Vital Signs

12

Pressing her nose against the window of the Ansett jet, Marissa could see the broad expanse of ocean thousands of feet below. From the moment they'd taken off at 12:40 P.m." they'd been over water. At first the ocean had been a dark, sapphire blue. But as they traveled on, the color changed. It had become a brilliant turquoise. Already they could see a patchwork of underwater coral. Their journey was taking them over a tapestry of shoals, atolls, coral cays, and true continental islands.

Wendy was beside herself with anticipation. She had bought a travel guide at the airport and was reading sections to Marissa.

Marissa didn't have the heart to tell her that she couldn't concentrate.

Marissa was wondering what the hell she was doing flying off the coast of Australia.

Having made no progress whatsoever in their quest for information that might help them explain the origins of their infertility,

Marissa began to seriously question the rationale for the trip.

Perhaps she should have stayed at home and tried to get her life back in order. She wondered what Robert was doing, and how her leaving affected his behavior. If he were having an affair with Donna, leaving like she did would only give him carte blanche to carry on. If she'd been wrong, she wondered if her abrupt departure would push him into Donna's arms.

"Australia's Great Barrier Reef has taken twenty-five million years to form," Wendy read, "and there are at least three hundred and fifty different species of coral, as well as fifteen hundred species of tropical fish."

"Wendy," Marissa said at last, "maybe it would be better for you to read to yourself. Statistics like that 4on't register in my mind unless I read them."

"Hold on!" Wendy said, not taking the hint.

"Here's one you can relate to. The visibility of water can be up to sixty meters."

Wendy looked at Marissa.

"That's unbelievable. That's about two hundred feet. Isn't that astounding? Can you wait?"

Marissa merely nodded.

Undaunted, Wendy read on. Marissa turned back to the window and looked out at the limitless Pacific Ocean. Again she thought of Robert, nearly half a world away.

Mercifully, Marissa's thoughts and Wendy's reading were interrupted by an announcement. The captain said they were nearing

Hamilton Island and would be landing momentarily. In another few minutes their plane touched down.

The island was a tropical paradise. Although Marissa and Wendy were surprised when they saw several high-rise buildings which looked starkly out of place, the rest of the island was in keeping with their expectations. The vegetation was a lush bright green, highlighted by dazzling flowers. The beaches were a sparkling white sand, the water an inviting aqua.

The check-in at the hotel went smoothly. Their seaside room was ready for them. The resort's lagoon-shaped pool tempted Marissa, but Wendy was not to be denied. She wanted to go directly to the marina to arrange for the next day's diving. She offered to go by herself, but Marissa felt obligated to go with her.

As the travel agent had said, the marina was large. Several hundred boats of all sizes and descriptions were docked there, with room for more. Advertisements for excursions for both fishing and diving abounded. The large bulletin board on the front wall of the ship chandler's store was filled. But Wendy wasn't satisfied with the information they contained. Instead she insisted they wander out on the commercial pier to examine the boats themselves.

Marissa followed along, enjoying the surroundings more than the boats. The day was glorious. A hot, tropical sun blazed in the middle of an azure sky. Large cumulus clouds dotted the horizon particularly over the peaks of the neighboring islands. To the north in the far distance a group of dark clouds clustered, suggesting a thunderstorm on the way.

"Here's a good one," Wendy said. She'd stopped at a boat slip where one of the larger boats was moored. The name emblazoned on the transom was "Oz." It was a cabin cruiser, painted white, with a spacious cockpit. Several swivel deep-sea fishing chairs were mounted there. Against the forward bulkhead a long row of scuba tanks was secured.

"What makes this one better than the others?" Marissa asked.

"This one has a nice dive platform right at the water's edge," Wendy said, pointing to a grate like wooden structure that hung from the transom of the boat.

"I can also tell there's a compressor on board. That means they can fill their own scuba tanks.

Besides, it looks like it's about fifty feet. That means it will be nice and stable."

"I see," Marissa said. She was impressed that Wendy knew so much about it. She felt she was in good hands.

"You ladies interested in fishing or diving?" a bearded man asked.

"Possibly," Wendy said.

"What's the charge for a full day's divine. " "Come on aboard and we'll discuss it," the man told her.

"Name's Rafe Murray. I'm the captain of this vessel."

With experienced steps, Wendy marched out on the two-foot wide planks that separated the boat' slips and swung herself onto the gunwale of the Oz. Then she stepped down onto the deck of the boat.

Marissa tried to follow with the same bravado, but hesitated with one foot on the dock and one foot on the boat. The captain lent her a hand for balance and she was able to step on board.

A handsome, muscular younger man came out of the cabin. He smiled and tipped his lived-in Australian hat to the women.

