of
the Cassandra.
Sheena slapped me five. “Nothing can stop us!” she cried happily. “Not a
stormy night on the high seas! Not getting stranded on an empty island!
Nothing!”
Dr. D. laughed. “I can’t wait to take a shower and go to bed. But first—I’m
cooking us all a big breakfast.”
“Pancakes!” I suggested.
“Pancakes and waffles!” Sheena cried.
“Breakfast is going to have to wait,” a deep voice said. We all froze.
Dr. Ritter stepped out of the cabin. “You won’t be hungry much longer,” he
sneered.
29
“I can’t take this!” Sheena wailed. Tears formed in her eyes.
“Quiet!” Dr. Ritter snapped.
Dr. D. laid a hand on Sheena’s shoulder and shushed her. “Where are your
assistants?” he asked Dr. Ritter.
“That’s none of your business. I don’t need them now. I can take care of you
myself,” Dr. Ritter replied. “You’re all very tired and weak, aren’t you? Even
you, Dr. D. That’s what happens when you don’t eat for two days.”
I glanced at Dr. D. It was true. He looked exhausted.
“Go ahead,” Dr. Ritter went on. “Get back in the lifeboat. I dare you.”
My eyes fell on the rubber boat. Dr. Ritter knew what he was doing. I would
rather have eaten fish guts with horseradish than get back in that thing.
“What do you want now, Ritter?” Dr. D.’s voice was tired, but angry. “Why did you wait here for us?”
Dr. Ritter scowled. “I can’t let you live. I can’t let you tell the world
about my plankton.”
“We promised we wouldn’t tell!” Sheena cried. “Look—cross my heart and hope
to die.” She crossed her heart and held up her hand, Girl Scout-style.
Dr. Ritter laughed. “You’re very amusing. I’m so sorry it has to end this
way. Really, I am.”
The sun finally burned through the fog. I shivered. I wasn’t cold and wet
anymore. But Dr. Ritter was giving me chills.
“All of you—down to the lab,” Dr. Ritter ordered. “Go!”
He forced us downstairs. Into my uncle’s lab.
Dr. Ritter stood in front of the cabinet—the one that held the plankton
bottles.
“I believe these are the plankton samples you collected, Dr. Deep,” he said.
“Am I right?”
Dr. D. nodded.
“Good. You’ve gathered a lot of my work. You must have been very interested
in it.”
“Of course I was,” Dr. D. said. “I’m a scientist.”
“Yes,” Dr. Ritter hissed. “You’re a scientist. You want to learn more—am I
right?”
Dr. D. nodded slowly.
“Excellent. You asked me earlier about the side effects of my plankton
experiments, Dr. Deep. About the few kinks I haven’t worked out yet. I think now is the time to show
you what they are.”
Dr. Ritter opened the glass door of the cabinet. “When fish eat the plankton,
they grow huge.” He pointed to the bottles of plankton lined up on the shelves.
“You’ve already seen that, haven’t you? But what do you think happens when a human eats the plankton? Billy? Want to take a guess?” Dr. Ritter asked.
I took a stab at it. “Um—they grow into giant people?”
“Wrong!” Dr. Ritter cried. “Sheena? What do you think?”
Sheena shrugged. “I couldn’t care less.”
“You should care, Sheena,” Dr. Ritter said. “Because whatever happens, it’s
going to happen to you .”
He turned to my uncle. “Dr. Deep? Any guesses? Or have you already figured it
out in your research?”
“Just tell us what happens, Ritter,” Dr. D. snapped impatiently.
“All right. I’ll tell you. When a human eats the plankton, he turns into a
fish!”
“Excuse me?” I cried.
“Is this fairy-tale time?” my uncle groaned.
Dr. Ritter ignored us. “The human becomes a fish!” he repeated. “Almost
instantly! And that person will remain a fish—for the rest of his life.”
“That’s impossible!” Dr. D. protested. “You’re crazy, Ritter. Let us take you
to shore and get you some help.”
“I’ll show you who’s crazy,” Dr. Ritter declared. “I’ll
the Cassandra.
