فصل 66

CHAPTER 66

“HE SEEMS TO WANT MORE”

NEREZZA GLARED AT SHINING PEARL. “This is another one of the chief’s daughters?” he said.

“Yes,” said O’Neal. “She freed the other children; they escaped. That means the Mollusks will be up here soon.”

“Then we will leave now. We’re almost ready.” Nerezza nodded toward the pool. His men were hauling ropes, carefully raising the chest from the bottom. It had been filled with starstuff and locked shut. The divers were stripping off their golden suits.

“We can’t leave now,” said O’Neal.

“Why not?”

“Follow me.”

O’Neal grabbed a torch and led Nerezza toward the mouth of the cave. When they were ten feet from it, he stopped.

“Look there,” he said, pointing.

“What?” said Nerezza, peering into the darkness outside the cave.

O’Neal took two more steps toward the mouth. From the darkness came a deep growl.

Then Nerezza saw the huge glowing yellow eyes, the massive snout.

“What is that?” he said.

“A crocodile,” said O’Neal. “A very big crocodile. The natives call him Mister Grin.”

“Where’s the guard I posted?” said Nerezza.

“Inside Mister Grin,” said O’Neal. “He seems to want more.”

Nerezza stared at the monster, pondering his options. He had no firearms; he hadn’t expected to need them. He could order one of his men to make a run for it in an attempt to lure Mister Grin away. But he doubted that any man would be fool enough to follow such an order.

“We’ll have to wait, then,” he said. “It has to go away eventually.”

“By then the Mollusks will be here,” said O’Neal. “If they’re not here already.”

Nerezza pondered that, then said, “I assume the chief is fond of his daughter?”

“Yes.”

“In that case,” said Nerezza, “she may be useful.”