Chapter Two
The discussion of what the mysterious creature was was quite the talk on board the bridge.
Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall had argued that it could be a creature that was yet undiscovered. "How much of the ocean have we actually explored?"
"He's got a point," James agreed and Charles nodded.
"But that doesn't explain what it wants," Joseph added. "Do you think we should try feeding it?"
"I'm not sticking my hand out there!" James quickly said. "With those teeth it'll surely bite something of mine off!"
"Perhaps we could put it on a leash," Charles said.
"Yes, you can put it on a leash," Joseph said.
"What? Me?"
"It was your idea! All in favor of Lights doing it?"
Immediately both Joseph and James raised their hands.
"Oh, you two are going to be scrubbing the boilers with your tooth brushes for a week!" Charles snapped.
"What's this about scrubbing boilers?" Third Officer Herbert Pitman asked. "I heard Lights making a threat."
"We're trying to decide who's going to put a leash on that thing," James said and jerked his thumb in the direction of the creature who flew at the window.
Herbert raised an eyebrow causing the other three men to anxiously await his opinion on what the creature was. Each was certain Herbert would claim it was from the latest science fiction writer or scream that some sort of apocalypse was upon them.
Instead Herbert simply shrugged and said, "It's going to get a sore head if it keeps on doing that."
"Do you know what it is?" Joseph cautiously asked.
"Not a clue! It's ugly, whatever it is. What does it want? Is it mating season for their species?"
"Beggin' yer pardon, but did anyone just hear the captain shout?" First Class stewardess Mayda O'Brian asked. She stood in the doorway holding a large tray full of tea cups and looking rather confused.
