33 THE HUNTER

CHAPTER 33 THE HUNTER Clickety click! A strange sound was echoing from the deep. Clickety clickety click! Over the course of her life, Roz had communicated with many kinds of animals, but she had never heard an animal sound like this. Clickety clickety clickety click! Something darted past! It was a squid. No, it was ten squid. No, it was hundreds of squid, each one as long as the robot. Fins flapping, tentacles trailing behind them, their long bodies were flashing bright red in a way that meant, "Swim for your lives!" You see, the squid were being hunted. Roz turned and joined the squid, desperate to escape whatever was hunting them. As they darted by, the squid released puffs of black ink to hide themselves, and Roz found herself lost in an inky cloud. When the ink cleared, the squid were gone, and the hunter was closing in. Clickety clickety clickety clickety…

The clicking sound grew faster and stronger, becoming a continuous buzz. Then a giant toothy mouth surged out from the darkness and bit down on Roz! Teeth grinded against her body, and her pain sensors flared. But the mouth had expected to find a soft, slimy squid. Instead, it found a hard, tough robot, and before any real damage was done, the giant mouth spit Roz out. When the robot looked back, she saw that the clickety clickety creature was a sperm whale. The whale's low voice grumbled, "What kind of squid are you?" "I am not a squid. I am a robot. My name is Roz." "Were you trying to fool me?" said the whale. "I don't like being fooled!" "I did not mean to fool you," Roz explained. "I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." Judging from the whale's many scars, he knew what it was like to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. "A friend of mine is a whale," said Roz. "She saved my life. Do you know a whale named Coral?" "No, I don't know Coral. Do you think all whales

know each other? There are thousands of whales in the ocean, and you think we all know each other! That's ridiculous." "I apologize if I offended you," said Roz. "This is my first time traveling through the ocean, and I still have a lot to learn." "It's fine," said the whale. "I'm angry because so many animals are heading south. They're afraid of the poison tide. It's getting harder to find food, and I was just about to catch a mouthful of squid, but I ended up catching you." "If it makes you feel any better," said Roz, "I am on a mission to stop the poison tide." At this, the whale released a series of snorts and grunts, and Roz realized he was laughing. When the whale's laughter subsided, he said, "You think you can stop the poison tide? You must be joking. The poison tide is vast, and it spreads farther every day! I'm a giant, and even I couldn't stop the poison tide. A puny creature like you has no chance." Then the whale started laughing again. "I will not be alone," said Roz. "I am searching for the Ancient Shark. Together, I know she and I will succeed." The whale stopped laughing. "Oh, well, that's different. With the Ancient Shark's help, you might actually have a chance. And if you succeed, the animals

will return, and the hunting will be easier. You know, it's a good thing I didn't eat you, Roz." "I agree," said the robot. The whale's belly groaned with hunger, and he said, "I'd better chase down those squid before they go south too." He then swung his mighty tail and surged away, back into the dark. Clickety clickety click!