The Last Emprex (12 page)

CHAPTER 18

EUGENE HAD LEFT MOST OF THE MONSTERS
behind. The mosasaurs were huge but couldn't hope to lay a tooth or clawed flipper on him. No way. Eugene was proud he had caused such a massive disruption to Grimkahn's attack. It was just as the Seazarein had wanted. The second, much more important thing Gray ordered was for Eugene to get to Hideg and Icingholme Shivers in the Arktik and ask for their aid.

He would succeed.

The quickfins were being targeted by Grimkahn and his jurassics. Many of his friends had died carrying messages for the good and goodly fins of the ocean. He would, in his own way, make the horde pay for sending his friends to the Sparkle Blue. And he got to make the quicker-than-they-seemed frilled sharks miss him time and time again as he carved turns that even they couldn't match.

But not all frills were alike.

The two remaining snaky monsters chasing him were only twenty feet behind Eugene and keeping pace.

In fact, they were slowly gaining.

Could they keep it up for as long as he could? Probably not.

But they didn't have to if they caught him.

I'll have to switch from endurance mode to vortex mode, Eugene thought to himself through gritted teeth.

Endurance mode was what he used for longer swims, where his two sets of fins would stroke at different times, first one and then the other. Somehow it was less tiring. He could keep going for days, usually catching his food by swimming through minnow shoals or krill sieges.

He was still the fastest of the fast, quicker than a wahoo even, in endurance mode.

Vortex mode was a different matter. That way he beat both sets of fins, all four, at once. It produced more speed for a while but used up energy fast. And the current was against him. This affected smaller fish more than larger ones. A whale would swim right through a current that would push a small fish like him backward. The frilled sharks behind him plowed through the current while he struggled. Even with their odd, slithering way of swimming, they came forward easily.

Eugene knew that this was the reason for the illusion that frilled sharks were slow. How could they be fast when they sent huge ripples through their bodies in order to move? But that was where other fish who weren't experts in swimming like a quickfin messenger made their mistake. Though they looked like eels, a frilled shark's head didn't move back and forth, only their bodies. The heads, with all those ferocious teeth, came straight at him. Their bodies were like long, flat tailfins, and that propelled them through the water faster than most sharks.

Eugene heard the snap of jaws close behind. He estimated that the frill had missed by five feet. That was another advantage the frilled sharks had. They didn't have to reach his tail to attack like a shark would. By coiling themselves they could shoot forward six or eight feet depending on the size of the frill. It did cost them a little time, though.

Then there were their spiked tails. Eugene had dodged many on his way out of the Fathomir homewaters. He didn't want to do that again. That was the reason he wasn't in vortex mode already. Vortex mode was great for going in straight lines but not as good for carving extremely tight turns. And Eugene needed every bit of those fin-bending angles to get away.

His problem was the quarter of a second he needed to synchronize his two sets of fins into vortex mode. He had to start both sets together. Normally this wasn't an issue. Gliding for a quarter second was no big deal. The majority of dwellers in the ocean couldn't even tell when Eugene did it.

But right now, fouling his own stroke pattern for a quarter second, the frills would catch him. And to switch over with the current in his face, Eugene would lose a lot of speed, maybe even be pushed to a complete stop for a fin flick.

SNAP!

One of the frilled sharks tried to eat him again.

They were gaining. Only three feet behind now.

The head-on current was allowing the frills to creep ever closer.

These had to be the fastest frills in the world.

Suddenly Eugene got a bad feeling and swung left.

It was a good thing he did.

A frilled shark smashed his jaws together right where he had been swimming.

They were on him!

There was no way Eugene could safely give up that quarter second.

There was only one thing to do.

It was risky, dangerous, and extreme.

But that's what I'm all about, thought Eugene. I am the Speedmeister, the fastest of the fast, the quickest of the quickfins, and these lumpfish won't keep me from delivering my duly appointed message!

Eugene streaked straight up toward the chop-chop.

The move caught the frilled sharks by surprise and they shot past him by twenty feet. If Eugene had been in vortex mode he never could have angled so sharply. The frilled sharks corrected, lightning
fast. He tore through the water, up-up-up!

The light of the sun grew so bright it was blinding. Still he climbed, pushing himself faster and faster. He would need every ounce of his strength.

