Chapter 32
The wharf was ruined.
The only way back to shore was up over the rough rocks near the old fish plant.
Mom and Dad and I dragged ourselves up onto the shore of Deeper Harbour, reeking of old fish and looking a little like members of an invading amphibious army who’d had the sea slime kicked out of them about two thousand leagues from the harbour.
I collapsed on the beach and looked around to see the rest of the wharf-wrecked survivors crawling up onto the rocks and coastal scree of the shoreline. Some of them managed a determined clamber while others were just tossed ashore by the waves like foam on the beach.
I’m not saying it was pretty.
Still, everybody seemed to be working together in that uncanny camaraderie that only a disaster can bring about. Those who had escaped the unexpected dunking threw ropes and lifesavers and tugged and towed people who weren’t so lucky onto dry land. A few brave souls even dove in and dog-paddled nearly drowned tourists and townsfolk to safety.
That’s just how a town works, I guess.
“The monster’s getting closer!” somebody shouted.
Everyone’s attention turned back to Fogopogo.
I looked up and could see that the monster was not more than a hundred feet from the shore—and getting closer.
Ha!
I guessed that Granddad Angus was coming closer to help the people who were still in the water. I had to grin at the thought of their faces as a full-grown sea monster pulled up to rescue them. Still, even though I knew it was the right thing to do, I was a little angry that Granddad Angus was spoiling our trick.
And then, all at once, the monster stopped moving forward and started to drift with the tidal current. I could tell that Granddad Angus had stopped pedalling and was just letting the dory drift. I guessed that he was just catching his breath for a while.
Only Fogopogo kept on drifting.
What was Granddad Angus up to? He had surprised me with the smoke and the fire-breathing. Maybe he had some other trick up his sleeve. Or hidden in one of his many vest pockets.
But nothing was happening. Fogopogo just sat there, rocking gently in the waves, caught up against a sea boulder.
I began to worry.
Something was wrong.
Something was really wrong.
“It’s coming this way,” somebody shouted.
“It’s angry,” somebody else said.
“It’s going to eat us all!” somebody else screamed.
And then somebody shouted “Dad!”
I sat there on the beach, half-drowned, staring in utter amazement as Dad half-ran and half-shambled down towards the water. He waded out until it was deep enough to swim. I felt Mom catching onto my shoulder. I think Dulsie had a hold on my other shoulder, but I could not be stopped.
I twisted away from Mom.
I heard something got crack in my shoulder. Maybe I had pulled my arm off but I didn’t care.
I fell down and stood up and kicked off like I was a human speed demon. I ran out into the waiting water to follow my father back into the sea.
Things got deeper fast.