Free Song of the Deep by Brian Hastings Page B

Another beam is shining on me from behind. I turn around just in
time to see the other sentinel closing in, its torpedo tubes aimed straight at
me. I see the puff of bubbles out of the corner of my eye as I dive down. The
torpedo misses me and slams into the other sentinel. A blast of water knocks me
against the rock wall above the cave as a shower of shining golden fragments
pours down all around me. Something heavy hits me in the back, taking my breath
away.
    Still shaken by the blast, I try to swim toward the second
sentinel. If I can just reach its rudder . . .
    But it’s too late. The sentinel backs up and lowers its torpedo
tubes straight at me. There’s nowhere to hide. I close my eyes, bracing for the
blast.
    I wince as I hear a loud crunch of metal. When I open my eyes, I
see Swish has bitten into the side of the sentinel and is shaking it back and
forth in his mouth. Splinters of gold fly in all directions as Swish tears
through it as if it were made out of paper.
    Swish swims back toward me as the last metal scraps of the deadly
sentinel drift harmlessly down to the seafloor. I wrap my arms around his neck
in a hug. He licks my face with his giant scratchy tongue.
    I’ve made up my mind now. I have to try to make it to the
Forbidden City to stop the sentinels. I can only hope my father made it there
safely as well, and we’ll be reunited there.
    Back in the cave, Cara has her body curled around the eggs, trying
to protect them. The seahorse is floating at the entrance, standing guard. He
must have known that he would have been torn to shreds by the sentinel, but he
stayed there anyway.
    “You’re very brave,” I tell him. He lowers his head a little bit.
“I can see why Cara cares so deeply for you.” It may have been my imagination,
but for a moment I thought the light inside him glowed a little bit brighter.
    I swim to a thick patch of kelp and cut the longest strands I can,
hanging them over the cave entrance to camouflage it. Then I search through the
coral and bring back twelve more scallops, laying them down at the floor of the
cave. Through the kelp, I call softly to Cara.
    “I’m going to try to reach the Forbidden City now.”
    “No! I can’t let you . . .” Cara’s voice sounds weak and frail.
    “If you lead me to the entrance of the impassable lands, I may die
along the way. But if you don’t, I will definitely die in search of it,” I say.
She is quiet. Her face looks grave, but I can see some of the color has come
back. I think she’s going to be okay. She lifts her head and turns toward the
seahorse. Without words, she has said something to him. He swims through
curtains of kelp, and points his nose toward the south. He’s going to lead me.
Cara’s voice is so soft now I can barely hear her.
    “You’re going to find him, Merryn. I can see it.”
    I feel a lump in my throat as I wave good-bye to her through the
kelp.
    Swimming back to my sub, I climb through the hatch and turn toward
the south. The seahorse leads us out of the Seagarden and over the rolling
sandy dunes of the seabed. He stops above a wide rocky fissure in the ground.
The fissure leads down into absolute darkness.
    “Thank you,” I say to the seahorse. “I know Cara will be safe with
you at her side.” He bows his head to me and swims back the way we came.
    I turn to Swish. He waves his tail back and forth excitedly, ready
for more adventure.
    “I’m sorry, Swish,” I say. “I have to do this part alone.” He
follows alongside me as I sail toward the fissure. I turn back and force myself
to use a harsher tone. “Stay! Stay here, Swish. It’s too dangerous in there.”
He makes a whimpering sound and looks at me with big doleful eyes. “No,” I tell
him firmly. He whimpers again.
    I’m trying to make my voice strong and commanding, but it’s taking
everything I have to keep from crying. Swish has been my source of comfort and
companionship down here, and it pains me to have to say good-bye. I know