“What’s that shadow out there?”
“Shadow? What shadow? I didn’t see a shadow. Let me look.”
He jumped down and I looked. As I traced along the dark line of the horizon I
saw where the line was broken and the darkness was a little darker. It looked
like a shadow but was actually the silhouette of a ship. It was probably five or
sixmiles away. Its lights were out, which was illegal of
course, and was only happening because it was a navy ship hoping to catch us. If
I had broken the surface with the portal and turned on our radar, they would
have located us instantly, and the chase would be on again. But Radji had
spotted them. I pulled the periscope down and let water into the tanks. We went
back down to three hundred feet and I climbed back onto the bicycle. Radji
curled up on the sleeping bag with Hollie.
“Good job, Radji.”
“Thank you.”
Two hours later I woke him to do it all over again. This time there were no
ships. Radar confirmed it. I opened the hatch, turned on the engine and cranked
it up. I wanted to get as far from here as we could while the going was good.
The sun was coming up. Seaweed climbed the ladder and jumped into the air. Radji
asked if he could come up too.
“Of course. But you must never climb out of the portal without putting on this
harness first, okay? Will you promise?”
“I promise.”
“Good. Here, take the binoculars. You can look around. If you see any ships,
let me know right away, okay?”
“Okay.”
I went back inside. It was strange having Radji on board. I didn’t know what to
think of it really. He had certainly saved us a lot of trouble spotting that
ship. And he was great company for Hollie. But what was I going to do with him?
I reallyhad no idea. I’d have to ask Ziegfried and Sheba.
Maybe they would know. Gosh, I was sleepy now. Hot chocolate would go down well.
“Hey, Radji? Do you want some hot chocolate? . . . Radji? . . . Radji?”
There was no answer. I figured I couldn’t hear him. I waited for a second for
him to come down. He didn’t. I went to the bottom of the ladder and looked up.
He wasn’t there. “Radji?” I bolted up the ladder. But he was gone.
I rushed inside and shut off the engine. I flew up the ladder and scanned the
water in our wake but didn’t see anything. “Radji! . . . Radji!” I yelled as
loudly as I could and listened hard but couldn’t hear anything. I had to think
fast. How long had he been up here by himself? Five minutes? Ten minutes? No,
not that long. It was maybe only a minute or two. Should I turn on the engine
and go back or just dive in the water and swim for him? The sun was just
clearing the horizon and the water was dark blue. I couldn’t see much below the
surface. “Act!” I yelled at myself. I jumped down inside, flipped the engine
switch on, turned the sub around and headed back. I found our wake and steered
into the center of it. “Radji!”
I climbed down onto the hull and leaned over the bow as we cut through the
water. I stared at the water, looking for anything, any bubbles or slight
discolouring. Then, about twenty-five feet in front of us I saw one of Radji’s
white sneakers. I jumped inside and shut off the engine, flew up the ladder and
dove over the side. I found him about ten feetunder. He
wasn’t moving but his eyes were open and staring at me. He was concentrating on
holding his breath. I grabbed him and pulled him to the surface. The sub bumped
into us as it drifted by. Radji gasped for air and started coughing up water. I
held onto him with one arm and swam after the sub. It took a long time to catch
it.
“I’m sorry,” Radji said as I carried him through the water.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I thought you said you could swim.”
“I can, when my feet are touching the bottom.”
I laughed nervously. Inside I was fighting back my tears. He had almost
drowned. If he had drowned . . .
“Shadow? What shadow? I didn’t see a shadow. Let me look.”
He jumped down and I looked. As I traced along the dark line of the horizon I
saw where the line was broken and the darkness was a little darker. It looked
like a shadow but was actually the silhouette of a ship. It was probably five or
sixmiles away. Its lights were out, which was illegal of
course, and was only happening because it was a navy ship hoping to catch us. If
I had broken the surface with the portal and turned on our radar, they would
have located us instantly, and the chase would be on again. But Radji had
spotted them. I pulled the periscope down and let water into the tanks. We went
back down to three hundred feet and I climbed back onto the bicycle. Radji
curled up on the sleeping bag with Hollie.
“Good job, Radji.”
“Thank you.”
Two hours later I woke him to do it all over again. This time there were no
ships. Radar confirmed it. I opened the hatch, turned on the engine and cranked
it up. I wanted to get as far from here as we could while the going was good.
The sun was coming up. Seaweed climbed the ladder and jumped into the air. Radji
asked if he could come up too.
“Of course. But you must never climb out of the portal without putting on this
harness first, okay? Will you promise?”
“I promise.”
“Good. Here, take the binoculars. You can look around. If you see any ships,
let me know right away, okay?”
“Okay.”
I went back inside. It was strange having Radji on board. I didn’t know what to
think of it really. He had certainly saved us a lot of trouble spotting that
ship. And he was great company for Hollie. But what was I going to do with him?
I reallyhad no idea. I’d have to ask Ziegfried and Sheba.
Maybe they would know. Gosh, I was sleepy now. Hot chocolate would go down well.
“Hey, Radji? Do you want some hot chocolate? . . . Radji? . . . Radji?”
There was no answer. I figured I couldn’t hear him. I waited for a second for
him to come down. He didn’t. I went to the bottom of the ladder and looked up.
He wasn’t there. “Radji?” I bolted up the ladder. But he was gone.
I rushed inside and shut off the engine. I flew up the ladder and scanned the
water in our wake but didn’t see anything. “Radji! . . . Radji!” I yelled as
loudly as I could and listened hard but couldn’t hear anything. I had to think
fast. How long had he been up here by himself? Five minutes? Ten minutes? No,
not that long. It was maybe only a minute or two. Should I turn on the engine
and go back or just dive in the water and swim for him? The sun was just
clearing the horizon and the water was dark blue. I couldn’t see much below the
surface. “Act!” I yelled at myself. I jumped down inside, flipped the engine
switch on, turned the sub around and headed back. I found our wake and steered
into the center of it. “Radji!”
I climbed down onto the hull and leaned over the bow as we cut through the
water. I stared at the water, looking for anything, any bubbles or slight
discolouring. Then, about twenty-five feet in front of us I saw one of Radji’s
white sneakers. I jumped inside and shut off the engine, flew up the ladder and
dove over the side. I found him about ten feetunder. He
wasn’t moving but his eyes were open and staring at me. He was concentrating on
holding his breath. I grabbed him and pulled him to the surface. The sub bumped
into us as it drifted by. Radji gasped for air and started coughing up water. I
held onto him with one arm and swam after the sub. It took a long time to catch
it.
“I’m sorry,” Radji said as I carried him through the water.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I thought you said you could swim.”
“I can, when my feet are touching the bottom.”
I laughed nervously. Inside I was fighting back my tears. He had almost
drowned. If he had drowned . . .
Similar Books
