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By the time we reached the lifeboat, it had already begun to rain. Raindrops were coming in through the open manhole, pattering on my head as I untied the boat from the ladder. The maroon sky was alive with flashing lights, and I could hear the rumble of thunder, even below ground.
Dogan was standing at the center of the storm drain, looking at the water trickling by. “I thought you were taking us to a river or something. How are we supposed to float anywhere on this?”
Luma looked at him in disbelief. “Dogan, you big dummy, this is a storm drain! All we have to do is wait!”
Bim appeared by my side. “We don’t have long, Teo. You’d better hurry.”
Moto and I carried the lifeboat to the middle of the storm drain and set it down in two inches of water. I couldn’t blame Dogan for being skeptical.
Moto jumped onto the front seat, at the bow. I took the middle seat, facing backwards. Luma, Bim and Dogan lined up on the rear seat. We had just gotten settled when the first wave came. It wasn’t powerful enough to move the boat, but it brought with it dead baby alligators, or what was left of them. Luma looked at the carcasses tumbling past and said, “Eeeew…”
The second wave made the boat lurch forward. The third wave came as I was getting the oars into place, and lifted us off the ground. For better or worse, we were on our way.
The water rose steadily after that, and soon it was rushing us westward at approximately 20 mph. There was nothing to do with the oars but steer, so I turned around and faced forward. We had about 4 miles to go before the storm drain would angle downward and join up with Wingohocking Creek. If the water kept rising at the same rate, we were headed for trouble.
I didn’t want to alarm Luma and Dogan, so I didn’t say anything. Bim, of course, was way ahead of me. The water was roaring now, so he tapped my shoulder and spoke directly into my ear.
“You should turn around and row.”
I immediately did as he said.
Luma looked at me in surprise. “What’s the big rush?”
I didn’t reply.
By the time we reached the down ramp, our situation was becoming obvious. The lifeboat was so close to the roof that we all instinctively ducked our heads as we plunged downhill. When the tunnel leveled off, the situation seemed to improve, but I knew the creek was up ahead.
We were nearing the spot where Moto and I had battled the mother alligator. Looking over my shoulder, I could see an archway approaching. As far as I knew, this was the last one. Once the storm drain joined the creek, it became a single, gigantic pipe. I had no idea how far it ran before it reached the Delaware River.
I shouted, “Everybody get down on the floor!”
Jamming one oar deep into the water, I turned the boat sideways. This slowed us down, but we were still going close to 10 mph when we slammed into the arch, halting the boat and jolting everyone aboard.
Dogan shouted, “What the hell’s the matter with you?”
I could tell by Luma’s face that she understood our situation. We were so close to the ceiling now that the bow and stern had caught on either side of the arch.
I shouted, “We’re in trouble! If we keep going, the water will be over our heads!”
Luma shouted back. “If we stay here, we’ll drown for sure!”
Bim was speaking, his lips barely moving.
Dogan cried, “Row back the other way!”
I’d already considered this. “We’d never make it up the down ramp!”
Bim was gesturing now, turning his cupped hand upside down, then right side up, over and over.
Dogan turned to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Bim was saying something but even I couldn’t hear him over the roaring water.
Dogan grabbed him by the shirt collar. “Talk, you little creep! Just yell it out!”
Luma slapped Dogan’s face and he let go of Bim in surprise, lifting his hand to his cheek.
She shouted, “I know what he’s saying! He’s saying flip the boat over!”
That was indeed what Bim was trying to say, and it was our only hope.
I shipped the oars and joined Moto up front, shouting to Luma, Bim and Dogan. “Lie down on your backs and scoot under the middle seat, point your heads toward the bow!”
Dogan started to take off his backpack. I shouted, “Leave your backpack on! You, too, Luma!”
When they were lying in place, I explained the plan. “Moto and I are going to flip the boat over! Once it’s upside down, you’ll be right side up, and there will be plenty of air trapped underneath! Just hang onto the seat. Put as much weight on it as possible! Moto and I will be underwater, towing the boat! Understand?”
They all nodded.
I ordered Moto to grab the line at the stern. She hopped across the seats, unfolded her hands, and picked it up, lashing it around her arm. I did the same with the line at the bow. Then I placed my hands and feet on opposite rails and began to rock the lifeboat. It took time to build up momentum, but when I finally got to the halfway point, the lower rail dipped into the rushing water and suddenly the boat was upside down.
There are no lakes or ponds in Dome Nine, and I’ve never been allowed to swim in the public swimming pool. Had I been, I would’ve promptly sunk to the bottom and stayed there. In the present situation, though, my lack of buoyancy was an advantage.
I got my footing on the floor of the storm drain, leaning into the current. It was so dark underwater that the world burst into rainbow colors. Looking up at the lifeboat, I was relieved to see Luma, Bim and Dogan hanging onto the middle seat. Their legs were kicking away in the water, glowing bright red and orange. Moto was on the storm drain floor along with me, just to the east. She was crouched on all fours, ducking the current, glowing green against a background of indigo and violet.
I hauled on the line, pulling the bow toward the center of the arch. Moto, clever girl, began pulling the stern in the opposite direction. Together, we got the lifeboat straightened out and it slipped under the archway.
Once it was through, there was no need to do any towing. The current pulled the boat westward, and we only used the lines to keep the bow pointed forward.
When the storm drain joined Wingohocking Creek, the force of the current doubled. Looking up at the pipe, I could tell it was completely filled with water. I could hear the growl of the keel dragging along the top.
