Chapter Five
"Wait, wait, wait, let me get this straight. You left a defenseless stewardess at the hands of a murderous animal?" Chief Officer Henry Wilde asked.
"We were trying to save Harry!" Herbert said.
"I understand having to make for a hasty retreat but leaving an innocent woman behind?" First Officer William Murdoch narrated. "That's just madness."
"I agree with Will."
James looked irritated and tried to change the subject, "And where were you two during this whole scuffle? I didn't see either of you trying to rescue her."
"We were busy confusing passengers and making them think that we were brothers," Will explained. "It's incredibly easy and Henry here does a great Scottish accent!"
"That's all fine and good but what about the girl?" Charles said.
"Oh, now you care! You're going to be cleaning up the mess that water leaper left behind! There's probably parts of her all over the bridge!" Henry lamented. "Mister Andrews will have a fit!"
"I'm sure our lover boys will be missing her too."
Immediately both James and Harold turned crimson.
"Oh, what a handsome shade of red they're turning. I'm sure it matches Miss O'Brian's blood that the water leaper has probably left all over the bridge by now!" Henry snapped. "You two go clean up the mess it made!"
"Sit!" Captain Smith instructed as the water leaper tried to bounce at him. "Sit boy!"
Immediately the water leaper did so to the best of its ability.
"I didn't know it could respond to verbal commands," Mayda admitted as she stood by him.
"Neither did I. I heard the officers scream and came to see what happened. I certainly didn't expect to see it calmly sitting there."
"I wonder where it learned English."
The captain could only shrug. "I haven't any idea but it does seem to understand. Will the chef be bringing that batch of herrings soon?"
"I believe so, sir. It must be hungry."
"Perhaps it'll be too hungry to feast upon Mister Lowe."
"He would be a big meal for such a small creature."
"Do you think they get larger than seven inches? More importantly, does it get bigger as it gets older? Does it get to seven inches long and then suddenly stop growing entirely? And why just seven inches long?"
Deciding it was in the mood for English food the water leaper jumped forward and latched onto Captain Smith's ankles.
"Gah! Bad water leaper! Bad!" The captain snapped. "Miss O'Brian, pass me that newspaper, would you?"
"Yes, sir."
Once the newspaper was in his hands Captain Smith rolled it up and swatted the water leaper with it. "Bad water leaper! Bad! Down boy! Down! No treat!"
Obediently the water leaper let go.
"We are going to have our work cut out for us in training it," Captain Smith said.
