He had changed so much in the weeks since we last met. His face was the only remaining attribute of the man I'd thought repugnant back then. Now, he was nothing but a monster—gray and hideous. He spoke first.

“You are proving to be a formidable enemy, Jimmy Fincher.” He took another step closer, now just a few feet away from me. He smiled, his teeth yellow and edged in black. “We will leave for now. But know this. We are changing things in this world. A month away at sea, you have been. You will find quite a different world when you choose to return to it.”

“You're always talking to me in riddles, Kenji,” I said. “Just leave.”

“Yes, we will leave. But, just like the first time we met, I cannot bear to depart without leaving another mystery gift. You destroyed my first, the Sounding Rod. I leave you another—one that you will not want to destroy.” He leaned toward me, his hollow eyes glaring. “No, you will definitely not want to destroy this one.”

Without a word, the Shadow Ka behind Kenji parted and moved to the sides until a wide opening lay between two rows of the creatures. Lying there on the ground, the only sign of life his slightly moving chest, was Dad.

I looked over at Kenji. “What do you mean? What are you talking about? This is your gift to me? My dad?”

Kenji coughed—a wet, gurgled sound.

“Yes. When he awakens, you will see a horror that will far surpass anything you have yet experienced. We will see if you have the courage to do what must be done at that time.”

He and the rest of the Shadow Ka unfolded their wings and took to the sky.

Fear trickled along my spine, as cold as the icy substance of my second gift. I didn't have the slightest idea what in the heck Kenji had been talking about, but it was terrifying all the same. What had they done to my dad?

I shook Miyoko from her hold on my arm, the danger gone for now, and ran over to where my dad lay, still and silent. His face was pale, his eyes closed to the whole stinking ordeal we'd just been through. A trembling apprehension filled me as I shook him, trying to get some sign that he was okay.

What had happened? What was going on in his head? What horror awaited his wakening?

I stood up and realized Miyoko was standing right next to me.

“Jimmy,” she said, “this is horrible, just horrible. What is wrong with your father?”

Her voice quivered with emotion, like this was her dad, not mine. I couldn't help but be amazed that she would feel so much for someone she hardly knew. But then I had a second thought, remembering that we'd all been together on the ship for over a month now, and had truly become an extended family. A bizarre, freak show family, but a family nonetheless.

“I don't have a clue, Miyoko.” I crouched back down and touched Dad's forehead. It was warm, and his chest continued to rise and fall in a steady pattern. Again, I stood.

“He seems totally okay, like he's asleep. I can't come up with any guess at what they've done to him, although I'm worried it has something to do with that sleepy feeling we all got when they came the first time.”

Miyoko noticed something and knelt down beside my dad, grabbing his arm.

“Look,” she said.

She had pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his entire forearm. A small gasp escaped me.

His skin was covered with small cuts and scrapes, just healing.

“What in the—” I bent down and pulled back the sleeve on his other arm. His skin was clear on that one.

“This just keeps getting weirder,” I said, and then pointed down at his arm. “Look, I bet it was done by the claws of one of the Ka. Why would they do that? Why would they possibly do that?”

Miyoko just shook her head, deep in thought.

It was at that moment that something began to bother me greatly. It was a strange silence. There was the intimidating sound of the waves of the ocean crashing against the boat, and the patter of rain on the deck, but something was missing.

Voices. I was so used to people talking and visiting and shouting and kidding around while on the boat. I had never been on the deck and had everything so quiet. Where was everybody?

“Miyoko,” I said, “what in the world is everyone doing? Why haven't they come up yet? And why didn't they try to do anything when the Ka lifted the ship? I haven't seen anyone besides Dad since this whole thing began.”

A chilling worry gnawed at me, and I ran for the closest door down to the common areas.

“Stay here with my dad,” I said as I opened the door.

The stairs were as dark as a cloudy eclipse.