We used the strength of the current to our advantage and got up some speed. A minute later, the floor dropped out from under us and daylight poured in from above. The rainbow world evaporated, replaced by florescent green murk. We had popped out of the storm drain, into the Delaware River.
My feet sank into the muck of the riverbed, which made walking more difficult, but I got the hang of it and towed the lifeboat toward land, walking backwards up the slope of the riverbank.
As soon as my head broke the surface, I heard Luma’s voice, muffled by the overturned boat. She was telling off Dogan.
“Now that we’re still alive, Dogan Nath, let’s get one thing straight! Bim can’t talk, whether you like it or not! But he just saved out lives, which is more than I can say for you! So ask him yes or no questions, or have Teo translate, but keep your grubby mitts off of him! Understand?”
If Dogan answered, I didn’t hear it. By then, the water was at my ankles, and I knew their feet had touched bottom.
As I lifted the bow, preparing to let them out, the strangest sensation came over me. It was as if I hadn’t seen Luma, Bim and Dogan in a very long time. No, that wasn’t it. It was as if I were about to see them—truly see them—for the first time.
I raised the bow over my head and there they were: the Three.
Luma looked up, eyes alive with excitement. Bim looked up, too, his face radiating intelligence. Dogan didn’t seem to no
tice me. He was scowling, fists clenched, eyes brimming with tears.
It suddenly became clear to me that Luma was exactly right. The four of us were bound together as one, and each of us would be stronger for it.
Now that there was enough light to see clearly, Luma noticed the river’s odd color. “Look at this water! It’s so green!”
Dogan looked down. “Hey, what gives?”
I said, “You should prepare yourselves. Everything Outside is the wrong color. Ready?”
They nodded.
I tipped the lifeboat sideways and the Three ducked under the edge and slogged up the riverbank onto dry land. Once they were clear, I flipped the boat right side up, and Moto and I pulled it out of the water, dragging it into the waist-high grass that lined the banks.
The rain had stopped and the maroon clouds were dispersing, but the vegetation was still in bloom. The blue trees had unfurled their limbs and breadfruit was hanging from their boughs. Although the breeze was gentle, they swayed back and forth as if in a gusting wind. Further up the riverbank, great tangles of shrubbery waved their arms, which drooped under the weight of berries. Even the grass was moving, brushing against my legs as I stood in place.
The Three had found clear ground uphill, on a wide slab of rock. When Moto and I joined them, Luma and Dogan were still agog at their surroundings.
Luma said, “It’s beautiful! Really, really weird, but beautiful!”
Dogan was staring straight up. “How can the sky be orange?”
Luma glanced at Dogan. “I bet Bim could tell you.” She turned to me. “Teo, we want to hear Bim’s explanation. Will you translate for us?”
I was kneeling down, emptying out the contents of my backpack, which had accompanied me underwater. “Not right now. There will be plenty of time to talk in the boat.”
Luma might have argued the point, but she was distracted by the sight of the two shock wands on the ground. “Teo, where on earth did you get those?”
“That’s another story for the lifeboat.”
“And what is that?”
I had pulled out Miss Veiny’s box. Judging by the weight of it, it was now filled with water. The sodden masking tape had lost its grip, exposing the ebony beneath.
I tipped it sideways and water poured out. “That’s an even longer story.”
Luma pressed on. “But where did you get it?”
I was about put her off again when I heard a feminine voice say, “Your diaper needs changing. Please come with me.”
Luma heard it, too, and looked around. “What’s a Menial doing way out here?”
I stood up. The NanniTron was wading through the grass in our direction.
Moto let out a growl.
She was facing the river, so I said, “No, Moto, over there.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the LobeBot, looking doubtful.
“Your diaper needs changing. Please come with me.”
I said, “What are you waiting for? Go get it.”
Moto obediently turned and raced toward the NanniTron, disappearing into the grass. A moment later, it crumpled to the ground.
At the same instant, I heard a piercing whistle and turned to see Bim gesturing toward the river, two fingers in his mouth.
The alligator came up from the grass and onto the stone slab, charging at Luma. She jumped back in alarm, caught her heel, and went over backwards. I scooped her up before she hit the ground and whisked her out of range, so quickly she didn't have time to protest.
By the time I got back, Dogan had clamped his arms around the alligator’s snout, holding its jaws shut. It wasn’t as large as the alligator I’d wrestled, but that didn’t take away from Dogan’s bravery.
As it thrashed its head, trying to throw him off, Dogan shouted, “Teo, help me! Flip it over! Flip it over!”
It wasn’t that the alligator was too heavy. I just couldn’t get a grip on its belly, which was slick with green slime. I grabbed its hind leg and lifted it overhead. All this did was extend it toward the sky. I straddled the tail and twisted it. This was more effective, but I was going to need help.
Dogan was still hanging on, being whipped side-to-side. He shouted, “Hurry up!”
I looked for Moto and found her headed for the alligator, closing fast from the opposite side. To my dismay, she was holding a shock wand in her hand, the indicator light flashing.
I shouted, “Moto, no!” but it was too late.
Moto jabbed the shock wand against the alligator’s neck. Nothing happened.
Dogan shouted, “Come on!” and then Luma was crouched nearby, working her shoulder under the alligator’s front leg and heaving it upward. I twisted the tail in earnest.
The alligator flipped onto its back. It thrashed around for a moment, then went limp. Luma and Dogan flopped onto the ground alongside it, breathing hard. Their eyes met and they burst into laughter, giddy with relief. Something else passed between them, as well.
I said, “Everybody back in the boat.”