With one final push Eugene burst through the chop-chop and into the air.

He heard the snap of frill teeth but they missed.

Eugene soared into the air. For a moment it seemed he could fly like a seabird.

But, and he knew this well, he wasn't a seabird.

No, in Eugene's case, what went up would definitely come down . . .

Straight into a frilled shark's hungry maw.

His gills slapped shut. He wasn't a bird after all and couldn't breathe air. But he could hold his breath while above the water. He was great at it, actually. And his fins allowed him to glide when he caught the wind. Eugene's paddle tail could push his body back above the chop-chop time and time again, keeping himself aloft for as long as the wind currents were right. It was dangerous to launch yourself into the air without knowing which way the wind above was blowing. Usually it moved with the current, but sometimes not.

To glide, Eugene needed the wind to be against him.

He also needed to synchronize his fins into glide mode. This took as long as getting into vortex mode but was slightly different, of course. Eugene would beat his two sets of fins in whatever order caught the wind best. Glide mode was the toughest one to learn. Sometimes you needed to jump more than once into the air. First to tell which way the wind was blowing and how hard, then to give yourself the angle you needed to glide.

You didn't launch yourself up without knowing this because if you didn't get your glide going, you would crash into the water. That could really hurt.

In this case it wouldn't hurt.

He would be eaten in one gulp.

Eugene fell.

As his body turned he saw the frilled sharks jostling for position. They were both panting heavily and wanted the prize of eating him.

Eugene spread his fins, shaking the water off them with a hard flap.

His first attempt to get into glide mode was ruined by a gust of wind which spun him around.

He spiraled toward the mouth of one of the frilled sharks.

I will not fail! he yelled at himself.

SWAP-SWAP!
His fins caught the wind on his second attempt.

Eugene zoomed over both frilled sharks, yelling to them as he passed, “I AM THE SPEEDMEISTER! EAT MY
WAAAAAKE
!”

It was three minutes before he skimmed back into the water. He had glided over a mile above the chop-chop, a personal best.

It was still going to be a long swim, but Eugene didn't mind one bit.

CHAPTER 19

HOKUU WRITHED IN PAIN AS THE SHARKKIND
of Jetty Shiver gathered before him. He was feverish from Grimkahn's bite as well as the smaller wound from Velenka. Jetty's homewaters were over a stunning black coral reef made up of tens of thousands of delicate fans that seemed to wave at Hokuu, wishing him good luck.

I don't need luck, he thought, smelling his own blood in the water.

The Jetty Shiver fools had attacked him earlier. Now he would teach them a lesson. Their leader was a young thresher shark named Conton. “We're all here, like you asked,” he said. “Please, give your speech and then go in peace.”

Hokuu nodded. Even that effort caused his wound to stretch and hurt like fire. He had found the hidden shiver numbering a thousand sharkkind by sheer luck when his fever spiked and he wandered into their territory. Hokuu still didn't know anyone was there until they attacked. After Hokuu killed twenty or so of their sharks, the leader decided it was time to talk.

Hokuu told them he was a prophet and all he wanted to do was preach the word of the coming future. Conton and his Line were so relieved there wouldn't be any more fighting, they immediately agreed. The thresher leader was young and in over his head.

“Good,” Hokuu told the thresher. “As I said, all I want to do is enlighten you. I only wish I hadn't been so viciously attacked.”

Conton flicked his tail nervously. “I said I was sorry for that. But you didn't stop the five times the guards asked you to. They had to think about the safety of the shiver.”

“So you attacked a poor, wounded prophet,” Hokuu said, swishing his tail as he gathered the dark-kata power. It hurt so much his head swam and his vision got blurry, but it had to be done or he would die. “You and Jetty Shiver should be so proud.”

Conton mumbled “sorry” once more.

Hokuu had drained the life force of a few groups of fish and sharkkind after he fled Grimkahn, but it wasn't enough. And shar-kata was useless for this type of injury. The only way to heal was a massive infusion of power that only dark-kata would bring.

