the mermaid he had seen back home in the Yukon, far west of where he was now. It was three years since that beautiful magical head had risen from the freezing lake. Tarkin remembered it like it was yesterday. It had only been a fleeting glimpse, but his dad had said he’d see her again. The water slapped against the hull of the boat. The gentle rocking motion soothed him. Maybe, if he thought really hard, he’d see her again. Tarkin’s eyes shone. Magnus Fin had told him that’s how magic creatures talk to each other. Fin called it “thought-speak”. Tarkin concentrated hard on his thinking.
It’s me, Tarkin, he began. And if it’s possible for thoughts to be loud and slow, Tarkin’s thoughts were. I am in a boat, in Scotland. I am rowing. I’m rowing over the moonlit sea.
Chapter 24
Magnus Fin’s head was reeling. The effort of that strange stammered speaking seemed to have exhausted the creature and now it crouched down in a small fridge without a door. Its wild black hair and seaweed-covered body trembled. Had Fin heard right? He was still new at this kind of talking. Perhaps he had made a mistake. From what he’d heard, the creature somehow knew Aquella – or had heard of her.
Neptune’s seaweed had worked wonders on Fin’s eyes and now he could see perfectly, though what he saw horrified him. The creature looked more human than he had first thought: as the water swayed, the weeds sticking to the creature’s body swayed too, revealing thin white arms and legs. Fin saw too how brown liquid oozed out from a hole in a metal tank and swirled around the creature’s face. It seemed to drive it mad. It shook its head. It jerked its limbs. It tossed back its wild head and glared.
Magnus Fin panicked. He tried to free his leg but it wouldn’t budge.
The thing stormed out of its fridge with a great thrashing, splashing and frothing. Like a lobster it scuttled over the dumped waste. In moments it was hunched down, crouching close to Fin’s face.
Help! Fin yelped. Don’t hurt me! I am Aquella’s cousin.
But the creature seemed to have forgotten speech. It lifted its arms, stared at the back of its own hand, pulled off a limpet and sucked at its contents. Then it ripped off another and another.
Fin’s stomach churned at the awful sucking sounds of the creature’s pulled flesh. Fin bit his lip as he noticed the longest nails he had ever seen. They curled back on themselves like hooks. Glancing down at the thing’s feet, Fin saw the same horned and horrible nails, long as sickle moons. Would he be the creature’s next victim?
Fin considered lashing out. He might not have the use of his legs but he had his arms. But then he recalled how strong the creature was. That push had felled him like a sledgehammer. The green eyes seemed to be on fire now.
Try feelings, Fin thought, frantically: Aquella is on the beach, he struggled to say. Aquella. She’s my cousin.
But this time the name seemed to upset the creature, which stamped the rubble-strewn ground. In a flash the wild thing picked up a car battery and hurled it towards Fin. The battery flew in slow motion through the water, just missing the top of the fridge that Fin was trapped under.
In his mind Magnus Fin screamed the name, Aquella! Help me. Help!
But Aquella didn’t hear. Aquella was fast asleep.
This is it, thought Magnus Fin. No help was coming. The crab got him into this, now where was he? Fin had never felt so alone in his life. He stared miserably at the creature and waited for a terrifying punch, a kick or even a slash from those awful talons. The next battery wasbound to hit him. He groaned. He’d come so far and all for nothing. He’d found the cause of the sickness. It was the toxic waste that oozed from the storage tanks and batteries; he knew it was. That was what was killing the seals. And if the mad creature that lived in this dump didn’t kill him, then the brown sludge would, or drive him as mad as the fiend that stood before
It’s me, Tarkin, he began. And if it’s possible for thoughts to be loud and slow, Tarkin’s thoughts were. I am in a boat, in Scotland. I am rowing. I’m rowing over the moonlit sea.
Chapter 24
Magnus Fin’s head was reeling. The effort of that strange stammered speaking seemed to have exhausted the creature and now it crouched down in a small fridge without a door. Its wild black hair and seaweed-covered body trembled. Had Fin heard right? He was still new at this kind of talking. Perhaps he had made a mistake. From what he’d heard, the creature somehow knew Aquella – or had heard of her.
Neptune’s seaweed had worked wonders on Fin’s eyes and now he could see perfectly, though what he saw horrified him. The creature looked more human than he had first thought: as the water swayed, the weeds sticking to the creature’s body swayed too, revealing thin white arms and legs. Fin saw too how brown liquid oozed out from a hole in a metal tank and swirled around the creature’s face. It seemed to drive it mad. It shook its head. It jerked its limbs. It tossed back its wild head and glared.
Magnus Fin panicked. He tried to free his leg but it wouldn’t budge.
The thing stormed out of its fridge with a great thrashing, splashing and frothing. Like a lobster it scuttled over the dumped waste. In moments it was hunched down, crouching close to Fin’s face.
Help! Fin yelped. Don’t hurt me! I am Aquella’s cousin.
But the creature seemed to have forgotten speech. It lifted its arms, stared at the back of its own hand, pulled off a limpet and sucked at its contents. Then it ripped off another and another.
Fin’s stomach churned at the awful sucking sounds of the creature’s pulled flesh. Fin bit his lip as he noticed the longest nails he had ever seen. They curled back on themselves like hooks. Glancing down at the thing’s feet, Fin saw the same horned and horrible nails, long as sickle moons. Would he be the creature’s next victim?
Fin considered lashing out. He might not have the use of his legs but he had his arms. But then he recalled how strong the creature was. That push had felled him like a sledgehammer. The green eyes seemed to be on fire now.
Try feelings, Fin thought, frantically: Aquella is on the beach, he struggled to say. Aquella. She’s my cousin.
But this time the name seemed to upset the creature, which stamped the rubble-strewn ground. In a flash the wild thing picked up a car battery and hurled it towards Fin. The battery flew in slow motion through the water, just missing the top of the fridge that Fin was trapped under.
In his mind Magnus Fin screamed the name, Aquella! Help me. Help!
But Aquella didn’t hear. Aquella was fast asleep.
This is it, thought Magnus Fin. No help was coming. The crab got him into this, now where was he? Fin had never felt so alone in his life. He stared miserably at the creature and waited for a terrifying punch, a kick or even a slash from those awful talons. The next battery wasbound to hit him. He groaned. He’d come so far and all for nothing. He’d found the cause of the sickness. It was the toxic waste that oozed from the storage tanks and batteries; he knew it was. That was what was killing the seals. And if the mad creature that lived in this dump didn’t kill him, then the brown sludge would, or drive him as mad as the fiend that stood before
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