Sheena slapped me five. “Nothing can stop us!” she cried happily. “Not a
stormy night on the high seas! Not getting stranded on an empty island!
Nothing!”
Dr. D. laughed. “I can’t wait to take a shower and go to bed. But first—I’m
cooking us all a big breakfast.”
“Pancakes!” I suggested.
“Pancakes and waffles!” Sheena cried.
“Breakfast is going to have to wait,” a deep voice said. We all froze.
Dr. Ritter stepped out of the cabin. “You won’t be hungry much longer,” he
sneered.
29
“I can’t take this!” Sheena wailed. Tears formed in her eyes.
“Quiet!” Dr. Ritter snapped.
Dr. D. laid a hand on Sheena’s shoulder and shushed her. “Where are your
assistants?” he asked Dr. Ritter.
“That’s none of your business. I don’t need them now. I can take care of you
myself,” Dr. Ritter replied. “You’re all very tired and weak, aren’t you? Even
you, Dr. D. That’s what happens when you don’t eat for two days.”
I glanced at Dr. D. It was true. He looked exhausted.
“Go ahead,” Dr. Ritter went on. “Get back in the lifeboat. I dare you.”
My eyes fell on the rubber boat. Dr. Ritter knew what he was doing. I would
rather have eaten fish guts with horseradish than get back in that thing.
“What do you want now, Ritter?” Dr. D.’s voice was tired, but angry. “Why did you wait here for us?”
Dr. Ritter scowled. “I can’t let you live. I can’t let you tell the world
about my plankton.”
“We promised we wouldn’t tell!” Sheena cried. “Look—cross my heart and hope
to die.” She crossed her heart and held up her hand, Girl Scout-style.
Dr. Ritter laughed. “You’re very amusing. I’m so sorry it has to end this
way. Really, I am.”
The sun finally burned through the fog. I shivered. I wasn’t cold and wet
anymore. But Dr. Ritter was giving me chills.
“All of you—down to the lab,” Dr. Ritter ordered. “Go!”
He forced us downstairs. Into my uncle’s lab.
Dr. Ritter stood in front of the cabinet—the one that held the plankton
bottles.
“I believe these are the plankton samples you collected, Dr. Deep,” he said.
“Am I right?”
Dr. D. nodded.
“Good. You’ve gathered a lot of my work. You must have been very interested
in it.”
“Of course I was,” Dr. D. said. “I’m a scientist.”
“Yes,” Dr. Ritter hissed. “You’re a scientist. You want to learn more—am I
right?”
Dr. D. nodded slowly.
“Excellent. You asked me earlier about the side effects of my plankton
experiments, Dr. Deep. About the few kinks I haven’t worked out yet. I think now is the time to show
you what they are.”
Dr. Ritter opened the glass door of the cabinet. “When fish eat the plankton,
they grow huge.” He pointed to the bottles of plankton lined up on the shelves.
“You’ve already seen that, haven’t you? But what do you think happens when a human eats the plankton? Billy? Want to take a guess?” Dr. Ritter asked.
I took a stab at it. “Um—they grow into giant people?”
“Wrong!” Dr. Ritter cried. “Sheena? What do you think?”
Sheena shrugged. “I couldn’t care less.”
“You should care, Sheena,” Dr. Ritter said. “Because whatever happens, it’s
going to happen to you .”
He turned to my uncle. “Dr. Deep? Any guesses? Or have you already figured it
out in your research?”
“Just tell us what happens, Ritter,” Dr. D. snapped impatiently.
“All right. I’ll tell you. When a human eats the plankton, he turns into a
fish!”
“Excuse me?” I cried.
“Is this fairy-tale time?” my uncle groaned.
Dr. Ritter ignored us. “The human becomes a fish!” he repeated. “Almost
instantly! And that person will remain a fish—for the rest of his life.”
“That’s impossible!” Dr. D. protested. “You’re crazy, Ritter. Let us take you
to shore and get you some help.”
“I’ll show you who’s crazy,” Dr. Ritter declared. “I’ll
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