Chapter 19

GRAY LEFT SLAGGERNACKS AS THE SUN ROSE and shined into the

Big Blue. He hadn't meant to be out so late, but patrol was boring with no

sign of anything anywhere, and Thrash convinced him to stay. He and the

tiger ended up having a great time, but now Gray was exhausted, having

gotten no sleep. He and Thrash had spent countless hours flank to flank in

the last few weeks. He could tell at first that the tiger wasn't too fond of

him, and the feeling was mutual. He had attacked Gray when they'd first

met, after all. But keeping up a dislike for one another was a miserable way

to spend time. So, grudgingly, they began to talk and Gray grew used to

most of Thrash's quirks and now thought the shark was all right. The tiger

was kind of a braggart, and there was always some commotion when he

was around, but Gray wasn't perfect, either.

"Ocean Spray really brought it tonight, eh?" Thrash said as he nudged

Gray. Ocean Spray was a musical group consisting of a baby whale singer,

two bottlenose dolphins backing him up, and an entire dance troupe of

singing sea horses. They were pretty impressive. "That whale pup would

make good eating, huh?"

"Isn't there a treaty with the whales to not do that?" Gray asked. The

idea of feeding on the sweet-faced, adorable calf horrified Gray.

"Right, the treaty. How could I forget? I love the treaty!" Thrash said

loudly as a group of dolphins passed. Then he lowered his voice to a

whisper. "But if you're on deep patrol and find a lost pup? Well, the Big

Blue can be a dangerous place."

Gray was okay with Thrash most of the time, but this was getting to be

one of those times he wasn't. He yawned exaggeratedly. "I'm beat. Heading

home now."

"Come on," Thrash prodded, "we aren't patrolling today. Let's get a

bite."

Gray was hungry. And he didn't like sleeping with an empty stomach,

which rumbled just thinking about food, in fact. Since Barkley and the rest

of Rogue left Goblin Shiver over a month ago, he had grown longer by

another foot at least, as well as gained a good deal of weight. I'm going to

be the fattest shark ever, Gray thought. As if on cue, his stomach grumbled

so loud even Thrash could hear it.

They went to an area by the North edge of the homewaters. There was a

carpet of high greenie nicknamed Hydenseek. You could always find a

snack at Hydenseek if you nosed around a little. Today it didn't take long at

all, and soon they were both satisfied.

"That was another good idea," Gray told the tiger as he playfully

bumped flanks with him. "You're just full of them today."

Thrash swished a fin, signaling for quiet. "Look there," he whispered.

They watched as a turtle led her young toward the greenie field.

"Hey, turtles aren't dumb fish. We can't eat them!" Gray said.

Thrash stared at him and snorted. "Says who?"

"You know. Everyone," Gray replied. "And we just ate, remember?"

"Things that talk get eaten all the time in the Big Blue, you know."

Thrash took a couple of lazy tail strokes in the reptiles' direction. "Let's

scare them."

Gray was uncomfortable. He liked turtles. The ones at the reef had

always been polite and even nice to him. "I'm really tired, Thrash."

"Do what you want," said the tiger as he swam toward the turtles. "I'm

going to have me some fun!"

Gray didn't want to leave Thrash alone with the turtles, although he

didn't know what he'd do if the tiger wanted to do more than scare them.

He reluctantly followed. The female turtle—the mother, as the hatchlings

were undoubtedly hers—had no chance of escaping. She motioned for her

young to head into the greenie. Gray could hear her voice pitch into a

squeak, crying, "Swim and hide! Swim and hide, children!" But the

hatchlings were so scared, they just crowded closer to their mother.

Thrash glided after her slowly, but still much faster than the turtle could

manage, and said things like, "I'm in the mood for turtle pups!" and "Here

comes a big, bad shaaark!" He lazily slid with the current so he was now

facing the turtles and blocking them from the safety of the greenie. He

gnashed his teeth together. "Just swim inside! You won't feel a thing!"

Thrash laughed; a deep, mocking rumble.

The mother turtle panicked and began screaming, "Heeeelllp! Someone

help me!" She was surprisingly loud for such a small dweller. This scared

the hatchlings so much that they froze and echoed the mother, screaming

the same thing, "Heeeelllp! Someone help me!" in their own tiny voices.

The tiger laughed at the turtle family's distress. He looked over at Gray.

"You just going to hover there like a bump on a reef? Get in here and have

some fun!"

"I, umm, you seem to have it, umm, covered."

Thrash shook his head. "You're soft! I always knew you weren't as

tough as you acted!"

"I am too! I am!" Gray protested.

The tiger laughed, this time at Gray. "Well, I don't see you doing

anything to show it."

"Please let us go!" shrieked the mother turtle as her scared hatchlings

hovered behind her tail.

The wailing of the turtles, the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his

stomach, the lack of sleep, and above it all, Thrash's laughing, pressed

against Gray, somehow inside his head. He needed to make it stop.

"I'll show you who's tough!" Gray streaked forward.

He blazed past Thrash and scooped every turtle hatchling into his

mouth. He would have gotten the mother too, but Thrash's bulk blocked

him just enough.

"Now that's more like it!" yelled the tiger. "How's the shellback

today?"

Gray slung himself down in the greenie. Using the sandy bottom he

skidded to a halt, ejecting the hatchlings from his mouth. Luckily, they were

so shocked at still being alive they stayed mute. "Shhh, be quiet or I'll eat

you for real!" Gray hissed to the little turtles before turning to Thrash.

"Yuck, they were awful! All shell, no meat. I'd find a fat fish if I was you."

"Suppose you're right, but I can't let you be tougher than me, hatchling eater!" Thrash laughed and then opened his mouth to bite the momma turtle

in half with his jagged teeth. She screeched in fear, a cry somehow even

higher pitched than before and so piteous it broke Gray's heart. He was

about to say something when—

"Tiger, tiger, full of spite. Tiger, tiger, not so bright."

Thrash whirled and shouted, "Who said that?" Gray also turned toward

the voice but saw nothing. Apparently Thrash knew this insult and didn't

like it one bit. "Come on out! I'll show you who's not bright!"

Now the voice came again. It spoke with an odd lilt like nothing Gray

had heard before. "But I'm right before you, silly tiger!" And it was! There,

in front of Thrash's snout, floated one of the oddest fish Gray had ever seen.

It ruffled its frilly fins and announced, "My name is Takiza and I do not suffer fools. So you, sir, would be wise to move along."