the thumbs-up sign and we each took one of the handles and began to pull the tube slowly out of the mud. It wasn’t easy. I felt the muscles in my arms tighten and my mask began to steam up from perspiration. Through the clouds of dislodged sand I could just make out Faakhir’s straining face.
Unexpectedly, the mud released its grip and the tube began to lift away. Finally a foot and a half of steel gleamed dimly through the greenish water. After waving her hands in excitement, Isabella tugged on the cable to alert the crew on the surface. The steel tube began its ascent.
As it moved, I thought I heard a distant thud, a dull echo underwater. Then the water itself seemed to shift in transparent planes. The fish shot away in panic, breaking the natural patterns of their shoals. Just as I turned towards Isabella, the whole area was plunged into darkness. Suddenly my sense of claustrophobia was intense. Panicking, I struck out wildly, hoping to touch the others. My fingers became entangled in seaweed and my chest heaved with blind dread. The darkness stretched ahead into a bewildering void.
After what seemed an eternity, the floodlight spluttered back on. But now the beam was pointing away from the site at an extreme angle, illuminating the descending clouds of stirred-up sand.
An earthquake. Somewhere in the jumble of my panicked mind, a thought crystallised. I looked up for the supply line. It arched above me, intact - but where were the others?
Isabella. I peered frantically through the thick fog of disturbed mud, but nothing was visible. I had the disorientating sensation of suddenly being entirely alone. Terrified, I spun around, looking for her. Nothing, not even the glimmer of a diving mask. Then I caught sight of a small white hand curling upwards through the clouds of sand. Isabella! I lunged towards her, my heart banging wildly against my ribs.
The sphinx had slipped sideways and pinned her leg against the sea floor. A silver cascade of bubbles gushed out from the oxygen-tank pipe where it had torn away from her mask.
The gravity of the situation didn’t hit me immediately; I suppose it was a combination of shock and disbelief. As I hovered there in the drifting cloud of mud I felt thrown out of the moment, almost as though I was an observer. I hesitated - a fatal mistake.
Then, almost magically, Faakhir was beside me and both of us were swimming frantically towards Isabella. A cloud of pink blood now threaded its way through the water; her loosened hair floated like delicate seaweed.
I tore away my mouthpiece and tried to place it in her mouth while Faakhir prised the statue off her leg. But her mouth lolled open and she was already unconscious. Faakhir and I placed our shoulders against the sphinx and pushed. As it lifted from the seabed, I pulled Isabella’s crushed leg free. Holding her limp body to mine, I swam full pelt towards the light filtering down from above.
We burst through the water’s surface to the sound of shouting. Frantic, I pushed Isabella up towards the outstretched arms, then clambered into the boat myself and crouched over her body where it lay on the deck. My hands seemed like huge clumsy paws as I tried to pump the water out of her chest; I felt the shock of her cold lips as I gave her mouth-to-mouth. Pump, breathe, pump, breathe. It seemed like hours.
The others stood by dumbly, silenced by the horror of the scene. The terrible, almost unbelievable images seared into my memory: the water trickling from the edge of Isabella’s mouth, Faakhir’s blanched face as finally he pulled me away from the lifeless body, her limp hands. All the while, the steel tube containing the astrarium stood on the deck, glinting in the sun.
‘Isabella? Isabella!’ In disbelief I shook her, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Then I collapsed on the deck alongside her, cradling her to me.
Above me, as if at a great distance, I heard Faakhir shout suddenly. I glanced up to see Omar standing
Unexpectedly, the mud released its grip and the tube began to lift away. Finally a foot and a half of steel gleamed dimly through the greenish water. After waving her hands in excitement, Isabella tugged on the cable to alert the crew on the surface. The steel tube began its ascent.
As it moved, I thought I heard a distant thud, a dull echo underwater. Then the water itself seemed to shift in transparent planes. The fish shot away in panic, breaking the natural patterns of their shoals. Just as I turned towards Isabella, the whole area was plunged into darkness. Suddenly my sense of claustrophobia was intense. Panicking, I struck out wildly, hoping to touch the others. My fingers became entangled in seaweed and my chest heaved with blind dread. The darkness stretched ahead into a bewildering void.
After what seemed an eternity, the floodlight spluttered back on. But now the beam was pointing away from the site at an extreme angle, illuminating the descending clouds of stirred-up sand.
An earthquake. Somewhere in the jumble of my panicked mind, a thought crystallised. I looked up for the supply line. It arched above me, intact - but where were the others?
Isabella. I peered frantically through the thick fog of disturbed mud, but nothing was visible. I had the disorientating sensation of suddenly being entirely alone. Terrified, I spun around, looking for her. Nothing, not even the glimmer of a diving mask. Then I caught sight of a small white hand curling upwards through the clouds of sand. Isabella! I lunged towards her, my heart banging wildly against my ribs.
The sphinx had slipped sideways and pinned her leg against the sea floor. A silver cascade of bubbles gushed out from the oxygen-tank pipe where it had torn away from her mask.
The gravity of the situation didn’t hit me immediately; I suppose it was a combination of shock and disbelief. As I hovered there in the drifting cloud of mud I felt thrown out of the moment, almost as though I was an observer. I hesitated - a fatal mistake.
Then, almost magically, Faakhir was beside me and both of us were swimming frantically towards Isabella. A cloud of pink blood now threaded its way through the water; her loosened hair floated like delicate seaweed.
I tore away my mouthpiece and tried to place it in her mouth while Faakhir prised the statue off her leg. But her mouth lolled open and she was already unconscious. Faakhir and I placed our shoulders against the sphinx and pushed. As it lifted from the seabed, I pulled Isabella’s crushed leg free. Holding her limp body to mine, I swam full pelt towards the light filtering down from above.
We burst through the water’s surface to the sound of shouting. Frantic, I pushed Isabella up towards the outstretched arms, then clambered into the boat myself and crouched over her body where it lay on the deck. My hands seemed like huge clumsy paws as I tried to pump the water out of her chest; I felt the shock of her cold lips as I gave her mouth-to-mouth. Pump, breathe, pump, breathe. It seemed like hours.
The others stood by dumbly, silenced by the horror of the scene. The terrible, almost unbelievable images seared into my memory: the water trickling from the edge of Isabella’s mouth, Faakhir’s blanched face as finally he pulled me away from the lifeless body, her limp hands. All the while, the steel tube containing the astrarium stood on the deck, glinting in the sun.
‘Isabella? Isabella!’ In disbelief I shook her, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Then I collapsed on the deck alongside her, cradling her to me.
Above me, as if at a great distance, I heard Faakhir shout suddenly. I glanced up to see Omar standing
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