The Curse of the Ice Serpent (8 page)

‘You are a clever young man,’ Borys said, nodding. ‘We’ll save the gas. We have precious little anyway – it’s so difficult to store. Soon we’ll land and take to the waves.’

Dakkar wondered if ‘land’ was the correct word if they were surrounded by sea.

‘Then we’ll see if your furnace heats the submarine,’ Dakkar said, warming his hands on the pipes that ran around the cabin.

‘I hope so!’ Borys said. ‘The waters around Greenland are freezing cold. They would make life in the
Nautilus
even more uncomfortable.’

Dakkar watched the sea come ever closer then heard waves bumping against the hull.

‘Hold on to something,’ Borys called out. ‘We’re about to set down in the water.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

DANGER ISLAND

The waves rushed past, hissing against the sides of the
Nautilus
. The whole sub rocked and Dakkar and Georgia gripped the back of Borys’s chair tightly. With a loud thump, the
Nautilus
hit the waves and began to roll with the tide.

‘There,’ Borys said. ‘Expertly done, if I say so myself.’

Dakkar couldn’t help but grin. ‘We should gather in the balloons,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we could moor on that small islet.’

‘What small islet?’ Georgia said, frowning.

‘There.’ Dakkar pointed out of the window. Some distance away, the waves splashed on a small outcrop of rock.

‘I didn’t notice that on my descent,’ Borys said, scratching his ear. ‘But it would be good to stand on some solid ground after so many days at sea.’

He steered the
Nautilus
towards the islet. Dakkar climbed out on to the bow of the sub, rope in hand. As they drew nearer, it struck Dakkar that it was quite a large stretch of land. It looked as if a giant had dumped a huge pile of stones into the sea. Boulders and spikes of rock, crusted in barnacles and limpets, poked out of the thick seaweed that hung limply everywhere. He tied a loop in one end of the rope and managed to snag it on one of the stone slabs.

Borys appeared at Dakkar’s shoulder. ‘I don’t remember this on any of the charts,’ Borys said.

‘Perhaps the tide is low and has uncovered the islet – it could be underwater most of the time,’ Dakkar said, jumping off the
Nautilus
and on to the nearest rock. The ground felt solid under his feet.

‘You don’t look very happy to be on dry land,’ Borys muttered, sounding surprised.

‘The safety of land is an illusion,’ Dakkar said darkly, taking a breath. ‘At least at sea I can live freely.’

Borys joined him with an awkward jump, stumbling and soaking his shoes. ‘At least land is generally dry,’ he said, shaking a soggy foot. ‘I’d sooner fly if I could.’

They wandered around the islet, picking their way over pools and slipping on the wet, seaweed-covered rock. Dakkar felt tiny and insignificant, encircled by miles and miles of grey water in all directions. A small sandy clearing sat in the island’s centre, surrounded by the stone outcrops.

‘It looks like some kind of crater,’ Dakkar said, scraping his foot on the sand. ‘Maybe it’s the tip of a volcano.’

‘Quite possibly,’ Borys said. ‘This clearing is sheltered from the wind. It would be good to make a fire and cook some fish or maybe a seabird.’ He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed his lips as if he had already eaten.

‘Do we have time to spend?’ Dakkar said, frowning.

‘There is always time for good food,’ Borys said, grinning. ‘Besides, our supplies are dangerously low. We can stock up. What a stroke of luck, this island being here!’

Soon Dakkar and Georgia were busy setting up fishing lines while Borys fussed around, lighting a fire and trying to make a spit on which to turn the two fat seagulls he had snared easily with some salt beef as bait.

‘There are plenty of fish down there,’ Dakkar said, gazing down into the clear waters that surrounded the island. ‘We shouldn’t have much of a problem catching them.’

As if in answer to Dakkar’s statement, one of the lines went taut, then another.

Georgia laughed. ‘I bet there isn’t any land for hundreds of miles in any direction,’ she said. ‘They must be drawn here for food.’

‘A bit like him.’ Dakkar nodded towards Borys as he clapped his hands, celebrating the sight of the birds turning over the flames.