"This here's my first mate and dive master, Wynn Jones," the captain said.

"Knows the reef like the back of his hand, he does."

Wendy asked if they might tour the boat, then followed the agreeable captain from bow to stern. Satisfied, she sat down in the cabin with the captain and bargained for an all-day dive rate.

Marissa had never seen this tough side of her friend.

Eventually a deal was struck and Wendy and Rafe shook hands. At that point, the captain asked if the women would care for a couple of "stubbies," which Marissa soon learned were small brown bottles of beer.

After the beer, Marissa and Wend climbed up onto the gunwale and leaped to the dock. Wynn gave Marissa a hand to make sure she made it.

"Goddamn cheap son-of-a-bitch bastard Yanks," the captain said as Wynn rejoined him in the cabin.

"She got me down so low it will barely pay for the petrol."

"We haven't been out for four days," Wynn reminded him.

"We'll just go to the closest reef and let them look at some dead staghorn coral. It will serve'm right."

"Hello!" a voice called.

"Now what?" Rafe said. He squinted through the cabin door.

"Maybe things are looking up. We got a Nip-" "I don't think he's a Nip," Wynn said.

"He looks Chinese to me."

Rafe and Wynn walked out into the afternoon sunlight.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Rafe called to the man on the pier.

"Are you available for charter tomorrow?" the man said.

"What do you have in mind?" Rafe asked. He could always forget the women.

"I want to do some serious fishing on the outer wall of the. reef," the man said.

"We're at your service," Rafe said.

"But the outer reef is forty nautical miles away. It'll be somewhat dear."

"I'm prepared to pay, "the man said.

"But I don't like crowds.

You got many people scheduled tomorrow?"

Rafe raised his eyebrows at Wynn, trying to decide what to say. He didn't want to lose this Chinese man's money, but he didn't want to pass up the Yanks' money either.

Wynn shrugged.

Rafe turned back to the Chinese man.

"We just signed up a couple of ladies to do some diving," he said.

"But I can always cancel them."

"Two ladies won't bother my fishing," the man said.

"But leave it at that. No more passengers."

"Fine by me," Rafe said, trying to hide his excitement.

"Come on aboard and we'll make the necessary arrangements. For a day's charter to the outer reef, we'll need some money up front."

Nimbly, the Chinese man jumped on board.

"The name's Harry Wong," he said.

"I don't have a lot of time at the moment.

How about two hundred dollars to reserve the boat?" He opened his wallet and took out the money.

Rafe took the bills.

"This will do just fine," he said.

"Any particular time you'd like to depart?"

"What time did you tell those women?" the man asked.

"I told them eight o'clock," Rafe said.

"But that can change."

"Eight is fine," the man said.

"But I might want to sleep on the way out to the outer reef. Do you have a cabin I could use?" "Absolutely," Rafe said.

"You can use the main cabin."

The Chinese man smiled.

"See you at eight," he said. He leaped from the boat to the pier, then walked briskly away.

Willy Tong was pleased. He knew Ned Kelly would be too.

The only weak part of the whole plan had been the problem of getting the women to the outer reef. Now that seemed assured.

He entered The Crab, a pub along the waterfront, and ordered an amber. He hadn't had a chance to finish his beer when Ned showed up.

"How'd it go, mate?" Ned asked as he hopped onto a barstool.

"Smooth as silk," Willy said. He told Ned the details.

"Perfect!" Ned said.

"I didn't have any trouble either. I rented one of those big powerboats that have enough engine to drive a supertanker. Come on, finish your beer. We got to go buy bait.

A lot of bait."

The Hamilton Island Resort had so many ethnic restaurants to choose from, Marissa and Wendy had trouble making up their minds. They eventually settled on Polynesian, thinking it was the closest thing to local. To get into the mood they had purchased bright floral-print sarongs in the hotel's gift shop.

Having concluded the arrangements for the following day's diving, Marissa and Wendy had spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the pool, soaking up the warm tropical sun.

Although it hadn't been crowded, there had been enough sunbathers poolside to make people-watching interesting. They'd even struck up a conversation with several single men who were intrigued to discover the women hailed from Boston.

Marissa was amazed at the number of Australians who had visited the States. Many had made it to Boston. Australia seemed to be a land of travelers. The six weeks' holiday they got every year had to be a boon to the adventurous.

"Let's order some champagne to celebrate being here," Wendy suggested.

"I'm so excited about tomorrow, I can't stand it."

The food was "interesting," as Wendy had put it, but pork wasn't Marissa's favorite. And eating off large tropical leaves didn't strike her as appetizing.

While they were waiting for dessert, Marissa looked at Wendy.

