We were near the surface now, just a dozen feet from the bright barrier of sea and sky.
Just then a larger, darker shadow swept over us. A shadow that was dark inside of dark. A shadow that touched your soul. It skimmed just above the surface of the water.
It was shaped like a long battle-ax. Twin semicircular blades at the back, a long, diamond-headed point at the front.
The Blade ship of Visser Three.
Something was falling from it as it passed over us. There were a dozen splashes. I rolled over to get a better look.
What I saw made my flesh crawl.
Taxxons. In the water. Coming toward us.
Marco yelled.
But the answer was obvious. The Taxxons, ten-foot-long centipedes bristling with dozens of pairs of sharp needle legs, were racing after us. And they were very fast in the water.
Very fast.
From this angle we couldn’t see the several red-jelly eyes. But we could see the circular mouth at the top of each vile body.
I had seen Taxxons straining to catch bits of Prince Elfangor as Visser Three devoured him.
I had seen Taxxons, on orders from Visser Three, devour one of their own.
Ax said.
I grinned inwardly.
Jake said.
CHAPTER 21
There were a dozen Taxxons in the water. Five of us. Swimming in a straight line, the Taxxons were faster. But, as we soon discovered, we were more maneuverable.
Jake said tersely.
I focused on one of the big worms. But I had to force myself into the fight. This was not a shark, and the dolphin’s instinctive dislike of sharks was not there to prod me.
I had to find the will to fight in my own, human mind. It’s not such an easy thing. I had fought the Yeerks to preserve human freedom. Now I fought to help the entire world. Still, fighting doesn’t come naturally to me.
And yet, I knew what I had to do. The Yeerks would show no mercy. If the Taxxons won, we would be killed. Or worse.
I powered toward one of the Taxxons as he powered toward me. We were like two trains running on the same track. Head to head.
At the last possible second, with the gaping red mouth of the Taxxon just a foot away, I zoomed sideways, arched my back, and rammed the Taxxon’s side.
I expected it to be like the shark—hard, tough, unyielding. It was not. It was like hitting a soggy paper bag with a sledgehammer. The Taxxon burst like a dropped watermelon.
I wanted to throw up. I beat the water with my tail and recoiled from the horrible scene I had created.
All around me the battle raged. Dolphin against Taxxon. And Ax’s shark against Taxxon.
Scientists believe that sharks are one of the oldest species of animals still in existence. Nature built them as perfect predators. Perfect killing machines. Nature hasn’t had to revise or update them much. They were built right the first time.
Dolphins are very different. Scientists say that millions of years ago, dolphins were land animals. Sea mammals are not very different from humans and other mammals. They evolved their way back into the ocean. Part of that evolution included learning to cope with predators—with killer whales and sharks.
I don’t know what sea the Taxxon race evolved in. I don’t know what natural predators they faced there. But they were not ready for this ocean. They were not ready to go one-on-one with the masters of Earth’s deep seas. They were no match for dolphin or shark.
Jake ordered.
Rachel asked, trying to sound tough herself. But she seemed shaky to me.
I shot to the surface and filled my lungs with warm evening air. The sun was dropping toward the horizon. Two ships were close by and steaming in our direction.
But far worse was the Blade ship, which hovered now just a hundred yards up in the air.
Marco said.
Jake said.
Ax asked.
Ax said.
Marco said.
I tried to think. Math was never my best subject. And it’s hard to be mathematical when you’ve just come from a battle and are scared half to death.
BAH-LUMPH!
I heard a huge concussion behind me. Like someone had dropped a big truck in the water.
Marco wondered.
I said.
WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMP.
Rachel asked.
I rose to the surface to breathe and look around. The two surface ships were still closing in, but they were not very fast, and they were not gaining on us. The Blade ship had disappeared. I scanned the sky in all directions, but I couldn’t see it.
I asked.
Jake said.
WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMP.
I said.
Suddenly I remembered that I was not limited to the usual human senses. I fired off a rapid series of echolocating clicks.
The picture that came back was startling.
Jake, Marco, and Rachel all echolocated.
Rachel said.
Marco agreed.
WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMP.
I rose to breathe again and looked back. At just that moment I saw, far behind me, a huge, dark red, almost purple hump above the water. It seemed to be covered with hundreds of small fish tails, all beating frantically.
I went under. I described it to him, at least what I had seen of it.