The Eye of Neptune Read Online Free Page B

almost falling into the pool as he hurried to untie the ropes that held the craft fast.
    Then he sat back in the captain’s seat, secured the lid and whirled the submerging handle again. The craft pitched and rolled alarmingly and his ears popped as it began to sink. Bubbles and foam seethed around the portholes as they submerged but, gradually, a misty, blue landscape of rocks and swaying seaweed was revealed.
    ‘Astonishing,’ Dakkar murmured, staring out at the shoals of fish and the anemones clinging to the jagged rocks. In the distance, a dark opening scarred the wall of the cavern and the seaweed showed that the sea did indeed come in through there.
    For some time Dakkar sat transfixed by the view through the portholes. Then, shaking himself, he scanned the controls.
    A brass lever sat in a slot engraved with commands such as Full Ahead , Slow , Backwater and Stop . He pushed the lever forward to Full Ahead and the engine behind him whirred as the craft began to slide forward. Dakkar’s heart raced as the submersible’s speed increased. As it went faster, the cavern began to flash past him.
    Dakkar pulled at the wheel, sending the craft lurching to one side and banging his head. In a panic, Dakkar twirled the wheel the other way, trying to correct the sudden turn. A huge pinnacle of barnacled stone loomed ahead.
    With a yelp, Dakkar yanked the wheel towards him and the sudden upward tilt threw him back in his seat. The surface boiled above as the craft careered up the face of the rock. A wet slapping sound of weed hitting the hull told him how close he was to tearing the body of the craft against the rough stone. Dakkar’s mouth felt dry and sweat trickled down his back as he fumbled for the lever and dragged it to Stop . The craft came to rest and righted itself. The engine’s whine died to a muted tick, barely heard over Dakkar’s anxious panting.
    A smile forced itself across Dakkar’s face, followed by a chuckle, and then he gave a whoop and punched the air, banging his knuckles on the roof.
    ‘That was incredible!’ he shouted, almost deafening himself in the small confines of the boat.
    Oginski’s Patent Undersea Submersible , he mused. O.P.U.S. Not a bad name. But I’ll call you the Makara , after the sea serpent ridden by Varuna, god of the ocean!
    Once more he spun the submerging wheel and the engine blasted the water from the hollow hull of the newly christened Makara . Bubbles obscured the view and Dakkar’s stomach lurched as the Makara bobbed up to the surface.
    Carefully, he guided her to the side of the pool and pulled the lever. The lid sprang up and Dakkar stiffened, suppressing a gasp.
    Oginski stood glaring at him, hands on hips, his face a mask of anger.

Chapter Four
    Nightmares
    Dakkar hunched his shoulders and looked at his feet as he stepped out of the Makara . ‘I’m sorry, Oginski. I didn’t mean to –’
    ‘I turn my back for a few hours and you go sneaking into my workshop?’ Oginski said, his voice trembling with rage.
    ‘The cellar door was open. I saw the plans of the Makara and –’ Dakkar began.
    ‘The what?’ Oginski cut in, his eyes cold and narrow.
    ‘The Makara ,’ Dakkar mumbled, his cheeks flushed. ‘That’s what I call her. She’s incredible –’
    ‘What’s incredible is that you didn’t drown yourself!’ Oginski spat. ‘It was a foolish and idiotic thing to do!’
    Oginski marched Dakkar up the steps. It was all Dakkar could do to keep from slipping again. Tears stung his eyes. He felt once more like the ten-year-old who arrived at the castle.
    ‘You are to forget everything you saw today,’ Oginski snapped, pushing Dakkar into his bedroom. ‘The . . . the Makara , as you call her, is a prototype, and a pretty poor one at that. I’ll be scrapping her tomorrow.’
    ‘But, Oginski –’
    ‘As for you ,’ Oginski interrupted again. ‘You can stay here without supper and think about how you can persuade me to trust you ever again!’
    The