"Have you been thinking much about Gustave?" she asked.

"Of course," Wendy said.

"Be hard not to, even though I'm trying. Have you been thinking about Robert?"

Marissa admitted that she had.

"It started on the plane," she said.

"Do you think I ought to call? I may have overreacted about Donna."

"Go ahead and give him a call," Wendy said.

"If it's on your mind, I think you should do it. Maybe I should call Gustave."

The dessert arrived. It was called Coconut Extravaganza. They both tried it. Wendy said she thought it was so-so. She put down her spoon.

"I don't think it's worth the calories."

Marissa leaned forward.

"Wendy," she said with a lowered voice.

"There is an Asian man behind you who's been watching us.

Wendy responded by twisting in her seat.

"Where?" she asked.

Marissa grabbed her arm.

"Don't look," she said.

Wendy faced her companion.

"What do you mean, don't look?

How am I supposed to see who you mean?"

"Be subtle!" Marissa whispered.

"He's three tables behind you, he's with a dark-haired man whose face I can't see. Uh oh!"

"What's the matter?" Wendy asked.

"The guy with the dark hair is looking this way now," Marissa said.

Wendy couldn't contain herself any longer. She twisted around again. Turning back to Marissa, she said, "Well, so what? They like our new sarongs."

"There's something about the Asian man that makes me feel uncomfortable," Marissa said.

"It's almost a visceral reaction."

"Do you recognize him?" Wendy asked.

"No," Marissa admitted.

"Maybe he reminds you of those creeps at the Women's Clinic," Wendy suggested.

"That's a thought," Marissa agreed.

"Maybe he's from the People's Republic," Wendy said.

"Everybody that I know who's gone to China has told me that they stare to beat the band."

"He's driving me crazy," Marissa said, forcing herself to look away.

"If you're finished, let's get out of here."

"I'm done," Wendy said, tossing her napkin over her coconut extravaganza, Emerging from the dining room into the outdoors, Marissa looked up in awe. She had never witnessed such stars as she did in the velvety purple of the Australian night. Gazing at their intensity, she felt instantly better. She wondered why she was so sensitive about that Asian. After all, he'd been far across the room from them.

Back in the hotel room, Marissa sat down on the edge of her bed and figured out what time it was in the States.

"It's seven fifteen in the morning in Boston," she said.

"Let's call."

"You call first," Wendy said. She stretched out on the bed.

With trembling fingers, Marissa dialed her home. As the distant phone rang, she tried to think of what she would say. By the fourth ring, she knew Robert wasn't home. Just to be certain, she let it ring ten times before hanging up. She turned to Wendy.

"The bastard's not home," Marissa said.

"And he never leaves for the office before eight."

"Maybe he's on a business trip," Wendy said.

"Fat chance," Marissa said.

"He's probably with Donna."

"Now don't jump to conclusions," Wendy warned.

"There are probably plenty of explanations. Let's see what happens to me."

She sat up and dialed her number.

Marissa watched as Wendy waited. Finally Wendy dropped the receiver back into its cradle.

"Gustave's not home either," she said.

"Maybe they're having breakfast together." She tried to snidle.

Gustave is a surgeon," Marissa said.

"What time does he usually leave for work?"

"About seven-thirty," Wendy said.

"Unless he has surgery. It's true he's been doing a lot of surgery lately."

"Well, there you go," Marissa said.

"I suppose," Wendy said. She didn't sound convinced.

"Let's go for a walk," Marissa said. She stood up and stretched out a hand for her friend. Together they wandered out onto the beach. For a while neither of them said a word.

"I have a bad feeling about my marriage," Marissa said at last.

"Lately Robert and I seem to see everything differently. It isn't just the mess with Donna."

Wendy nodded.

"I have to say this infertility business has put an enormous strain on Gustave and me."

Marissa sighed.

"And to think of the promise our relationship started with."

The women stopped. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

Ahead they saw the silhouette of a couple nestled in an embrace.

"Makes me feel nostalgic," Wendy said.

"And sad."

"Me too," Marissa agreed.

"Maybe we'd better head in another direction."

They wandered back to the resort. There they happened to pass by a couple with a crying toddler in a stroller. Both the man and the woman were happily window-shopping, ignoring the wailing child.

"Can you believe those people, bringing such a small child out to an island like this?" Wendy said.

"Poor thing is probably sunburned."

"I think it's awful for them to keep the child up this late," Marissa said with equal vehemence.

"It's obvious the child is exhausted."

Marissa caught Wendy's eye. They both smiled at each other, then shook their heads.

"Envy is a terrible thing," Wendy said.

"At least we recognize it for what it is," Marissa said.

