Rip Tide by Falls Kat

Author:Falls, Kat [Falls, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780545389365
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2012-02-01T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

Gemma and I watched from the shadows as Captain Revas paused at the top of the stairs and took a key from her pocket. “We’re leaving, and our sub can’t accommodate a prisoner. If Shade escapes before I return,” she said as Fife joined her on the deck, “I will hold you responsible.” She thrust the key into the mayor’s hand.

“Whatever you say, Captain.” Fife’s smile barely concealed his irritation. “How’s the hunt going for the other two townships?”

I saw Revas’s expression tighten, and then without a word, she left him. As soon as she strode past, I slipped out of the shadows.

“I still don’t see how this is my job,” Fife groused, pocketing the key. “I didn’t arrest Shade,” he called to Revas’s retreating back. “I didn’t even want him arrested!” When that got no reaction, Fife gave me a what-are-you-going-to-do shrug.

Joining us, Gemma frowned at him. “The captain didn’t appreciate your township comment.”

“Just amusing myself at her expense.”

“It’s not funny, though.”

Fife looked at Gemma with surprise. “You think I don’t care about those surfs? I’m the only one who noticed that they were missing. I’m the one who—Ratter, no!” he shouted, waving frantically past us.

We turned just as Ratter tipped a man over the side of the wall and sent him screaming into the ocean. There was a distant splash, but no one else on the sundeck seemed to hear it above the music.

In answer to Fife’s astounded glare, Ratter shrugged. “You told me to take care of the troublemakers.” Snatching a life preserver off the wall, he flung it into the waves without looking. “He’ll make it, boss. He wasn’t that drunk.”

As Ratter shoved off, Gemma and I hurried over to the wall and saw the man below, gripping the life preserver, kicking his way to shore. Instead of taking a look for himself, Fife watched us slump with relief and relaxed. “Sit,” he said, waving us toward the café tables. “And I’ll tell you about the missing townships if you’re interested.”

The fact that he didn’t fire Ratter or even yell at him irked me. But I did want to know about the townships, so I followed Fife through the crowd. Matching my stride, Gemma seemed to have let curiosity muffle her annoyance, too.

As we settled at a table, I noticed that the people around us all had glowing blue lips and teeth. Another weird Topside fashion? I wondered. Then I spotted the center table piled high with clams—piddocks, to be exact. The kind that squirted phosphorescent slime. At the surrounding tables, people were happily cracking open the piddocks, slurping them down, and roaring with laughter as luminous goo dripped from their chins.

Oblivious to the partygoers’ antics, Fife launched into his explanation. “Rain or shine, on the first of the month, the townships show up at Rip Tide to collect their rations. When Fiddleback didn’t show up one month, I told the Seaguard that something tragic must have happened. These townships need the supplies too much to skip a month.

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