. Snorkel had a satisfied grin on his face as he stared down at his trophy.
“That blue hair will go very well with the pink baby squid!” Mrs. Snorkel sighed happily. “Look, he’s closing his eyes. He’s probably shy. How cute!”
“I think this one’s quite young,” observed Ignatius Harkenear as he studied the prisoner with scientific interest.
“Oh, Herman, what a pity the other one got away,” said Mrs. Snorkel. She was staring, mesmerized, at Fin’s shimmering scales. “They would have gone so well together. We could have put them in the living room, right next to the television. I would have put little seashells into their tank and—”
“We’ll get that other one,” Mr. Snorkel interrupted his wife. “We’ll simply wait by that crevice. Eventually she’ll have to come out of there. And then we’ll grab her.”
“Definitely.” Ignatius Harkenear nodded. “Hunger—or curiosity—will drive her out eventually, and then—snap! Ha-ha-ha!” The detective’s entire body shook with laughter.
Mrs. Snorkel tapped against the glass, but Fin kept his eyes closed and didn’t move. “You know, Herman,” she said, “I don’t think those little creatures are very smart.”
“Definitely not.” Mr. Snorkel smiled arrogantly. “Not much space for brains in those little heads.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Snorkel agreed. “But maybe they can still learn a few tricks?”
Fin opened his eyes and shot her a sinister look.
“Herman!” Mrs. Snorkel cried. “Look! He’s staring at me. But he doesn’t seem very friendly.”
Fin crossed his arms and stuck out his blue tongue at her.
“Oooh!” Mrs. Snorkel huffed. “Herman! That little fish is rude!”
“Maybe that’s how mermaids say hello,” Mr. Harkenear suggested. He eyed the prisoner skeptically.
Fin stuck his tongue out at him, too.
“There. See?” Harkenear pointed out. “It definitely means ‘hello’!”
“Hmph!” Mr. Snorkel grunted, unconvinced. “Never mind. I say we go up front and catch the other mermaid.”
Together they marched back to the elevator.
“I hope she doesn’t take too long to come out,” Mrs. Snorkel said. “I really do hate waiting.”
Lilly wasn’t feeling much better than Fin. The big, soft arm that had grabbed her was pulling her ever deeper into the dark cave. Lilly wriggled and cursed and pinched and bit, but none of that had any effect. The cave entrance had shrunk way into the distance, and Lilly was surrounded by nothing but the blackest darkness.
Suddenly the arm put her down and let go of her.
Lilly would have loved to swim off quickly, but where would she have gone? To her right, nothing but darkness.
To her left, nothing but darkness.
Behind, above, in front, not even the tiniest speck of light. Lilly had absolutely no idea which way the exit was. If only she had Lamps with her now. Where had he gone to anyway?
Then she suddenly heard a deep voice say, “Welcome!”
Two huge eyes lit up in the darkness. “I’m sorry it’s so dark in here,” the voice continued, “but my lantern fish are terribly lazy. Wake up, you sleepyheads! We have a visitor.” Lilly heard murmurs and mutterings all around her. Then she saw lights shimmering and glittering. “About time!” her host said.
Now Lilly could see him—and she froze with fear.
Sitting in front of the mergirl was a fire-red octopus the size of a mountain. His arms were thicker than the biggest masts in the city of the mermaids. “I hope I didn’t give you too much of a fright,” he said, giving Lilly a friendly nudge with one of his arms. The poor mergirl’s heart nearly stopped. “I just couldn’t help myself, seeing you out there. I so rarely get any visitors.”
“The giant kraken!” Lilly breathed. “He exists!”
“Oh, so you’ve heard of me?” the kraken asked, flattered.
“Of course!” Lilly mumbled. She didn’t even dare look at the giant animal. “Do you really eat merpups?” she asked with a thin voice.
“Yuck! No!” the kraken called out. “Why would you think that?”
“My parents told me,” Lilly answered.
“C
omplete nonsense!” The kraken angrily tangled up some of his arms. “I’m a vegetarian. Though I may have a couple of mussels on very special holidays.”
“That’s a relief!” Lilly said. “I thought I was going to be eaten as well.”
“Why ‘as well’?” the kraken asked. “Who else got eaten?”
“Fin!” Lilly whispered, and the tears again started bubbling up from her eyes.
“Who is Fin?” the kraken asked tenderly.
“My very best friend forever!” Lilly sobbed. “And it’s my fault. He didn’t even want to come, but I bullied him into it. And now the monster ate him.”
“A monster. Really?” The kraken rocked his head back and forth. “You’ll have to explain that some more. With your permission, could I lift you up a bit? Otherwise I can hardly hear your little voice.”
Lilly hesitated, but then she nodded. The kraken gently rolled up the tip of one of his arms and offered it to Lilly.
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” he said.
Lilly sat down carefully on his arm, and the kraken slowly lifted her up until she was right in front of his giant eyes.
“Now, what kind of a monster was it?” he asked.
Lilly wiped the tears from her eyes. “A giant monster. Nearly as big as you.”
“Nearly as big as me?” The kraken scratched his head. “I don’t like the sound of that. Tell me more.”
“It has huge glowing eyes,” Lilly called, “and big beams of light coming out of them. They can follow you everywhere.”
“Sounds hideous!” The kraken sighed. “Go on.”
“It has pincers, like a crab’s, just much bigger, and it tried to grab us with them. And then…” The little mergirl started sobbing again. “Then it ate Fin.”
“Now, now!” The giant kraken gently rocked Lilly on his arm. “I really do not like the sound of that at all! In fact, it actually makes me quite angry. Who does that monster think it is? Hunting merpups right in front of my own home. The nerve! In all the hundreds of years I’ve been living here, nobody has ever dared do something like that.” The kraken rolled his eyes angrily, which looked quite scary. “What do you say? Should we go and have a look at that monster?” he asked.
Lilly and Fin Page 2