Wendy had Marissa up at the crack of dawn for a big English breakfast of coffee, eggs, bacon, and toast on their lanai. As they ate, a huge tropical sun rose into a cloudless sky. They got to the boat just before eight and the captain already had both diesels idling. After first tossing on board their shoulder bags with their bathing suits and other paraphernalia, Wendy and Marissa climbed over the gunwale.

"G'day!" Rafe said.

"Ready for adventure?"

"You bet," Wendy said.

"You ladies mind lending a hand here?" Rafe asked.

"Not at all," Wendy said.

"Then cast off those stern lines when I give a yell," Rafe said.

He then went into the cabin. Wynn was already out on the bow making preparations. The sun glistened off his shirtless back.

Marissa felt the boat tremble as the engines were revved up.

Wynn began to release the bowlines.

"Okay, ladies," Rafe yelled.

"Cast off."

Wendy took the starboard line, Marissa the port. They slipped them from their cleats and tossed them onto the dock. With a shudder, the boat moved out of the slip.

Until they got out of the marina, Marissa and Wendy stayed in the stern, watching the activity in the bustling port. Once the boat reached open water and the captain increased their speed, they went forward to the cabin.

Wynn was still on the bow deck, lounging agaiast one of the two dinghies, smoking a cigarette. Marissa noticed he was sporting a different hat, one just as woebegone as the day before, but with a fishnet around the hatband for a decorative touch.

Marissa spotted something on deck that had not been there the day before: a cage made of heavy steel bars. At its top it was attached by a cable to one of the forward davits.

"What's the cage for?" Marissa yelled over the sound of the engines. She pointed through the windshield.

"That there is a shark cage," Rafe said, eyeing an upcoming buoy.

"What the hell is that for?" Marissa asked. She turned to Wendy, who shrugged.

"We're not going someplace where there are sharks, are we?" Wendy asked Rafe.

"This is the ocean," Rafe yelled.

"Sharks are in the ocean.

There's always the chance that one might be around. But relax!

The cage is just a precaution, especially on the outer reef where I'm taking you two lucky ladies. The outer reef's where all the fish are as well as the best coral. Even the visibility is the best out there."

"I don't want to see any sharks," Marissa yelled.

"Probably won'"" Rafe yelled in reply, "It's Wynn who wants the cage. Just to be safe. It's like a seat belt."

Marissa led Wendy down into the saloon and closed the door behind them. The throbbing noise of the engines abruptly decreased.

"I don't like the sound of this," Marissa said urgently.

"Shark cage! What are we getting ourselves into?"

"Marissa, calm down!" Wendy said.

"Everything the captain said is right. Even in Hawaii I saw sharks on occasion. But they don't bother divers. I think we should be impressed that these guys even have a shark cage. It just means they're very careful."

"You're not concerned?" Marissa asked.

"Not in the slightest," Wendy said.

"Come on, don't get yourself all worked up. You're going to love this, believe me."

Marissa studied her friend's face. She obviously believed what she was saying.

"Okay," Marissa said.

"If you can honestly tell me it will be safe, I'll try and relax. I just don't like the idea of sharks. I've always had a mild phobia for the ocean that hasn't kept me out of it, but it certainly has made me aware when I'm in it. And as I said before, I don't like slippery, slimy creatures."

"I can personally guarantee you will not have to touch one slippery, slimy creature," Wendy said.

Marissa and Wendy felt the boat shudder as it was pushed up to full throttle.

"Come on," Wendy urged.

"Let's go up on deck and enjoy this."

Buoyed by her friend's enthusiasm, Marissa followed her on deck.

The boat headed almost due east, directly into the rising sun.

At first they were cruising through clear turquoise water, but soon they began to pass over the reef itself. Then the water became a deeper blue.

Wendy got Wynn to break out the scuba gear so she could check it out. She went over all the technical aspects with Marissa to refresh her memory.

Once all the diving gear had been checked, Marissa and Wendy sat in the sport-fishing chairs and enjoyed the spectacular view.

"I'm surprised that we're the only ones on such a large boat," Wendy said to Wynn when he joined them.

"It's our off-season," Wynn explained.

"If you came back in September or October, we'd be full to the gunwales," "Is it better then?" Wendy asked.

"You can count on the weather more," Wynn said.

"Plus there never are any waves. It's always calm."

Almost the moment Wynn mentioned waves, Marissa felt the boat start to shudder against a building chop.

"Can't get much better weather than this," Wendy said.

"We've been lucky lately," Wynn agreed.

"But we'll hit some surf on the outer reef. It shouldn't be too bad though."

"How much further do we have to go?" Marissa asked. The Whitsunday Islands were now mere specks on the western horizon.

It seemed to her they were heading to the center of the Coral Sea. Being this far from land revived her misgivings.

