CRASSSSSSSH!
I lost my balance. I fell against the door.
To my shock, it swung open—and I tumbled into the room.
8
I landed in a heap in the center of the cabin floor.
Dr. D., Mr. Showalter, Ms. Wickman, and Alexander all gaped at me with their mouths open. I guess they hadn’t expected me to drop in.
“Uh… hi, everyone,” I murmured. I felt my face burning, and knew that I was blushing. “Nice day for a mermaid hunt.”
Mr. Showalter jumped to his feet angrily. He glared at my uncle. “This was supposed to be a secret!”
Alexander strode across the room and helped me to my feet. “Don’t worry about Billy,” he said. He put a protective arm around me. “You can trust him.”
“I’m very embarrassed,” Dr. D. told his visitors. “This is my nephew, Billy Deep. He and his sister are visiting me for a few weeks.”
“Can they keep our secret?” asked Ms. Wickman.
Dr. D. turned his gaze on Alexander. Alexander nodded.
“Yes, I’m sure they can,” said Dr. D. “Billy won’t say anything to anyone. Right, Billy?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. I really do hate it when he does that. But this time I couldn’t blame him.
I shook my head. “No. I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”
“Just to be on the safe side, Billy,” said Dr. D., “don’t mention the mermaid to Sheena. She’s too young to have to keep a big secret like this.”
“I promise,” I replied solemnly. I raised my right hand as if swearing an oath. “I won’t breathe a word to Sheena.”
This was so cool!
I knew the biggest secret in the world—and Sheena wouldn’t have a clue!
The man and woman from the zoo exchanged glances. I could see they were still worried.
Alexander said, “You really can trust Billy. He’s very serious for someone his age.”
You bet I’m serious, I thought.
I’m William Deep, Jr., world-famous mermaid catcher.
Mr. Showalter and Ms. Wickman seemed to relax a little.
“Good,” said Ms. Wickman. She shook hands with Dr. D., Alexander, and me.
Mr. Showalter gathered up some papers and put them into the briefcase.
“We’ll see you in a few days, then,” said Ms. Wickman. “Good luck.”
I won’t need luck, I thought, watching them roar away on their boat a few minutes later.
I won’t need luck because I have skill. And daring.
My head spun with all kinds of exciting thoughts.
Would I let Sheena be on TV with me after I single-handedly captured the mermaid?
Probably not.
That night I sneaked off the boat and slipped into the dark water. I swam noiselessly toward the lagoon.
I glanced back at the Cassandra. It floated quietly. All the portholes were dark.
Good, I thought. No one is awake to notice that I’m gone. No one knows I’m out here. No one knows I’m swimming in the sea at night, all alone.
Swimming steadily, easily, under the silvery moonlight, I made my way around the reef and into the dark lagoon.
I slowed my stroke just past the reef.
My eyes darted eagerly around the lagoon. The waves lapped gently under me. The water sparkled as if a million tiny diamonds floated on the surface.
Where was the mermaid?
I knew she was there. I knew I would find her here.
From deep below me, I heard a low rumble.
I listened hard. The sound, faint at first, grew louder.
The waves tossed as the sound became a steady roar.
It rumbled like an earthquake. An earthquake on the ocean floor.
The waves tumbled and tossed. I struggled to stay on top of them.
What was happening?
Suddenly, from the middle of the lagoon, a huge wave swelled. It rose higher, like a gigantic geyser.
Higher. Over my head. As tall as a building!
A tidal wave?
No.
The wave broke.
The dark creature pushed up underneath it.
Water slid off its grotesque body. Its single eye stared out darkly at me. Its tentacles writhed and stretched.
I screamed.
The monster blinked its muddy brown eye at me.
I tried to turn and swim away.
But it was too fast.
The tentacles whipped out—and grabbed me, tightening, tightening around my waist.
Then a slimy, cold tentacle wrapped around my neck and started to squeeze.
9
“I—I can’t breathe!” I managed to choke out.
I tugged at the tentacle twining around my throat.
“Help me—somebody!”
I opened my eyes—and stared up at the ceiling.
I was lying in bed.
In my cabin.
The sheet was wrapped tightly around me.
I took a deep breath and waited for my heart to stop thudding. A dream.
Only a dream.
I rubbed my eyes, lifted myself, and peered out the porthole. The sun was just rising over the horizon. The sky was morning red. The water a hazy purple.
Squinting past the reef, I saw the lagoon. Perfectly still. Not a sea monster in sight.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my pajama sleeve.
No need to be afraid, I told myself. It was just a dream. A bad dream.
I shook my head, trying to forget about the sea monster.
I couldn’t let it scare me. I couldn’t let it stop me from finding that mermaid.
Was anyone up? Had I yelled out loud in my sleep?
I listened carefully. I could hear only the creaking of the boat, the splash of waves against its side.
The pink morning sunlight cheered me. The dark water looked inviting.
