Kingdom of the Deep (13 page)

CHAPTER 23

“SEIZE HER!” STRIIKER ORDERED. TWO RIPTIDE
mariners mashed Velenka between their flanks. “Or do we just send her to the Sparkle Blue?” the big great white asked.

Velenka struggled little, moving more because she was in pain. “I'm here to help! Stop crushing me!”

Gray motioned to Striiker to let the mako speak. The great white gave a fin signal and the two mariners eased up, but hovered inches from her flanks.

“Oh, come on!” Barkley groused. “Are we really going to listen to—or should I say,
believe
—anything she says? Tell me we're not that stupid!”

“We're not, right?” asked Striiker.

“No one is,” said Snork, eying the mako suspiciously.

Mari nodded. “Gray, I believe in giving everyone a chance. I believe in second and third chances, even last chances. But in this case, Barkley's right.”

Velenka smiled at Mari. “And here I thought we were getting to be
pals
before I was kidnapped by that prehistore maniac.”

“Kidnapped! Here we go again,” Barkley said, drawing his tail through the water in a circle. “Round and round. It always comes down to poor Velenka being
forced
to do all sorts of horrible things. But she's not to blame! Oh no, never that!”

“I really don't like you,” Velenka told the dogfish. “Never have.”

Gray gave Velenka a light slap on the flank to be quiet. The mako cringed much more than he would have guessed she would. She was definitely jumpy. Maybe that was good for them. “Velenka, we know you wouldn't be here if it wasn't in your best interests. So what are those interests?”

The mako grumbled about this but nodded. “My life. I like it. And Hokuu wants me and everyone else dead.”

Mari wasn't convinced. “Gray, she lured you into a trap for Finnivus by saying this same thing. You shouldn't forget that.”

It was true. Velenka had drawn him into a meeting that ended with Gray swimming for his life. If Gray hadn't planned for her betrayal in advance, Finnivus would have had his head on a feeding platter. Velenka couldn't be trusted. But she could be counted on doing
anything
to keep herself alive. The trick was telling those two things apart. Was she here as part of some plan? That's what they had to know.

“Why did Hokuu break you out of the Riptide homewaters?' Gray asked.

The mako ground her teeth in frustration. “I don't know,” she wailed. “He gave me some reasons like I was supposed to talk to you about joining him. Things I knew would never work! But it seemed like he didn't need me at all.”

“I knew it!” Barkley said. “But I still don't know why he's doing that.”

“Why would Hokuu follow you if you were with us?” Gray asked. “How can you be sure?”

“He promised to eat me if I betrayed him,” she told everyone. “And I'm doing that right now, if you'll let me.” Velenka gave Barkley a look. The dogfish forced his jaws shut before he snapped off a reply.

“Speak, then,” Takiza said as he swam in front of her. His billowy fins waved back and forth in a soothing manner. “Be at peace.”

Velenka snorted. “Peace. Right.”

“Listen to my words,” soothed Takiza. “Watch my fins as they move one way then the other. Feel the current on your flanks. How relaxing it is. Let the water whisk your worries away. You are among friends.”

Velenka's usual deceptive smile fell from her face and she repeated, “Friends,” in a dreamy voice. The mako's features were less guarded and, Gray thought, somehow more honest. In fact, without her expression of constant guile, Velenka was beautiful.

Barkley stared at her, open-mouthed, until he forced himself to look away. “Come on! This is dumb!” he huffed.

“No, look,” Snork said, gesturing with his tail. “She's nice now. This is the shark she
hides
underneath her regular self.”

Though Takiza continued to wave his gossamer fins in front of Velenka's eyes, he regarded Snork, studying him for a moment as if seeing him for the first time. Gray thought this was odd since the betta had never given the sawfish a second look before.

“Snork, you're talking crazy,” whispered Striiker.

“Shh!” Mari told them in a low voice. “Watch.”

Takiza's fins drifted with the current. “You will answer my questions truthfully and hold nothing back.”

“I will answer truthfully,” Velenka whispered, her blacker-than-black eyes gazing peacefully at Takiza.

“Why are you here?”

“If Hokuu's plan works, I'll die. I'd do anything to stop that.”