"Another half hour," Wynn said in answer to her question.

"The outer reef's about fifty miles from Hamilton Island."

Marissa nodded. She was beginning to think she was about as fond of boating as Wendy was of gross anatomy lessons. She would just as soon have gone snorkeling. Then they could have stayed within sight of shore.

At just after ten o'clock the captain slowed the engines and sent Wynn forward to the bow. He told the women he was searching for a particular channel to anchor in.

"Best goddamn diving in the world," he told them.

After a half hour of searching, Rafe yelled for Wynn to drop anchor. Marissa noticed they were between two enormous heads of coral. Over their tops the waves were cresting. The surf had increased to approximately three feet.

"Anchor's on the bottom," Wynn shouted.

Rafe cut the engines and the boat quickly drifted until it faced northwest, heading into the wind. From the stern Marissa could see that they were moored about thirty feet from the outer wall of the reef. The color of the water abruptly changed from emerald green over the reef to the deep sapphire of the ocean beyond.

Now that the boat was no longer moving ahead, it was more susceptible to the waves. The boat began to pitch from the waves ing into the channel at the same time it rocked back and forth from the wash of the waves cresting on the coral heads. Marissa began to feel queasy from the rough, irregular motion. Steadying herself with one hand, she turned around and made her way back to Wendy, clutching the rail with every step.

"Is this where we're diving?" Wendy asked Rafe.

"This is it," Rafe said.

"You ladies have a good time. But stay with — Wynn here, understand? I got some work down in the engine room, so it will be just the three of you. Don't go swimming off on your own."

"Lower that cage before you go below," Wynn called.

"Oh, yeah," Rafe said.

"I almost forgot."

"Let's get our suits on," Wendy said to Marissa. She tossed Marissa's shoulder bag to her, then went below.

Marissa was impressed how at ease Wendy seemed at sea. She negotiated the deck as calmly as if they were still back at the dock.

After passing through the saloon, Wendy entered one of the cabins. Marissa went to the one opposite and tried the door.

Finding it was locked, she tried another. It was open and she went in.

Within the confines of the narrow space, Marissa had some difficulty changing out of her clothes and into her bathing suit.

By the time she emerged, she was feeling even more nauseated than she had before she went belowdecks. The faint smell of diesel fuel no doubt contributed. When she got back on deck she felt better but still not great. She hoped that once she got into the water, the feeling would pass.

Wendy was already pulling her tank on over her buoyancy vest when Marissa reached her. Wynn was giving her a hand. Marissa slipped on her vest.

A terrible grinding screech resulted from Rafe's efforts at deploying the shark cage. Marissa watched as the cage was lifted high above the deck, then swung out to starboard. With a high. he'd whir, it was dropped into the water.

Once Wynn had finished helping Wendy, he came over to Marissa to strap on her tank. He guided her to the stern of the boat.

Wendy was already on the dive platform, ready to go. Her mask was on, as were her heavy work gloves. As the swells hit the boat, she was alternately submerged to her knees and then dry.

After pulling on her own mask and gloves, Marissa struggled over the stern and stood next to Wendy. The water felt cold at first, but Marissa soon got used to it. The water was incredibly clear. Looking directly down, she could see the sandy bottom at about thirty feet. As she looked farther out she saw that the sand abruptly dropped off to incalculable oceanic depths.

Wendy tapped Marissa on the shoulder.

"Do you remember the diving sign language?" Wendy asked. Her voice sounded nasal with her mask covering her nose.

"Sort of," Marissa said.

Wendy went over all the key signals, demonstrating them with her free hand. She had to hold on firmly with the other so she wasn't knocked from the platform. Marissa held on with both hands throughout the review.

"Got them?" Wendy asked.

Marissa signaled okay.

"All right!" Wendy said, slapping her on the shoulder.

"You ladies ready?" Wynn asked. He had joined them at the stern of the boat, taking a seat on the gunwale.

Wendy said she was all set. Marissa merely nodded.

"Follow me!" Wynn said. He put in his mouthpiece, then somersaulted backwards into the water. Wendy followed almost immediately.

Marissa put in her mouthpiece and took her first breath of the cool, compressed air. Turning her head, she looked longingly into the boat. She caught sight of Rafe as he disappeared below.

Glancing back into the water, she saw some algae stream past, then some seaweed. The current seemed swift, heading out to sea.

Unable to delay any longer, Marissa grabbed hold of her mask, let go of the boat, and plunged into the water.

The instant the bubbles disappeared, Marissa was astounded.

