Tentacles by Roland Smith

Author:Roland Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2013-10-15T21:00:00+00:00

* * *

“You’re not claustrophobic, are you?” Ted asked Marty as they walked through the air lock to the Moon Pool. He had changed back into Theo Sonborn in case anyone saw him on their way down.

“No,” Marty said.

“I didn’t think so.” Ted locked the doors behind them and started stripping out of his Theo disguise. “Your first week on Cryptos, I watched you explore the volcano on the east side of the island. You went through some pretty tight places.”

“I didn’t get very far,” Marty said.

“When we get back I’ll take you on a little tour. There’s more to that volcano than meets the eye.”

“It must be a pain in the butt getting in and out of that disguise,” Marty said.

“It is, but as you can see I’ve had a lot of practice and it doesn’t take long.”

“It must be hot.”

Ted nodded. “But that just adds to the sweaty, nervous demeanor of Theo Sonborn. It’s not so bad on Cryptos because I spend most of my time inside the QAQ working. Aboard the Coelacanth, I’m in and out of this thing a half dozen times a day.”

“How do you get out of the QAQ building without being seen? The entrance is always guarded.”

Ted laughed. “I watched you circling the building trying to find a way inside. And I have to say that you let me down on that one. There’s a secret tunnel leading from my private lab to the outside. When I’m in the lab there are strict orders that I am not to be disturbed under any circumstances. I’ve been known to stay holed up in the lab for weeks at a time. No one can be sure if I’m in the lab or not. Sometimes I’m not.”

“Where is this tunnel?” Marty asked.

“Nice try,” Ted said. “You were close a couple of times. You’ll figure it out.”

Marty was certainly going to try when they got back to Cryptos. “Why did you ask if I was claustrophobic?”

“I haven’t been watching you solely for my own amusement. There is a method to my madness.”

Ted went over to a keypad on the wall and punched in a code. A hidden door slid open on the far side of the pool, revealing what looked like an elaborate control room. He hit another button, and bubbles started coming up from the bottom of the Moon Pool. The dolphins started chattering. A moment later something started to rise from the bottom. It was glowing.

“What is that?” Marty asked.

“That is the Orb.”

It broke the surface and bobbed in the center of the pool, still glowing. For a moment Marty was speechless as he stared at the giant golden ball. It was the size of a small car, and a humming noise came from within it.

“I’ll bring it over for a closer look,” Ted said. He took out his Gizmo and used it to maneuver the ball toward the edge of the pool.

“Where did it come from?” Marty asked. The water in the pool was crystal clear and something that big and bright couldn’t be missed.

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