clay seemed to sweat, and droplets trickled down the inside of the craft.
‘Will it hold?’ Dakkar murmured, stepping back.
‘For a while but we need to beach and repair it,’ Georgia replied, grabbing the map and staring at it. ‘We were lucky we were hit above the ballast compartments in the hull.’
‘We’d better not submerge until we’ve fixed it,’ Dakkar said, poking the clay.
‘Don’t prod it,’ Georgia said briskly, and folded the map. ‘There are no islands nearby. We’ll have to head for the coast and try our luck there. You go up top and keep a lookout.’
‘The squid killed the shark and we killed the squid,’ Dakkar replied. ‘Surely there can’t be any other creatures out there!’
‘How can you be certain of that? I’d be grateful if you’d oblige by keeping watch,’ Georgia said, holding her head up. ‘And don’t mention it.’
‘Mention what?’ Dakkar said, frowning.
‘Me saving your life.’ Georgia grinned.
Dakkar felt his cheeks reddening. ‘Saving my life?’ he spluttered. ‘You nearly left me behind! You didn’t save me!’ He turned and dragged himself out into the sunlight.
Despite what he had said, he scanned the sea for any fins or waving tentacles. It remained calm and serene.
Are all girls like this? he thought as he sulked on the curved deck of the Liberty . I’ll be glad when this is all over and I don’t have to have anything more to do with her!
He sat for an hour or so as Georgia steered the submersible. The sun dried his wet clothes as he stared out to sea.
Something grey and misty appeared on the horizon.
‘Come and see this, Georgia,’ Dakkar called down.
Georgia stopped the engine and they drifted as she clambered out of the hatch.
‘I can see an island,’ she said, peering through a telescope. Dakkar reached out but she snapped it shut. ‘How strange that it isn’t on the map. We’ll head there anyway, see if there’s somewhere to land the Liberty .’
The tiny island looked lost amid the vast blue ocean, a tuft of green poking up out of a desert of water. Its shape reminded Dakkar of a door wedge. At the high end, he could see a scrubby forest and a waterfall cascading from a cliff. The island sloped towards white breakers and foamy spray.
‘It looks like we could anchor there,’ Dakkar said, pointing to the narrow end of the island. ‘But we’ll have to watch that the sea isn’t too rough. We don’t want to be dashed against the rocks.’
Georgia steered the Liberty round the island and found a small shingly inlet on which to beach her. Dakkar and Georgia anchored the submarine and splashed ashore.
The pebbles crunched under Dakkar’s feet and he gave a grin. ‘It feels good to be on dry land again,’ he murmured.
‘I know what you mean,’ Georgia agreed.
Dakkar felt a stab of annoyance. ‘No, you don’t,’ he snapped. ‘Apart from standing in your boathouse for a while, I’ve been at sea for weeks.’
‘Well, we’ve been at sea for days since then,’ Georgia tried to argue. She shielded her eyes against the setting sun. ‘Anyway, it’ll be dark soon. Any repairs will have to wait until tomorrow. We’ll camp on the beach but we’ll need some firewood.’
‘And I’m supposed to go and find it, am I?’ Dakkar snarled. ‘While you rest here? I’ve been attacked by a shark and nearly drowned today, or had you forgotten?’
‘Fine,’ Georgia muttered under her breath. ‘I was going to suggest we both went but if you’re too exhausted . . .’
Dakkar watched her stalk off up the inlet towards the line of trees. Maybe I should go after her , he thought, but he stayed back, weighed down by hurt pride. He sat on the beach and listened to the swish of the tide, wondering if Oginski heard the same sound somewhere else.
Soon Georgia returned with an armful of dead wood and threw it down beside Dakkar. Then she strode back to the Liberty , returning with a tinderbox.
‘There are breadfruit trees in
‘Will it hold?’ Dakkar murmured, stepping back.
‘For a while but we need to beach and repair it,’ Georgia replied, grabbing the map and staring at it. ‘We were lucky we were hit above the ballast compartments in the hull.’
‘We’d better not submerge until we’ve fixed it,’ Dakkar said, poking the clay.
‘Don’t prod it,’ Georgia said briskly, and folded the map. ‘There are no islands nearby. We’ll have to head for the coast and try our luck there. You go up top and keep a lookout.’
‘The squid killed the shark and we killed the squid,’ Dakkar replied. ‘Surely there can’t be any other creatures out there!’
‘How can you be certain of that? I’d be grateful if you’d oblige by keeping watch,’ Georgia said, holding her head up. ‘And don’t mention it.’
‘Mention what?’ Dakkar said, frowning.
‘Me saving your life.’ Georgia grinned.
Dakkar felt his cheeks reddening. ‘Saving my life?’ he spluttered. ‘You nearly left me behind! You didn’t save me!’ He turned and dragged himself out into the sunlight.
Despite what he had said, he scanned the sea for any fins or waving tentacles. It remained calm and serene.
Are all girls like this? he thought as he sulked on the curved deck of the Liberty . I’ll be glad when this is all over and I don’t have to have anything more to do with her!
He sat for an hour or so as Georgia steered the submersible. The sun dried his wet clothes as he stared out to sea.
Something grey and misty appeared on the horizon.
‘Come and see this, Georgia,’ Dakkar called down.
Georgia stopped the engine and they drifted as she clambered out of the hatch.
‘I can see an island,’ she said, peering through a telescope. Dakkar reached out but she snapped it shut. ‘How strange that it isn’t on the map. We’ll head there anyway, see if there’s somewhere to land the Liberty .’
The tiny island looked lost amid the vast blue ocean, a tuft of green poking up out of a desert of water. Its shape reminded Dakkar of a door wedge. At the high end, he could see a scrubby forest and a waterfall cascading from a cliff. The island sloped towards white breakers and foamy spray.
‘It looks like we could anchor there,’ Dakkar said, pointing to the narrow end of the island. ‘But we’ll have to watch that the sea isn’t too rough. We don’t want to be dashed against the rocks.’
Georgia steered the Liberty round the island and found a small shingly inlet on which to beach her. Dakkar and Georgia anchored the submarine and splashed ashore.
The pebbles crunched under Dakkar’s feet and he gave a grin. ‘It feels good to be on dry land again,’ he murmured.
‘I know what you mean,’ Georgia agreed.
Dakkar felt a stab of annoyance. ‘No, you don’t,’ he snapped. ‘Apart from standing in your boathouse for a while, I’ve been at sea for weeks.’
‘Well, we’ve been at sea for days since then,’ Georgia tried to argue. She shielded her eyes against the setting sun. ‘Anyway, it’ll be dark soon. Any repairs will have to wait until tomorrow. We’ll camp on the beach but we’ll need some firewood.’
‘And I’m supposed to go and find it, am I?’ Dakkar snarled. ‘While you rest here? I’ve been attacked by a shark and nearly drowned today, or had you forgotten?’
‘Fine,’ Georgia muttered under her breath. ‘I was going to suggest we both went but if you’re too exhausted . . .’
Dakkar watched her stalk off up the inlet towards the line of trees. Maybe I should go after her , he thought, but he stayed back, weighed down by hurt pride. He sat on the beach and listened to the swish of the tide, wondering if Oginski heard the same sound somewhere else.
Soon Georgia returned with an armful of dead wood and threw it down beside Dakkar. Then she strode back to the Liberty , returning with a tinderbox.
‘There are breadfruit trees in
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