I slipped into my bathing suit and crept out of my cabin as quietly as I could. I didn’t want anyone to hear me.
In the galley I saw a half-empty pot of coffee sitting on the warmer. That meant Dr. D. was already up.
I tiptoed down the passageway and listened. I could hear him puttering around in the main lab.
I grabbed my snorkel, flippers, and mask and went up on deck. Nobody up there.
The coast was clear.
Silently, I climbed down the ladder, slipped into the water, and snorkeled toward the lagoon.
I know it was crazy to sneak away like that. But you can’t imagine how excited I was. Even in my wildest daydreams as William Deep, Jr., undersea explorer, I never thought I would see a real, live mermaid!
As I snorkeled toward the lagoon, I tried to imagine what she would look like.
Mr. Showalter had said she looked like a young girl with long, blond hair and a green fish tail.
Weird, I thought.
Half-human, half-fish.
I tried to imagine my own legs replaced by a fish tail.
I’d be the greatest swimmer on Earth if I had a fish tail, I thought. I could win the Olympics without even practicing.
I wonder if she’s pretty? I thought. And I wonder if she can talk! I hope she can. She can tell me all kinds of secrets of the oceans.
I wonder how she breathes underwater?
I wonder if she thinks like a human or like a fish?
So many questions.
This is going to be the greatest adventure of my life, I thought. After I’m famous, I’ll write a book about my undersea adventures. I’ll call it Courage of the Deep, by William Deep, Jr. Maybe someone will even turn it into a movie.
I raised my head and saw that I was nearing the reef. I concentrated on keeping away from it. I didn’t want to touch that fire coral again.
I couldn’t wait to explore the lagoon. I was so excited, I forgot all about the terrifying dream I had had the night before.
I kicked my legs carefully, watching out for red coral.
I was nearly past the reef when I felt somethin
g brush my leg.
“Oh!” I cried out and swallowed a mouthful of salty water.
Sputtering and choking, I felt something wrap around my ankle.
As it grabbed at me, it scratched my ankle.
This time I knew for sure it wasn’t seaweed.
Seaweed doesn’t have claws!
10
Ignoring the panic that nearly froze me, I kicked and thrashed with all my strength.
“Stop it! Stop kicking me!” a voice screamed.
The mermaid?
“Hey—!” I cried out angrily as Sheena’s head appeared beside me.
She pulled up her snorkeling mask. “I didn’t scratch you that hard!” she snapped. “You don’t have to go crazy!”
“What are you doing here?” I cried.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded nastily. “You know Dr. D. told us not to swim here.”
“Then you shouldn’t be here—should you?” I shouted.
“I knew you were up to something, so I followed you,” Sheena replied, adjusting her mask.
“I’m not up to anything,” I lied. “I’m just snorkeling.”
“Sure, Billy. You’re just snorkeling at six-thirty in the morning exactly where you’re not supposed to—and where you burned your foot on that fire coral yesterday. You’re either up to something, or you’re totally crazy!” She squinted at me, waiting for a response.
What a choice! I was either up to something, or crazy. Which should I admit to?
If I admitted I was up to something, I’d have to tell her about the mermaid—and I couldn’t do that.
“Okay,” I said with a casual shrug. “I guess I’m crazy.”
“Well, big news,” she muttered sarcastically. “Come on back to the boat, Billy,” said Sheena. “Dr. D. will be looking for us.”
“You go back. I’ll be there in a little while.”
“Billy,” said Sheena. “Dr. D. is going to be very mad. He’s probably ready to hop in the dinghy and search for us right now.”
I was about to give up and go with her. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a big splash on the other side of the reef.
The mermaid! I thought. That’s got to be her! If I don’t go look for her now, I might miss her!
I turned away from Sheena and started swimming very fast, straight for the reef.
I could hear Sheena screaming, “Billy! Come back! Billy!”
I thought I heard an extra note of panic in her voice, but I ignored it. Just Sheena trying to scare me again, I thought.
“Billy!” she screamed again. “Billy!” I kept on swimming. No way I was going to stop now. But as it turned out, I should have listened to her.
11
Swimming fast, I raised my head, searching for a good place to swim safely over the fire coral.
I saw another splash. Across the lagoon. Near the shore.
That’s got to be the mermaid! I thought excitedly.
I stared hard, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
I thought I saw some kind of fin.
I made my way past the reef into the deep, still waters of the lagoon. I strained to see the mermaid, but my mask had fogged.
Rats! I thought. What a time for my mask to start leaking!
I came up for air and pulled off the mask. I hoped I wouldn’t lose sight of the mermaid because of this.
I wiped the water from my eyes and, leaving the mask wrapped around my wrist, stared toward the lagoon.
That’s when I saw it. A few hundred yards away.
Not the green fish tail of a mermaid.
The fin I saw was a gray-white triangle sticking straight up in the water.
The fin of a hammerhead shark.
As I stared in horror, the fin turned in the water, and then ripped toward me, moving steady and straight as a torpedo.