It was as if she had leaped into another world. The clarity of the water was beyond her expectations. She was surrounded by butterfly and angel fish. Thirty feet ahead, Wendy and Wynn were waiting at the lip of the channel. She could see them as clearly as if they were suspended in the air. Below her the sand sparkled, giving her the impression she could see each and every grain.

Looking to her right and left, she saw walls of coral in fantastic shapes and colors. Behind her she could see the bottom of the boat with the shark cage suspended from its cable.

Without the slightest effort Marissa found herself carried. by the current toward the other two.

After everyone had exchanged okay signs, they started to swim out of the channel, veering to the left. Marissa paused at the channel's edge and peered uneasily into the eerie abysmal depths.

The sound of her breathing echoed in her ears. Fighting against a primeval terror, she shuddered to think of what creatures were lurking in the cold, black vastness.

Marissa saw that Wendy and Wynn had already left her behind.

She swam hard to catch up to them, scared of being left alone.

Her fears were soon overcome by the sheer beauty of the world around her. All her phobias vanished as she found herself enveloped in a silvery cloud of cardinal fish.

As she followed the others into a coral gorge, she was thrilled by the number and variety of fish. They came in every size and shape and in colors more brilliant than anything on land. The coral was equally dramatic, with colors that rivaled the fish and in shapes that ranged from brain like masses to antler like growths. Diaphanous sea fans waved sinuously in the current.

Distracted by the beauty, Marissa realized the others had disappeared.

She hurried forward, rounding a large coral head.

Wynn was stopped up ahead. She saw him reach into a net secured to his waist. When he pulled out his hand she saw that he held some bait fish In an instant he was surrounded by batfish and parrot fish. He clearly wasn't interested in these species because he waved them away. Instead he went close to the opening of a large underwater cave and began to wave the bait through the water.

Marissa's heart leaped into her throat, almost causing her to spit out her mouthpiece. Out of the shadows of the cave swam an enormous six-foot, six-hundred-pound potato cod. Marissa was about to panic when she noticed that Wynn was not only unperturbed but was enticing the fish to come all the way out. Then to Marissa's amazement, the huge fish took the bait fish directly from Wynn's hand.

Wendy swam up behind Wynn and signaled that she wanted to try to feed the behemoth. Wynn gave her several bait fish and showed her how to hold them out.

The cod was happy to oblige, opening its huge mouth and sucking in the bait like an enormous underwater vacuum cleaner.

Wynn motioned for Marissa to swim over, but she was happy to stay where she was and indicated as much via hand signals. She watched Wendy feed the fish, but it was not easy to stay in one place. The surge from the wave action on the reef swept her to and fro, forcing her to fend herself off the coral with her gloved hands. The motion reawakened the queasiness she'd felt on the boat.

Once the potato cod had devoured all the bait fish Wynn was willing to offer, it lazily drifted back into its lair. Wendy went to the very lip of the cave and peered in. Then she swam back to Marissa and motioned for her to follow.

Reluctantly, Marissa swam after Wendy. They passed the cave's mouth and dove close to the sandy bottom. Wendy pointed into a crevice, then backed away so Marissa could take a look.

Marissa hung on to the coral so the current didn't pull her along as she let her eyes adapt to the shadows. She was glad she was wearing the heavy gloves. Finally Marissa saw what Wendy had pointed to: a large green moray eel with its mouth open and its needlelike teeth bared.

Marissa recoiled from the sight. This was precisely the sort of creature she hoped not to see.

Wynn joined the two girls. Pulling out another bait fish he managed to coax the moray out of its crevice, terrifying Marissa in the process. It writhed through the water, snatching the bait fish in its horrid jaws, then retreating to its hideaway.

As Wendy took a bait fish from Wynn and tried to get the eel to come out again, Marissa began to comprehend that beneath the reef's veneer of spectacular beauty lurked an entirely predatory world. The potential for danger lay everywhere. It was a violent, eat-or-be-eaten world. Even some of the exquisite coral was razor-sharp to the touch.

While Wendy and Wynn devoted themselves to the eel, Marissa heard a low-pitched vibration that made her look up toward the water's surface. The sound became progressively louder, but just as Marissa was about to become alarmed, it stopped. Holding her breath, she listened intently. All she heard was the hiss of the waves above. When it became clear that neither Wendy nor

Wynn was concerned about the sound, Marissa decided to ignore it too.

After Wendy had tired of the game with the moray eel, she and Wynn recommended swimming along the reef. After twenty more feet, they entered yet another coral gorge. Again Wendy stopped and pointed for Marissa's benefit.

Marissa joined Wendy cautiously, hoping another eel hadn't caught her eye. To her relief, Wendy had spotted some colorful clown fish ensconced in the poisonous tentacles of a bed of sea anemone. The fish were a neon orange with vivid white stripes edged in black. For several minutes both Wendy and Marissa were entertained by their antics.

