The thing was whale size and had a head like a cat but with scales instead of fur. From time to time, it rose out of the water and stared at them with an inscrutable smile that was mind blowing. Liala guessed it was working out a way to knock them off the deck and eat them one by one.
They didn't shoot it because it was too close. Crispin said it might thrash around and sink the boat. Bryn agreed. He estimated it to be twice as long and ten times as massive as the research vessel. It was armed with vicious teeth and claws. The orcas kept well away when it was around.
It left at sunrise. Crispin and Bryn consulted the instruments on board the boat and could see no sign of it. And there was no sign of the orcas either. None of the screens showed anything larger than a big salmon.
Bryn said they should leave at once. Liala agreed but the dolphins weren't so keen. They shrank back when the hoist was lowered to return them to the water. They were badly stressed and it took a long time to coax them into line behind Oona, their new team leader. At last they succeeded.
One by one they went over the side. Liala consulted her dolphin tablet to see what messages they were sending. At first, they were not promising. The young dolphins were emptying their minds of bad thoughts. Orcas and monsters filled the screen.
Then Bryn joined them in the water and everything changed. The monster and the orcas were replaced by images of Bryn in his dolphin suit. He had his ray gun and the dolphins knew what he could do with it. During the night, they had seen him dispatch an orca and frighten the rest away.
She jumped into the water beside Bryn, checked her air supply and gave the signal to move off. Navigation was no problem. The dolphins knew where to go. They were in continuous communication with Allain's dolphins. All she and Bryn had to do was keep up with them.
That wasn't easy. They'd spent most of the night, patrolling the deck and keeping watch. Both were tired. She stayed close to Oona. If the orcas reappeared Oona would surface and she would jump onto her back. That way they could attack the orcas from above and below the water.
The monster remained the big worry. The huge creature made everything ten times harder. If it showed itself on the surface they could take it out with their ray guns. Below it was different. The rays vaporised the water and lost power. Orcas were safe unless they came close. Something as big as the monster would have to come very close before it was in danger.