Barkley nodded at Gray. “This is working, all right,” he whispered.

“What are Hokuu's plans?” Takiza asked.

“To release the prehistores when the full moon rises above the chop-chop,” she answered. “Fifth Shiver will conquer the Big Blue.”

“That's only a few days away!” Barkley hissed. “We have no time to do anything!”

“Quiet!” Gray said, chucking his friend's jaws shut with his tail.

Takiza sighed in despair before continuing, “How will Hokuu do this?”

“I don't know.”

Striiker frowned. “We're in trouble.”

“
And
we don't know where we're going,” Snork added.

Takiza gave Snork and Striiker a glare before turning his attention back to Velenka. “But you have an idea where to go, do you not?” prodded the betta in a relaxing voice.

“It has something to do with a place Gray has been, not so long ago,” Velenka whispered. “Hokuu said Gray didn't realize how close he had gotten. I think that's the place where he'll release Drinnok and the prehistores.”

“Rest now and do not listen to our conversation,” Takiza said as Velenka hovered obediently. The betta turned to Gray. “So, where have you been?”

“The Arktik? That doesn't seem right.”

Takiza shook his head. “Unlikely. The waters are too cold for the prehistores to immediately swim into them. They will need time to adjust to those temperatures. Where else?”

“You've been with me almost everywhere,” he answered. “If we're counting since we defeated Finnivus, there's been more than a few.”

“Think harder, Gray,” Mari told him.

Takiza pressed, “It would be a place where the barrier between the Big Blue and the under-waters were weak. A place of disturbance and chaos.”

“Disturbance and chaos,” Snork repeated. “Like a seaquake or something?”

“Or something!” Gray exclaimed. “The disputed lands between AuzyAuzy and Hammer Shivers. There are steam vents in the area. It's warmer there. It's near an area they call the fire waters because there are volcanoes. Could that be it?”

Takiza nodded. “It may very well be.”

“All the way to the South Sific before the full moon?” Striiker asked. “That's a tailcramper of a swim. And if we're wrong . . . ”

“It has to be the right place,” Gray whispered.

“Are we absolutely sure Velenka's not lying?” asked Mari.

Snork waved his serrated bill back and forth. “Nope, she's not. Look at her.” As everyone else took in the mako's serene expression, Gray saw Takiza studying Snork once more.

Barkley in particular was fascinated by Velenka's peacefulness. Or something. “Takiza, may I ask her a few questions?”

“Be my guest,” the betta told him, gesturing with a fin.

Barkley swam closer. “Velenka, did you come here as a part of a plan to betray us?”

“No,” she answered. “I'm afraid for my life.”

“How did you escape?”

“I waited until Hokuu was fighting you. Then I sent my guard to the Sparkle Blue and hid until he left.”

“Velenka, do you think your escape was too easy?” Barkley asked. Takiza raised an eyebrow to Gray, impressed with the intelligence of the question.

“No,” the mako said dreamily. “There was always one guard. One finja. Nothing was different.”

“She killed a finja?” Striiker mused.

Barkley waggled his tail to get their attention. “If Velenka's coming with us, I want to remind everyone what kind of fin she is.”

“Barkley, you don't have to—” Gray began.

Takiza cut him off with a tail swoosh. “Watch and listen.”

Barkley proceeded. “Velenka, to save your own life, would you kill me?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Would you get rid of all my friends to save yourself?”

There was no hesitation. “Yes.”

“Barkley, stop it,” said Mari. “We know this.”

But they didn't really. And Barkley didn't stop.

“What about everyone in the Big Blue?” he asked. “Would you send
everyone
to the Sparkle Blue to save your own life?”

There was a pause. Gray grew cold inside as the mako seemed to consider the question, even in her trance state. “I don't know.”

“Why don't you know?” asked Barkley, genuinely curious.

“Because I might get lonely after,” the mako told them.

“Oh, my,” whispered Snork, his eyes wide. “Do we really have to take her with us?”

“We'll keep her under guard.” Striiker nodded, not taking his eyes off Velenka. “If Hokuu follows us because of her, he won't be attacking the rest of our shiver sharks. That's worth something.”