“I need everyone to look at me!” Hokuu announced. “Look at my tail. See how it circles? So circle the waters of the seven seas, moving from one ocean to the other in an endless current.” Whether or not this was true, Hokuu didn't care. Getting the shiver sharkkind to watch the pulsing greenness of his dark-kata spell was the point. The hypnotic power that would steal their lives also gave him control of their bodies so they couldn't flee.

The energy grew brighter and brighter.

Hokuu extended tendrils from the center of the dark-kata vortex with his own life force and sent these through the packed homewaters. These force lines connected each and every sharkkind and dweller that was watching to him.

Hokuu could feel a few frightened Jetty sharks try to turn or avert their eyes.

But they couldn't.

He had them.

It was so easy. He was about to send an entire shiver to the Sparkle Blue and it had been pup's play.

That thought should have brought a smile to Hokuu's face, but it didn't.

His well-laid plans had been ruined once again. Sometimes it seemed the ocean itself was against him. It was so frustrating! He had been doing everything right and that fat pup managed to turn his current of victory into defeat once more!

How could Grimkahn have believed Gray?

“Why did you stop?” asked Conton. “Hey! I—I can't move! What's happening?”

“Shut up,” Hokuu told the thresher. “I'm thinking.”

Of course Hokuu
was
going to betray Grimkahn.

But that would be later, when the Big Blue was securely in the mosasaur king's clawed flippers and Hokuu could mysteriously kill him. After a respectful funeral ceremony, he would have been in perfect position to swim from first in Line to being the new ruler of the Big Blue.

Now that wouldn't happen.

It was all Gray's fault.

Grimkahn would be punished for his stupidity and causing Hokuu pain.

But Gray?

Hokuu would eat Gray, mouthful by mouthful, from the tail up. And he would use his power to keep the pretender alive as he did it.

Takiza was too small to be a meal, so maybe he'd be a light dessert.

But first things first. . . .

Hokuu looked out over the paralyzed crowd. Some Jetty sharks had been pushed into awkward positions by the current as he had been pondering his situation. That was all right. They wouldn't be uncomfortable too much longer.

“I have something to say,” Hokuu said. “It's about knowing your place. Any given day in the Big Blue you can have lunch, or be lunch. Today, you're my lunch.” Hokuu could see their shock and terror, and it warmed him. There were a few muffled grunts from the stronger sharkkind but nothing more since he had paralyzed their throats.

He didn't want to be interrupted, especially during his brilliant speech.

Hokuu reversed the flow of the dark-kata, dragging the life force energy from each shark and dweller from Jetty Shiver to his own body.

The weakest among them, the old and young, died in a wave.

“When you woke up today you fully expected to have lunch, not be lunch. You didn't
really
know your place. That's how it is with everyone else in the Big Blue. No one understands that I am the greatest fin that has ever swum the waters, greater than Tyro even!”

Hokuu's voice rose as dark-kata energy filled him to bursting. It was wonderful! It was glorious! He felt his wound close up and heal. Still he sucked at their life force greedily, making sure to take every last bit. There was a collective moan from those still alive as they felt themselves dying. Hokuu's power grew until he glowed, shining bright as if he had swallowed a piece of a wicked, green sun.

“Like the others, you didn't realize that I am your king! You should have driven your snouts into the muck when you saw me. The Seazarein doesn't understand either, but he will! Oh, how he will! I swear that like you, everyone will know this fact by the time I am done!”

Hokuu surveyed the silent scene in front of him.

Every sharkkind and dweller—even the polyps that were responsible for the beautiful black coral fans—was gray and dead. The current carried away the flakes, which crumbled from everything affected by his spell. Hokuu had seen snow falling into the ocean a few times. This looked like that, but in reverse, as the flakes floated up and away from the Jetty Shiver homewaters.

It was pretty in a way, and this pleased Hokuu. It was a vision of the future for Gray and his friends, for Grimkahn, and for the rest of his jurassics.

Everyone would get what was coming to them. Hokuu would see to it.

With a snap of his spiked tail he turned the corpse of Conton into a cloud of floating gray and white flakes. Hokuu swam through the quiet crowd. The sharkkind and dwellers of Jetty Shiver seemed to be watching him, their black eye holes watching—maybe judging—as he swam toward his destiny.

Let them stare, thought Hokuu. They're all jealous.

And with every swish of his tail, Hokuu sent blooms of ash upward into the water.