Free Sea Monsters and Other Delicacies by David Sinden Page B

golden sea serpent with a bulge in its belly where it had swallowed an anchor, a yellow-finned sea monkey, a clump of carnivorous seaweed and a flaming squid that was glowing underwater, burning red with fire.
    They headed to the sea gates. As the submersible approached, the automatic gates opened to let it through.
    They sped out into the ocean, and Ulf looked through the viewing sphere. Sunlight was filtering through the water, sparkling on shoals of silvery fish.
    He was in the wild. Ahead stretched mile after mile of deep blue sea.
    Ulf checked the navigation system. The orange dot marking the sea monster’s position was moving steadily to the west.
    â€œHold on tight, Tiana,” he said. Ulf set the thrusters to turbo drive and the submersible surged forward.
    Tiana hovered at the viewing sphere, pressing her hands to the glass. The submersible was speeding above the seabed.
    Ulf looked down. Rocks and sand blurred beneath them. They overtook a shark, its teeth flashing as it turned.
    Ahead, columns of seaweed as tall as trees rose from the ocean floor. Green and purple leaves hung in the water like ribbons. It was an underwater kelp forest.
    The submersible powered forward and long swishing kelp leaves slapped against the viewing sphere. The forest stretched as far as Ulf could see and, all around, seals were playing in the weed. The thrusters groaned as ribbons of seaweed tangled in the propellers. Ulf reduced the power and steered carefully, weaving the submersible in and out between the swaying green columns.
    Gradually, the sea ahead became clearer as they pushed through the other side of the kelp forest, back into open water. The seabed was sandy.
    Ulf checked the navigation system. The sea monster’s beacon was still heading west.
    â€œWhere’s the Baron taking it?” Tiana asked.
    Ulf shrugged.
    He looked through the viewing sphere as they passed a turtle burrowing for urchins. It was digging with its flippers, throwing up a cloud of sand.
    â€œLook, Ulf,” Tiana said, pointing ahead. In front of them on the seabed was an old ship, half buried in the sand. On the ship’s mast was a tattered black flag with a skull and crossbones. “It’s a pirate ship,” she said.
    As they passed above it, Ulf looked down. The ship was covered in barnacles, and seaweed was hanging from its rigging, swishing in the current. He saw a rusty old cannon pointing from its side, then a huge eel wriggling from a porthole.
    The submersible sped on, keeping a steady course. For over an hour, they tracked the sea monster further out to sea, passing mile after mile of sandy seabed.
    In time they came to the edge of a coral reef. Itstretched on for miles. As the submersible powered above it, Ulf stared at the corals and the rocks. They were all different colors: turquoise, emerald, scarlet and amber. He could see fish darting in and out of crevices and cracks. He saw starfish, jellyfish and sea anenomes.
    â€œIt’s pretty here,” Tiana said. She was hovering at the viewing sphere, her tiny hands pressed to the glass.
    Ulf checked the navigation system. Dotted around the orange light of the sea monster, he could see other lights of different colors.
    â€œLook at this, Tiana,” he said. “Beast beacons. There are beasts here.”
    Tiana flew over to the screen. “Where are we?” she asked.
    They looked out through the viewing sphere and saw a silvery tail swimming up ahead. As they motored toward it, a beast turned in the water. It had the upper body and head of a woman with long silvery hair.
    â€œIt’s a mermaid!” Tiana said, fluttering her wings. The mermaid swam deep down, hiding behind a bank of coral. Ulf looked to the side and saw water nymphs sparkling in the water. They were fluttering their tiny fins, swimming in circles and chasing each other.
    â€œThey’re just like fairies!” Tiana said.
    Ulf glanced at the navigation screen. The sea