The little boy lost the little key then? Hmm? Stupid little human boy.”
If this was a nightmare it had gone on long enough. Magnus Fin wanted to shout out, to call for his dad, but no sound came. He opened his mouth like a fish underwater, but could notspeak. Horrified, he watched the menacing shark dart down to the seabed, flick up the floating salmon bone with its snout, catch it between its sharp teeth and swallow it.
“Mm! Nice,” he said, smacking together his terrible jaws. Then, changing his tone, he mocked, “Daddy’s not here.” The ugly creature lisped and hissed like a snake. Quick as lightning the shark wound its tail fast around the boy’s legs and hauled him up. “You’re coming with me, little two legs. You’re coming to a really big palace. The king will like you.”
Magnus Fin grabbed at the tail and tried to wrench it off his legs, but it was clamped fast around him as hard as iron.
Now the shark flicked his tail from side to side, hurtling the boy back and forth through the water. “Splish-splash,” jeered the shark as though this was some kind of funfair ride. “Oooh, splishie-splash!”
Then the shark took off, speeding through the dark water with his prisoner locked in a tail wrench behind him. The shark swam much faster than Miranda had done. Even with his captive wriggling and squirming in the hold of his tail, the shark ploughed menacingly through the murky waters at great speed.
“Home sweet home,” said the shark at last. “Now you’ll see a real king.” His horrible babyish lisp had gone. He uncurled his tail and hurtled Magnus Fin through the water. The boy landed on a jagged stone and would have hurt himself badly had the water not slowed him down.
“Meet his most powerful majesty – the king.” The sugary, babyish speech was now hard and cutting. With his tail the shark flicked open the massive gold-studded gates that stood in front of the place where the boy was now lying.
Magnus Fin looked up in a daze. This palace was far bigger than Neptune’s cavern. The front wall was so huge Magnus Fin couldn’t see the top of it. The palace gates were so wide Magnus Fin couldn’t see an end to them. The shark’s tail spun out and flicked the boy inside the gates, as if it was a cricket bat and Magnus was a ball. He bounced over the threshold in slow watery motion.
Magnus Fin landed in the corner of a vast room studded all round with sharp jewels. From doorways and corridors, tiger sharks, eels, skates, killer whales and lobsters patrolled. All eyed the human child with curiosity and suspicion.
As Magnus Fin lay with the back of his head pressed against a ruby he heard a massive yawn shudder through the palace. Magnus watched, terrified, as the heads of every creature turned swiftly in the direction of the mighty yawn. The gargantuan groaning yawn came again. A sound like thunder echoed through the palace. It – whatever it was – was coming closer. The ground that Magnus lay upon quaked. He clutched at his moon-stone and though it couldn’t take away the fear completely it gave him some feeling of strength.
Thousands of crabs scuttled frantically over the floor, first to the left, then to the right, sweeping, dusting, polishing, scrubbing, anxious to appearbusy. Magnus Fin lay slumped in the great hallway, shaking till he thought his teeth would crumble.
The palace walls shook with the vibration of the groan. The lobsters shuddered. The crabs quaked. The sharks shivered. The killer whales glided forward menacingly like submarines, their white eye-patches glowing. The king was coming in their trail.
Magnus Fin breathed deeply in the new way he now had of breathing, the underwater way. Still clutching the stone his father had given him, the blinding numbing fear left him, and in its place came a feeling of strength and curiosity for what would happen next.
He thought of his father. Would he be in his cave with the wood smoke drifting over the water? He thought of
If this was a nightmare it had gone on long enough. Magnus Fin wanted to shout out, to call for his dad, but no sound came. He opened his mouth like a fish underwater, but could notspeak. Horrified, he watched the menacing shark dart down to the seabed, flick up the floating salmon bone with its snout, catch it between its sharp teeth and swallow it.
“Mm! Nice,” he said, smacking together his terrible jaws. Then, changing his tone, he mocked, “Daddy’s not here.” The ugly creature lisped and hissed like a snake. Quick as lightning the shark wound its tail fast around the boy’s legs and hauled him up. “You’re coming with me, little two legs. You’re coming to a really big palace. The king will like you.”
Magnus Fin grabbed at the tail and tried to wrench it off his legs, but it was clamped fast around him as hard as iron.
Now the shark flicked his tail from side to side, hurtling the boy back and forth through the water. “Splish-splash,” jeered the shark as though this was some kind of funfair ride. “Oooh, splishie-splash!”
Then the shark took off, speeding through the dark water with his prisoner locked in a tail wrench behind him. The shark swam much faster than Miranda had done. Even with his captive wriggling and squirming in the hold of his tail, the shark ploughed menacingly through the murky waters at great speed.
“Home sweet home,” said the shark at last. “Now you’ll see a real king.” His horrible babyish lisp had gone. He uncurled his tail and hurtled Magnus Fin through the water. The boy landed on a jagged stone and would have hurt himself badly had the water not slowed him down.
“Meet his most powerful majesty – the king.” The sugary, babyish speech was now hard and cutting. With his tail the shark flicked open the massive gold-studded gates that stood in front of the place where the boy was now lying.
Magnus Fin looked up in a daze. This palace was far bigger than Neptune’s cavern. The front wall was so huge Magnus Fin couldn’t see the top of it. The palace gates were so wide Magnus Fin couldn’t see an end to them. The shark’s tail spun out and flicked the boy inside the gates, as if it was a cricket bat and Magnus was a ball. He bounced over the threshold in slow watery motion.
Magnus Fin landed in the corner of a vast room studded all round with sharp jewels. From doorways and corridors, tiger sharks, eels, skates, killer whales and lobsters patrolled. All eyed the human child with curiosity and suspicion.
As Magnus Fin lay with the back of his head pressed against a ruby he heard a massive yawn shudder through the palace. Magnus watched, terrified, as the heads of every creature turned swiftly in the direction of the mighty yawn. The gargantuan groaning yawn came again. A sound like thunder echoed through the palace. It – whatever it was – was coming closer. The ground that Magnus lay upon quaked. He clutched at his moon-stone and though it couldn’t take away the fear completely it gave him some feeling of strength.
Thousands of crabs scuttled frantically over the floor, first to the left, then to the right, sweeping, dusting, polishing, scrubbing, anxious to appearbusy. Magnus Fin lay slumped in the great hallway, shaking till he thought his teeth would crumble.
The palace walls shook with the vibration of the groan. The lobsters shuddered. The crabs quaked. The sharks shivered. The killer whales glided forward menacingly like submarines, their white eye-patches glowing. The king was coming in their trail.
Magnus Fin breathed deeply in the new way he now had of breathing, the underwater way. Still clutching the stone his father had given him, the blinding numbing fear left him, and in its place came a feeling of strength and curiosity for what would happen next.
He thought of his father. Would he be in his cave with the wood smoke drifting over the water? He thought of
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