12
Where was Sheena?
Was she still behind me?
I glanced back. I could see her in the distance, splashing back to the boat.
I was forced to forget about Sheena as the gray fin swiftly moved closer.
I thrashed my arms in the water, trying to swim away.
When the shark swam right past me, I stopped thrashing.
Would it go away? Would it leave me alone?
My heart in my throat, I started swimming in the other direction, toward the reef. Away from the shark.
I kept my eyes on that fin.
It began to turn. The shark’s fin streamed toward me in a wide arc.
“Ohhh.” I let out a terrified groan as I realized it was circling me.
Now I didn’t know which way to go. The shark swam between me and the boat. If I could turn around and climb on to the reef, maybe I would be safe.
The huge fin slid closer.
I plunged toward the reef. I knew I had to keep distance between me and the shark.
Suddenly, the fin shot up in front of me—between me and the reef.
The shark kept circling, closing in, swimming faster and faster, making the circle smaller as he swam.
I was trapped. But I couldn’t stay still. I couldn’t just float there, waiting for the shark to eat me.
I had to fight. I kicked my legs in a panic as I swam toward the reef.
I was nearer to the reef now. But the shark’s circles grew smaller, smaller.
I breathed in quick, shallow gasps. I couldn’t think clearly. I was too terrified. The same two words echoed in my brain: The shark. The shark.
Over and over again. The shark. The shark.
The shark swam around me in a tight circle. His tail swished, sending up waves of water over me.
The shark. The shark.
I stared at the monster in wide-eyed horror. He swam so close, I could see him clearly. He was big—at least ten feet long. His head was wide and hideous, long like the head of a hammer, with an eye on each end.
I heard my voice quivering, “No… no…”
Something cold brushed my leg.
The shark. The shark.
My stomach lurched. I threw my head back and let out a howl of sheer terror.
“Aaaaaiiii!”
Pain jolted down my spine.
The shark had bumped me with its snout. My body rose out of the water, then hit the surface with a smack.
I froze.
The shark was hungry.
It wanted to fight.
It circled me again, then zoomed straight for me.
Its jaws opened. I saw rows and rows of sharp teeth.
I screamed out a hoarse, “NO!” I thrashed, panicked. I kicked with all my strength.
The razor teeth brushed by, just missing my leg.
The reef. I had to get to the reef. It was my only chance.
I dove for the coral. The shark plunged toward me. I dodged it once more.
I grabbed the red coral. Pain shot through my hand. The fire coral.
I didn’t care.
The top of the reef sat just above the surface of the water. I tried to pull myself up. My whole body stung.
I had almost made it. Soon I’d be safe.
With a mighty kick, I hoisted myself onto the reef—and was yanked back into the water.
My stomach slammed against the side of the reef. I felt a sharp stab of pain in my leg.
I tried to pull my leg away. I couldn’t.
It was caught in the jaws of the shark.
My mind screamed with terror.
The shark. The shark.
It’s got me!
13
My entire body burned with pain. I slipped heavily into the water.
The shark knew he had me. I had no strength left to fight.
Then something splashed nearby.
The shark released my leg and jerked toward the splash.
I had no time to catch my breath. The shark circled back. It charged at me.
The gaping jaws moved in for the kill.
I shut my eyes and let out a shrill scream of terror.
A second passed. Then another.
Nothing happened.
I heard a loud thump.
I opened my eyes.
Something had come between me and the shark, a few feet in front of me.
I stared. The water churned white. A long, shiny green fish tail rose out of the water and splashed back down.
Another fish was fighting the shark!
The shark rolled over, then attacked. The green fish tail smacked the shark hard. The shark went under.
I couldn’t see what was happening. The water rocked higher, tossing up frothy, white waves.
All around me the water bubbled and churned, white with foam. Over the crash of the water, I heard shrill animal squeals.
Sharks don’t squeal, do they? I thought. What is making that sound?
The shark surfaced, its toothy jaws gaping. It snapped them at something, once, twice. Snapping at air.
The long, green fish tail rose out of the water and smacked the shark hard. A direct hit on its broad hammerhead.
The shark shut its jaws and sank below the surface.
Then I heard a loud bump! The water stopped churning.
A second later, the huge gray fin surfaced a few yards away, speeding off in the other direction.
The shark was swimming away!
I stared at the green fish tail as it arced over the dark, swelling water.
As the waters calmed, I heard a low, musical sound. It was beautiful and slightly sad. Whistling and humming at the same time.
It sounded something like a whale. But this creature was much smaller than a whale.
The green tail swung around. Then the creature lifted its head.
A head with long, blond hair.
The mermaid!
14
Bobbing in the water, I forgot my burning pain as I gaped at her.
To my amazement, the mermaid looked just as the zoo people had said she would.
Her head and shoulders were smaller than mine, but her flashing green tail stretched out, long and powerful. Her wide, sea-green eyes sparkled. Her skin gave off a pale pink glow.