Georgia smirked.

Dakkar drew fish after fish out of the water. Some they left by the fire for Borys to cook, the rest they took down to the engine room where they had set up a line for them to hang and dry out.

The afternoon rolled on. Dakkar lay by the fire, savouring the taste of roast seagull and fish.

‘So you are a younger brother to … my … Oginski?’ Dakkar swallowed down the upsurge of sorrow that came with the name.

‘Did Franciszek not explain who we all are?’ Borys said, his voice thick with gravy from the bird. ‘Marek is the eldest, then … your Oginski – Franciszek, then Voychek … then us.’

‘I see,’ Dakkar said.

‘Then Kazmer and Stefan,’ Borys finished.

Georgia threw a hot piece of fish from palm to palm, trying to cool it. ‘And where are Marek and Voychek?’

‘Marek is in Africa,’ Borys said. ‘He’s a bull in a china shop. A monster of a man. Bigger than Frank.’

‘And Voychek?’

Borys paled and looked solemn. ‘I haven’t seen Voychek for many a year.’ He shivered. ‘At least, I don’t think I have. I probably wouldn’t recognise him if I did meet him.’

‘What do you mean?’ Dakkar suddenly felt chilly and shuffled nearer the fire.

‘Voychek is a master of disguise,’ Borys said with a haunted look in his eye. ‘A shadow, a rumour these days. He’s wild and unpredictable. Of all my brothers, it’s he I fear the most.’

‘Then I sure hope we don’t meet him,’ Georgia said.

‘Well, he’s not here,’ Borys said, shaking himself and trying to lift the sombre mood that had fallen over them. ‘And we have good food.’

‘You do like your food, Borys,’ Dakkar said, giving a slight smile.

‘If we weren’t caught up with our brothers and their mad schemes,’ Borys said, stifling a belch, ‘Tomasz and I would have been the greatest chefs known to man. In fact, I still harbour a desire to conquer the so-called civilised nations of the world, if only to bring them decent food and wine!’

Borys roared with laughter but Dakkar just stared into the fire. Georgia glanced at Borys.

‘How can you be so merry at a time like this?’ she said.

‘We have food in our bellies and a fire warming our toes, young lady,’ Borys said mildly. ‘There have been times when I have gone without and shivered with bone-biting cold, expecting the next breath to be my last. That’s how I can be merry.’

‘But Oginski …’ she began.

Borys’s face hardened. ‘Revenge is the best poultice for that wound,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Right now we can’t do anything about that but our time will come. Tomorrow we set off on our quest again. Tonight we rest. Franciszek wouldn’t begrudge us that.’

Dakkar jumped up and stalked off to the furthest end of the islet.

‘Leave him, Georgia,’ he heard Borys say as he left. ‘Let him grieve.’

The wind whipped at Dakkar’s thick, black hair and chilled his face as he sat on the rocks staring out to sea.

Why don’t I feel sad? Why do I just feel angry?
he wondered. He thought of Oginski’s weary face as he slipped to his death. Dakkar wanted to scream and shout, to punch something or someone.

A huge explosion of bubbles erupted at his feet, making him yell and leap back. Suddenly the ground beneath him shifted, sending him rolling towards the sea. He slapped his hand on to the slick rock, just breaking his fall, and hung there as the islet began to move.

‘It’s an earthquake!’ he shouted to the others, who clung to nearby rocks, looking around in confusion.

The fire had scattered and Borys hastily snatched at the fish hanging over the embers, hissing and yelping as they burned his fingers.

‘No time for that,’ Georgia said, grabbing the man’s sleeve. ‘We’ve gotta get back to the
Nautilus
.’

The whole surface of the ground tilted, sending them tumbling into each other. Then it veered the other way.

‘I’ve never known anything like it!’ Borys panted, struggling to his feet.

‘Neither have I,’ Dakkar muttered, staring straight ahead, his heart hammering at his ribs.

The sea exploded in front of him in a fountain of white spray. An enormous column of green rock burst from the waves, rearing up above and sending water raining down on them.