“Since Kaleth has dumped us, it's our only option,” Gray told everyone.

Barkley nodded at Takiza, signaling he was done with his questions to Velenka. The betta flicked a fin between the mako's eyes. She blinked and regained her senses. She eyed everyone warily, then smiled, her needle teeth flashing. But the smile was her normal one and didn't reach her eyes, Gray noticed.

“Sorry I dozed off. Why's everyone looking at me? It's been a tough week.” Velenka didn't know what was going on. “What?” she asked, edginess making her nervous grin wider. “Is this a joke?”

“I wish it was,” Barkley said. He gestured at the mako with his tail. “That's who we're dealing with here, everyone. Never forget it.”

Gray doubted that anyone ever would.

CHAPTER 24

GRAY FOLLOWED BEHIND THE MAIN FORCE OF
Riptide sharks but ahead of the rear guard. Velenka swam in front of him, looking around warily. She thought that Hokuu or his finjas would come for her anytime. She was probably right.

He'll be coming for everyone if we're going in the right direction, Gray thought.
If
Hokuu really is planning to release the prehistores in or around the disputed waters between Hammer and AuzyAuzy Shivers. And if he isn't, we're swimming a long way for nothing.

Striiker had put Velenka under guard of two large mariners. Gray was pretty sure that Barkley had also assigned a few ghostfins to keep an eye on her. And of course Mari didn't trust Velenka as far as she could drag the mako onto the shore. All in all, Velenka was well watched. And that was okay. You couldn't be too careful where she was concerned.

Gray saw Takiza swimming ahead of him and sped up to pull even. He didn't want to be the one that spoke first because he was still angry. But the betta swam in silence, not saying anything for five, ten, then fifteen minutes.

Oh, this is stupid, Gray thought. What am I? A pup?

He waggled his tail and Takiza looked over. “I'm still mad,” he told the betta.

“That is your right,” he answered.

Gray found himself grinding his teeth. “But I don't have time to be mad at you.”

“Correct.”

“I wasn't looking for an answer. I'm speaking here,” Gray said. “When you start the conversation, then you can talk.” Takiza rolled his eyes but didn't interrupt. “Everything I learned from you is useless.” The betta regarded Gray with a flat stare. “I don't mean that in a disrespectful way, but all my lifting of large rocks means nothing against Hokuu. He can paralyze me with a touch and there's nothing I can do about it.”

“You could
not
let him touch you,” answered Takiza.

Now Gray rolled his eyes. “Wow, awesome advice! I didn't realize it was that simple. Excellent lesson, Shiro.”

“Open your ears, then,” Takiza said. “Training must be done in a gradual way. Do you think you could have lifted the heaviest rock I placed in your harness the first time we met?”

“Well, no. Probably not. Definitely not.”

“Precisely,” continued the betta. “You are at the level you are at today because of the training. That is a fact. Nothing has ever been wasted on you. You have advanced from where you began.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Gray told him. “But I'm nowhere near Hokuu.”

The betta laughed, a rare enough event that both Mari and Barkley watched for a moment before turning their eyes onto Velenka once more.

“Hokuu was my Shiro,” Takiza went on. “Of course you are no match for him, everything being equal. But then, neither am I.”

Gray lowered his voice. “Are you serious? If you can't take him, what are we going to do?”

“Get him to fight us when and where things are
not
equal, of course.”

“And that will be when or where?”

“I do not know,” Takiza answered with infuriating calm. “But when I find out, you will be among the very first I tell. And as far as Hokuu's paralyzing touch or any of the other abilities he does possess . . . ”

“Yes?” asked Gray when Takiza paused.

“You have within you the ability to counter anything he attempts,” the betta answered, drawing closer. Takiza's eyes were hypnotic as he spoke, his words said with such certainty it gave Gray a jolt of confidence. “Sometimes defeating a superior opponent is not a matter of strength, endurance, intelligence, or even training. Sometimes winning against all odds is simply a matter of will. And Gray, your will is strong. When you understand this, you can do wondrous things.” Takiza paused and smiled at him. “And until then, I am here.”

The betta swam off. It turned out that even though Gray felt mad, he was still very, very glad to have Takiza around.