Passage by Night - Jack Higgins [1]
Beyond the coral, the bottom vanished from sight as he went over the edge. Down in the depths, shoals of rainbow fish filled the deep blue space, rising and falling in a shimmering cloud, changing colour with each movement.
They disintegrated in a silver cloud as several blue mackerel burst through them followed by a shark. Manning was brushed to one side by an invisible hand as the shark swerved by. He rested for a moment, holding on to the jagged edge of a crevasse in the face of the cliff and Morrison swam out of the green mist and started upwards.
In one hand he held his harpoon gun, in the other, the spear on which was impaled a silver perch. Manning swam towards him, and the American poised there in space and brandished the fish. Blood hung in a brown cloud above his right shoulder, drifting in long strings through the green water. As Manning approached, he saw that the upper arm had been badly lacerated by coral.
The American grinned and shrugged as if to say that it was nothing and, in the same moment, his eyes widened in alarm. As Manning started to turn, something grazed his back with stunning force, sending him bouncing against the cliff. He was aware of a blue and silver flash and turned to see an eight-foot barracuda vanish into the gloom.
Morrison dropped his harpoon gun in alarm and it drifted down into the green depths trailing the spear on its recovery line. Manning jackknifed and went after it, grabbing for the line, pulling the gun towards him. As he quickly reloaded, he could see Morrison vainly trying to squeeze into a narrow crevasse in the rocks.
At that moment the barracuda flashed from the mist and poised perhaps twenty feet away from the American. A second later it was joined by another.
The drifting brown cloud of blood grew even larger and Manning knew that within seconds it would attract more of the deadly fish. He drove upwards, firing at point-blank range into the white underbelly of the nearest one. It twisted in agony, jerking the gun from his hands and rolled over onto its back, tail threshing the water into a white cauldron, blood staining the sea.
Manning swam towards Morrison and pulled him from the crevasse. As they turned, the other barracuda swung in at its mate, lower jaw hanging to expose its murderous, overlapping teeth. The sea vibrated and it turned away, shreds of skin and bone hanging from its mouth. As other slim, silvery shapes darted from the gloom, Manning grabbed Morrison by the arm and pushed for the surface.
They swam through the shallows above the brilliant red and green coral and then the hull of the Grace Abounding appeared above them and they surfaced astern. Morrison went up the ladder first and Seth helped him over the rail. When Manning followed, he found the American collapsed on deck, shoulders heaving.
Seth looked up enquiringly as Manning pulled off his diving mask and unstrapped his aqualung. 'Run into trouble?'
'Mr Morrison grazed his shoulder and a couple of barracuda showed interest.'
Morrison sat up and Seth examined him, shaking his head. 'I told you to watch out for those nigger-heads, Mr Morrison. A man can't afford to draw blood spear fishing. Most of the big boys, they leave you alone, but not when they taste blood.'
'I'll try to remember that,' Morrison said.
Manning helped him to his feet. 'Let's go below. I'll fix that shoulder for you. Seth will see to the gear.'
Morrison sat on one of the bunks, a towel round his shoulders, shivering slightly. Manning took a bottle of rum from one of the cupboards, filled a glass and gave it to him. The American swallowed and smiled gratefully.
'I thought this stuff about sharks and barracuda attacking skin divers was supposed to be all hogwash?'
'Not when they taste blood,' Manning said as he gently swabbed the deep cuts with merthiolate. 'And another thing. Always reload your spear gun after using it. You never know when you might need it in a hurry.'
'I don't think I'm ever likely to forget that again,' Morrison said wryly and Seth appeared in the doorway.
'The Bonaventure,