10 The Big Dunk

Chapter 10 THE BIG DUNK Beeper scrambled down his tree and jumped into the water. He swam between floating trees to get to Andrew and Judy. "We survived a giant tsunami!" shouted Beeper, climbing onto their tree trunk. As the wave pulled away from the island, it left the beach covered with logs. "We're getting hauled out to the deep sea!" said Judy. The wave carried them so far out that the island looked like a distant dot.

Beeper pointed toward a tangle of tree trunks floating nearby. "I saw the Time-A-Tron get dragged off with that pile of logs," he said. "I don't see it," said Andrew. "Maybe it sank," said Judy. "We can dive to look for it," said Andrew. "You remember what the Time-A-Tron said about the water?" asked Judy. "It's a little late to worry about that," said Beeper. "But look what I've got!" He unzipped his backpack and pulled out a small package of juice with a drinking straw attached. He yanked it off. "You can use this to snorkel," said Beeper. Beeper put one end of the straw in his mouth, bent the straw up, and dog-paddled with his face underwater. Beeper lifted his head and smiled. "See?" he said. He reached into his backpack, pulled off two straws, and handed them to Andrew and Judy.

"Breathe through your mouth," he said, "not your nose." "I know how to snorkel," said Judy. "My parents taught me when I was three." Andrew and Judy bent their straws, slipped off the tree trunk, and dipped their faces under the surface. Rays of sunlight lit the green water. On the sandy bottom, Andrew saw creatures that looked like they came from other worlds. Things that looked like giant ice cream cones with tentacles squirmed through the water. Huge bug- like animals crawled along the bottom. Fish with armored bodies swooped slowly over the sand. Wowzers schnauzers! he thought. I wish Thudd could tell me what these things are. But Thudd was tucked safely in his sandwich bag. Andrew was happy to find something he recognized—colored branches of coral like the ones he'd seen when he'd been lost on the reef.

Something strange was moving behind a hill of coral. It looked like a giant snail shell. It was as big as a stove! Sticking out of the open end was a head that looked like a squid, but with dozens of wriggling tentacles. Woofers! thought Andrew, swimming away. Whatever that is, I hope its not hungry. Andrew felt a poke. It was Thudd. Even though he was in a plastic bag with a sandwich, he'd managed to creep to the top of Andrew's pocket. Thudd was pointing. At first, all Andrew could see was a big shadow. But then he glimpsed a silvery shine beneath the shadow—the Time-A-Tron! Andrew began to swim toward the Time-A- Tron. Thudd poked him even harder. Andrew lifted his head above the water, took the straw out of his mouth, and pulled Thudd out of his pocket. Judy popped up beside Andrew and so did Beeper. Beeper blew water out of his nose.

"Thudd found the Time-A-Tron," said Andrew excitedly. "Let's go!" "Noop! Noop! Noop!" said Thudd, his voice muffled inside the plastic sandwich bag. "Giant armored fish down there! Called Dunkleosteus. Big as bus! Look!" Thudd pointed to his face screen. It showed a frightful face. Instead of teeth, its jaws were filled with jagged saws. "Dunkleosteus drag Time-A-Tron underwater!" Thudd continued. "Chew on Fast-Fins!" "Uh-oh," said Andrew. "I guess that's why the Time-A-Tron didn't want us going into the water." "How can we get the Dunkle-whatever away from the Time-A-Tron?" asked Judy. "I want to see the Dunkleosteus!" said Beeper. Judy rolled her eyes. "Beeper," said Andrew, "do you have any more of those sandwiches?" Beeper nodded. "I've got six left." "Yes!" said Andrew. "We can use them to lure the Dunk away from the Time-A-Tron."

"I'll throw them," said Judy. "I'm the best pitcher in my softball league." "Let's throw the whole backpack," said Andrew. "It will take the Dunk longer to get the sandwiches and give us more time to get to the Time-A-Tron." "I hate to say it, Bug-Brain," said Judy. "But that's a good idea." Beeper punched Andrew on the arm. "Will you get me a new backpack?" he asked. "I want one with lots of pockets." "Sure!" Andrew smiled. "I've got an extra one at home." Beeper pulled two small black cases out of his backpack and put them into his pockets. Then he pushed the backpack toward Judy. "Here ya go!" he said. Judy pulled herself up onto the tree trunk. "Where's the Time-A-Tron?" she asked. Andrew pointed.