The Chronological Man: The Monster in the Mist by Mayne Andrew

Author:Mayne, Andrew [Mayne, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2011-06-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“They said it was an oceanographic mission. Like the kind that the university does,” said the man named Broderick. The light from the green vial cast sinister shadows on his face. He shot a glance over his shoulder. “Only this wasn’t a scientific mission. When Mr. Reece stepped foot on the ship, we knew he was up to no good.”

“Mr. Reece? I don’t believe I know him,” said Smith.

“Tall fellow, blond hair. Looks like he might be Norwegian or Dutch. He works for a doctor in town. He was the one that charted the expedition. We were to sail far north of the usual fishery and find a sperm whale. Not as much call for them nowadays. But it wasn’t for the whale. They wanted to use it to catch something else.

“Two weeks in we found a young sperm bull. Maybe forty feet. Took us two days to harpoon it, kill it and get it behind the boat. That’s when Mr. Reece tells our captain to head dead north. Close to the Arctic as we can. Way out of range from the sperms that time of year.

“Dragging that whale, we head full speed north. Sharks, some whites when it got too cold for the bulls, would come along and pick at it. We’d take turns in the crow’s nest shooting at them with the rifle.

“You’d see a fin poke out of the water and a white get close as it saddled up to the sperm to have a nibble. Pop, we’d go with the rifle. Shot one square in the eye and watched it hang loose like a black grape. It thrashed its tail and swam off like an angry pirate.

“It was fun sport until it got real cold. Fewer whites came along to pick at it. The sperm was still mostly there. Its fins had been chewed when we couldn’t snipe at night.

“We’d ask Mr. Reece what all the bother was about. Not much sport after a while in shooting at whites. He said that wasn’t the point. He and his society, as he called it, were interested in what would come after the whites, when we got real far north.

“He had us sail in a wide circle for a week. Chumming the whole ocean with the body of the sperm. It seemed like nonsense to us, but it was easier work then actual whaling if you didn’t mind the cold.

“On the eighth night of going in circles, it comes. We sees what Mr. Reece has sent us out for. I was below deck when I heard Jameson call out. I run up there and see what he’s looking at in the moonlight.

“It had two glowing eyes like your little bottle there. Only these are orange. Orange like a flame. Its beak was nibbling on the sperm. Taking big chunks. Mr. Reece comes to the deck and orders us to harpoon it with the powered gun. He says that’s what we’re after.”

“Architeuthis teuthoidea,” said Smith. “A giant squid.”

Broderick shook his head.

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