After almost an hour of diving, Marissa began to tire. She still felt mildly nauseated and was fatigued from fighting the surge. It was a constant struggle to keep from being knocked against the coral. Finally Marissa decided she'd had enough.

Signaling Wendy and Wynn, Marissa indicated that she wanted to return to the boat. Wendy nodded and started to come with her, but Marissa signaled for her to stay. Marissa didn't want to drag her friend back until Wendy was good and read Y.

Wynn gave Marissa the okay signal. He and Wendy waved a farewell. Marissa waved back, then turned and started swimming for the boat. When she got to the mouth of the channel where the boat was anchored, she looked back at Wendy and Wynn. They were intently examining something on the face of the coral about sixty feet away. Marissa swam into the channel. Ahead she could see the Oz's keel, the shark cage, and what looked like another smaller boat off to the left.

Reaching the dive platform, Marissa hauled herself up onto it.

Exhausted, she was content to sit for a minute with her legs dangling in the water and her back against the stern of the boat.

As the boat rose and fell, the platform was alternately submerged up to her navel, then dry.

Marissa removed her mouthpiece and shoved her face mask up on her forehead. After wiping her eyes, she reached up and grabbed the rail that ran around the stern. Still she didn't stand.

She continued to sit on the dive platform. It seemed that the motion of the boat was worse than the surge.

"Guess I'm just a landlubber," she told herself. She was embarrassed such relatively calm seas could have such an effect on her, but then she had always been susceptible to motion. As a child, she had often gotten carsick.

While she was waiting to feel better, Marissa became aware of progressive movement around her legs. Bending over, she saw a profusion of small, eager fish darting about. Looking more closely, she saw bits and pieces of fish go by with the current, then a larger blur of what looked like blood and entrails. The building school of fish was busily feeding.

Marissa was preoccupied and baffled as she watched this growing feeding frenzy of colorful tropical fish. But then things turned serious. Out of the blue streaked a five-foot barracuda-type fish which tore through the offal before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. The smaller fish, which had scattered upon the larger predator's arrival, soon returned in ever greater numbers.

Marissa's blood ran cold. By reflex she drew her legs up onto the dive platform. Just as she did, more coils of intestine went by in a swirl of dark color that had to be blood.

Above and beyond the sloshing of the waves against the boat's stern, Marissa heard distinct splashing noises. Standing up, she peered into the boat. Moving to port so that she could see better in the direction the noise was coming from, Marissa spotted two men. One was on the smaller boat she'd seen from below; the other was on the Oz itself. Both were busily emptying buckets of churn into the water. With the breeze Marissa caught a fetid whiff of decaying fish.

Rafe was nowhere to be seen. Turning back to look at the water off the stern, Marissa saw a widening patch of blood that was now staining the surface dusky red. Fish had begun leaping from the water in their frenzy for the food.

Marissa shouted at the men.

"Hey!" she yelled.

"There are divers in the water!"

The men's heads shot up and they glanced at Marissa. She noticed one was Asian. Then they went back to their task, furiously dumping the rest of the offal.

"Rafe!" Marissa yelled.

The Asian man leaped from the Oz onto the deck of the smaller boat with the boat's bowline in hand. Then, with a roar of a powerful engine and a puff of gray exhaust, the smaller boat sped away to the west.

"Rafe!" Marissa yelled again as loud as she could.

Rafe came out of the cabin, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun. Smudges of grease were on his cheeks. He had a large wrench in his hand.

"There ere two men dumping chum into the water," Marissa yelled.

"They're heading away in a speedboat." Marissa pointed to the receding launch.

Rafe leaned over the gunwale and glanced at the boat.

"My word, they're heading west!" he said.

"They were supposed to fish out beyond the reef."

"Fish!" Marissa cried.

"Look what they dumped into the water!"

Rafe looked down.

"Jesus!" he cried- He ran back to the stern and eyed the expanding patch of red. Fish were leaping from the water in even greater numbers.

"Jesus!" he repeated.

"Could this mess bring sharks?" Marissa asked him.

"Good Lord, yes!" Rafe said.

"Oh, my God!"

Despite her terror, Marissa pulled her mask back over her eyes and nose. She put her mouthpiece back into her mouth, then leaped into the water.

Fish of every size and shape swarmed around her. Visibility was drastically reduced. Biting down on her mouthpiece, Marissa swam ahead, trying not to think about anything but getting Wendy back into the boat.

