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A chorus of ‘aye, ayes’ catayle leaned over to watch the depthout the depth anyway

‘She’s levelling off,’ reported the helo?’ asked Arthur

‘Deeper than this,’ said Longtayle ‘The danger is that a very sht take us down too far We counted on her just cruising along the surface like she nor to eat,’ said Arthur ‘But we’re okay for now, aren’t we?’

‘We have to get out of this hole in the plate,’ said Longtayle ‘Once we have freedom to move within her, we’ll be fine But we’re too deep to send divers out now, to chop away the obstruction Perhaps, Doctor Scaht have some sorcerous solution?’

Sca springs to e is for wind and wave, on top of the sea, not underneath it’

‘We’ll try to shake ourselves out then --’ ‘She’s diving again, Captain’

‘Depth?’

‘Seventy-two fathohty-seven fathoms Ninety fathoms Ninety-five fathoms’

The helmrat’s impassive voice was suddenly drowned by a horrible,an enormous bell It was so loud it completely drowned out all other noise Then it slowly eased into a host of different booms and squeals, none of theo deeper,’ said Longtayle He sounded confident, but Arthur saw that the Rat’s tail had gone completely white

‘One hundred fathoe,’ ordered Longtayle suddenly into the voice-pipe ‘Test depth reached DW still diving’

‘Aye, aye,’ came the disembodied response

‘Doctor Scamandros!’ Arthur turned to the sorcerer ‘What about co you can do toto, I don’t knowcast a light in the sky so she’ll look up at it?’

Sca his forehead with his yellow silk handkerchief He put this away and started hunting through the numerous inside pockets of his coat In fact, he seemed to have more pockets than it was possible to have inside a coat

‘No, no, that won’t dowon’t work from down herenever quite mastered that oneperhaps, no, used that uphave to be able to see the target’

‘How about you bung an illusion of a big hunk of roast beef on top,’ suggested Suzy ‘I reckon she’d go for that’

‘I can et it outside!’

‘One hundred and six fathoms,’ reported the helmsrat He turned to look at the Captain and said, without a tremor in his voice, ‘Estimated crush depth is one hundred and ten fathoms’

Arthur didn’t need to ask what the crush depth was It was obvious fro from all around them He ju up froht fathoms’

‘Can Drowned Wednesday hear underwater?’ asked Suzy

‘Crush depth exceeded,’ reported the hel deeper’

As if in answer to his voice, all the lights suddenly went out Arthur stared into the darkness, expecting any moment to hear the hull completely bucklefollowed immediately by the cold shock of tons of water and almost instantaneous death At least it would be quick

Everyone else see They were totally silent for about ten seconds, then Longtayle spoke

‘Switch to circuit B!’

The hel, Arthur heard a switch click and the Rat swear under his breath Then there was a gliradually brightening to cast a strange red glow over the subers held their breath Surely they couldn’t still be going down, or they would already be crushed

‘One hundredone hundred and thirteen fathoms! And steady!’

‘What did you say, Suzy?’ asked Arthur

‘I said, "Can Drowned Wednesday hear underwater?"’

‘I bet she can,’ said Arthur quickly ‘Whales have sonar! They sing to one another! If we can h-pitched loud noise, then she’llshe’ll know there’s so to help, is it?’

‘Why not?’ asked Suzy

‘Well, shethe annoying noise’

‘One hundred and fourteen fathoain!’

‘It’s not going to s worse, is it?’

‘Do whatever you can,’ ordered Longtayle ‘The crush depth is an estimate, but --’ His voice was cut off as several jets of water burst out of the walls at the saroan from the hull

‘Doctor!’ yelled Arthur ‘Can you h-pitched squeal?’

Sca stick He nodded as he reached inside the head and made some adjustments

‘Block your ears!’