The Deep-Sea Duke by Lauren James

Author:Lauren James
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800900318
Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

CHAPTER 7

“What is that thing?” Dorian asked, his gills fluttering as he got his breath back after the fight.

Hugo kept hold of the otter trapped inside the silk bag. It had given up wriggling and gone still, curled up at the bottom of the bag. The otter was making a deep purring noise that Hugo thought was supposed to sound scary but in fact sounded sweet. Its fluffy tail filled almost the entire bag.

Hugo suddenly realised why the otter had looked so familiar. The pet creature that one of the butterflies had been holding had a tail just like that.

“I think it came here with the butterflies!” Hugo said.

“You think so, Hugo?” Dorian asked.

Hugo nodded. “I saw it at the villa earlier, with the butterflies. Do you think they smuggled a pet here with them when they left their planet?”

The Queen frowned and said, “How dreadfully impolite.”

“I’m sure they didn’t mean to put your children in danger, Your Highness,” Ada said.

Dorian said, “The otter must have snuck into the water somehow and has been causing trouble ever since. Mother, we’ll take it back up to the surface and tell Father what’s been going on down here.”

The Queen cupped his face. “You are a good boy,” she told her son.

Queen Victoria turned to Hugo, who was focusing all his attention on keeping hold of the bag. The otter was wriggling frantically inside it again. “It was very lovely to meet you, Hugo,” the Queen said.

“You too!” Hugo replied, even though his time in the palace had mainly been stressful and tiring so far.

The Queen added, “I had been worried that Dorian was getting lonely at school, as he didn’t seem to have many friends. But you’re both wonderful. Ada, I must say I admire your figure very much. Is that some coral?”

Queen Victoria pointed to Ada’s back. When they’d arrived in the palace, Ada had grown a small coral reef along the ridge of her shoulders. It curled around her neck like jewellery, glowing in bright pastel pinks. Ada beamed and said, “I was inspired by your decor, Your Highness.”

“What an honour,” the Queen said. “And, Hugo, I’ve heard so much about you from Dorian’s letters that I feel like I know you already.”

Dorian pulled a face, looking embarrassed. Hugo couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t known that Dorian had told his mother about him too, as well as the King. Perhaps Hugo wasn’t such an embarrassment after all.

“I simply must learn more about your watches, Hugo,” the Queen went on, “once everything’s settled down. I’ve heard such magical things. But for now …” She looked down at her eggs and sighed. “I have to get the little ones to safety.”

Dorian gave a deep bow, followed quickly by Hugo’s own awkward attempt. With Ada, they left to swim back up to the surface. Once they started moving, the otter began wriggling even more violently. It took all of Dorian and Hugo’s combined efforts to keep it inside the bag.

Hugo released his clockwork moths again, to light up the water as they swam.

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