4 Clack! Clack! Clack!

Chapter 4 CLACK! CLACK! CLACK! Andrew saw a silvery streak coming toward them. It was Soggy Bob's underwater vehicle, the Crab- Mobile! "Get into the Water Bug, Judy!" said Andrew. Andrew and Judy swam to the underside of the Water Bug and pressed the buttons under the seats. FLAMP! The seats flipped out. Andrew and Judy strapped themselves in and pressed the buttons on the sides of the seats. FLAMP! They flipped back into the Water Bug. glurp… "Just in time," said the Water Bug.

Andrew pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor and felt the paddle wheels start to spin. The Water Bug began to pull itself out of the sand. Clack! Clack! Clack! The claws of the Crab-Mobile were cutting through the net above them! The Water Bug zoomed forward and sped through the hole they had made for the manatee. But before they could get away, a door at the front of the Crab-Mobile slid open. A big black suction cup on a thick black cord shot out! BOINGGGG! It stuck to the hood of the Water Bug. Andrew and Judy slammed against their seats. Then—WHAM!—the Water Bug snapped forward. "Woofers!" said Andrew. "Errrgh!" said Judy. "It feels like someone's playing volleyball with my stomach!"

PLUUUUMP! The Water Bug's rubber-blubber buggy bumper bounced into the front of the Crab-Mobile. Its glass dome was right in front of them! Inside they could see the shiny bald head of Soggy Bob Sloggins. His thin lips were twisted into a nasty smile.

Awk! Awk! Awk! came the mocking laugh of Bob's Ultra-Robot Parrot Partner, Burpp. He was flapping his wings on the back of Soggy Bob's zebra-striped chair. Andrew and Judy heard the rustle of Burpp's blue metal feathers. "Hope ya like mah No-Go Yo-Yo!" said Soggy Bob happily. Ever since he had attacked the Water Bug with his electrical eel, Soggy Bob could talk to Andrew and Judy whenever he wanted to. But they couldn't talk back. "Ah gotcha now, ya mud puppies!" snickered Soggy Bob. "Some friends of mine are gonna baby-sit ya while ah go huntin' that giant squid!" Soggy Bob pulled a big red handle. A rope at the back of the Crab-Mobile towed something

closer. It was a metal cage with thick bars. Inside the cage were three big gray sharks. They were chewing on the bars of the cage. "These little fellas are a touch grouchy," said Soggy Bob. "They're losin' their baby teeth! Heh! Heh! Heh!" Clack! Clack! Clack! The Crab-Mobile's claws were moving toward the Water Bug's doors. "Soggy Bob is going to pull our doors off!" said Judy. Andrew pressed the black Octo-Tool button. But the hood of the Water Bug wouldn't open. glurp… "Suction cup has sealed hood of Water Bug shut," said the Water Bug. "Uh-oh!" said Andrew. "We've got to get out of here, Judy!" They pressed the buttons on the sides of their seats and— FLAMP! They flipped out into the water again.

"I've got an idea," said Judy. "Follow me." She darted toward the bright patchwork colors of the coral reef. Clack! Clack! Clack! One of the Crab-Mobile's claws clamped on to Andrew's toe! "Yeoouch!" he yelled. Andrew tugged his foot away. A piece of Bubble Duds tore off, but his toes were still there. Judy was disappearing into a crack in the high wall of the coral reef. Andrew swam faster than he ever had to catch up with her.