‘What is that?’ Georgia whispered.

‘It’s a head,’ Dakkar replied faintly.

Two cold, reptilian eyes cracked open and stared at them – from what was now clearly the neck and head of the biggest turtle Dakkar had ever seen. It peered down on them over its shoulder as they stood on what he assumed was its gargantuan shell. It opened its colossal beaked mouth and gave a shrieking roar.

Borys gaped at the beast. ‘It’s enormous,’ he said.

‘And it doesn’t look happy!’ Georgia added in a small, trembling voice.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A NANTUCKET SLEIGH RIDE

For a second, Dakkar could only stand and stare at the head that towered over him. The sound of its cry deafened him.

Borys gripped his arm and mouthed something but the monster’s scream drowned out the words. Pale and wide-eyed, Borys pointed to the
Nautilus
, which bucked and reared, still tied to the creature’s spiny carapace.

‘We must get into the sub,’ Borys repeated. ‘This creature is going to submerge!’

Dakkar leapt forward, his feet splashing in puddles that were forming as water rushed over the side of the shell. Ahead he saw Georgia leaping on to the
Nautilus
and scrambling up the ladder. Borys wasn’t far behind her.

‘The hatch is open,’ Dakkar called to them, slipping in the deepening waters. ‘If the turtle sinks before we get in, the
Nautilus
will flood!’

The sub pointed nose-down in the water now as the creature prepared to dive. Gasping in the freezing water, Dakkar found himself swimming to the tower. Something flashed beneath Dakkar and he glimpsed a milky eye and a downturned mouth.

‘Qalupalik!’ he yelled, kicking out at a scaly hand that tried to close around his ankle.

‘Hurry, boy!’ Borys yelled.

The
Nautilus
listed horribly now, the tower almost level with the sea. More of the screeching creatures appeared in the water. Spears splashed close to Dakkar and rattled against the hull of the
Nautilus
.

‘They must have herded this thing towards us!’ Dakkar said.

‘Shut up and swim!’ Borys said, ducking as another spear bounced off the woodwork.

Dakkar threw himself forward and scrambled towards the tower. Two Qalupalik leapt in his path. He kicked the legs from under one and smashed his fist into the other’s face, sending it tumbling into its comrades. Without looking back, Dakkar leapt up the tower, slamming the hatch closed behind him.

‘Did you untie the
Nautilus
?’ Georgia called to them.

‘I didn’t have time,’ Dakkar spluttered, shivering and wet. ‘It’s crawling with those little creatures out there!’

Water foamed all around them as the huge turtle sank beneath the waves. Angry faces glowered at them through the portholes. Dakkar could hear the thumps and bangs as the Qalupalik hammered at the hull of the sub.

‘Looks like we’re in for the Nantucket sleigh ride of all time,’ Borys chuckled.

‘The what?’ Dakkar said.

‘Nantucket sleigh ride,’ Georgia said. She had settled herself into the captain’s seat and was wrestling with the wheel as the huge turtle powered down into the sea. ‘When whaler-men first harpoon a whale and it drags their ship along, that’s what they call it.’

As if to demonstrate, the whole sub jerked, sending them staggering against the walls. The Qalupalik outside vanished suddenly.

‘Here we go!’ Borys yelled.

The vast bulk of the giant turtle filled the portholes of the
Nautilus
and bubbles of air blasted around the sub, making visibility poor. Fish and debris smacked against the hull of the craft as they careered after the creature, swaying from side to side on the rope. The Qalupalik had been left far behind.

Dakkar’s stomach lurched and his ears popped as they plunged deeper into dark cold water.

‘It is an amazing creature,’ Borys said, squinting through the porthole. ‘I never would have thought such a beast could exist.’

‘My uncle used to tell me stories of the aspidochelone,’ Georgia said, her head shaking in disbelief. ‘A huge sea creature that drags unfortunate sailors and their ships down to the deepest depths after tricking them to land on its back.’

They powered through the water at an incredible rate, faster than even the
Nautilus
would normally go. Something heavy cracked against the hull of the sub, making Dakkar flinch.