By the time Marissa neared the mouth of the channel, she saw her first shark; small and white-tipped, it was slowly circling the offal. The ghastly creature terrified Marissa more than anything she'd seen in her life. Keeping her eye on the shark, Marissa swam to the left, close to the wall of coral. While she was still watching, the shark suddenly darted forward into the feeding melee and snared a rope of intestine. Then another larger shark appeared out of nowhere and gave chase.

Trembling uncontrollably, Marissa rounded the edge of the mouth of the channel, scanning the distance for sight of Wendy and Wynn. More sharks appeared, progressively larger than the first two, including one Marissa recognized as a hammerhead.

The big fish looked prehistoric, like a monster left over from the dinosaur age.

Up ahead Marissa finally saw Wynn. Wendy was directly below him, exploring a crevice; only her legs and flippers could be seen. Marissa swam toward them, but even before she got there, Wynn turned and looked her way.

Frantically, Marissa pointed over her shoulder at the feeding frenzy that had developed. Wynn responded by ducking down and giving Wendy a tug. Then he swiftly swam toward Marissa with strong strokes.

Marissa began to head back to the boat. To her left she saw one shark ram another shark. A huge gash was left along the side of the one that was hit. The next thing she knew, the wounded shark was rapidly eaten alive by several others.

Wynn passed Marissa and turned into the channel.. Marissa glanced back, expecting Wendy to be right behind him. Instead, all she could see were Wendy's flippers, She was still head-down in the same crevice. For a second, Marissa debated what to do.

Then Wendy's head popped up, looking for Wynn. She immediately spotted the school of sharks, whose numbers seemed to be increasing by the second.

Wendy started for Marissa in a panic. As abruptly, she was forced to stop when several sharks came between them. Marissa started to swim a sort of backstroke toward the opening of the channel, keeping Wendy in sight at all times. Her terror had increased to the point that she felt she was running out of air.

All at once the sharks scattered with powerful sweeps of their tails. Marissa felt it was an answer to a prayer until she saw what had made them flee. Out of the gloomy blue depths loomed a great white shark. It was at least four times the size of the sharks Marissa had previously seen.

When Wendy spotted the leviathan, she panicked. With arms flailing and legs wildly kicking, she started forward. Marissa did the same. At the lip of the channel Marissa hazarded a look back.

Wendy was still following at the same frantic pace, but Marissa could also see the colossal shark cruising behind her. The beast seemed to be taking a keen interest in Wendy.

The shark momentarily paused. Then, with a single sweep, it streaked directly at Wendy. Tilting its head to the side, the huge fish caught Wendy around her chest and gave her a horrendous shake. Wendy's mouthpiece came out of her mouth and bubbles fluttered to the surface. Then a cloud of blood billowed into the water and obscured the scene.

In total panic, Marissa. turned and swam into the channel. She could hardly think, she was so utterly afraid. She caught sight of the bottom of the boat and the shark cage. Wynn was already inside; Marissa headed straight for him.

As soon as she reached the cage, Marissa grabbed the door and tried to push, but the door didn't open. Wynn was holding the door on the inside, pushing against it. Marissa couldn't imagine what he was trying to do. She tried to look into his eyes but his mask only reflected glare.

Turning, Marissa saw the monstrous shark come around the lip of the channel with blood streaking out of its mouth.

With only seconds to spare, Marissa ducked around to the other side of the cage. She pulled herself into a tight ball, desperately clutching the steel bars.

With a sudden, powerful jolt the great white rammed the cage, grabbing it with its prodigious jaws.

Marissa managed to hold on while the shark tried to bite through the steel bars. Over Wynn's shoulder Marissa could see right into its mouth, studded with rows of six-inch teeth. The titan's eye was a huge oval of impenetrable blackness.

Several of the cage's bars bent under the force of the shark's jaws. The fish shook the cage with such force that Marissa lost both her mask and her mouthpiece. Yet still she held on.

The shark then disengaged itself, leaving behind some of its teeth. Marissa grabbed for her mouthpiece with one hand, still clinging to the cage with the other. With her mask gone, her vision was blurred. But she could make out Wynn as he put in his own mouthpiece and began frantically pulling on a rope that led to the surface. She noticed a large laceration across his arm that was bleeding profusely.

Apparently giving up on biting through the cage's strong bars, the shark began circling it. Moving in the same direction, Marissa struggled to keep the cage between herself and the great white.

Suddenly, the cage started to rise. Knowing she'd be doomed without its protection, she kicked furiously in an effort to stay with it, clambering up with her hands on the steel bars. Just as the cage broke the water's surface, she was able to roll onto its top.

Scrambling forward, Marissa reached for the hoisting cable.

Just as she made contact, the shark hit the cage and rocked it once more. In the process, Marissa rolled partway off, her legs dangling in the water. In a panic, she lifted them and curled herself around the cable, holding on for dear life.