Page 122 of Treasure of the Abyss

“I am glad you yet live, Wanderer.” Dracchus moved forward and stopped immediately in front of the tank, tilting his head back to examine the thing. His eyes shifted to thecrack.

“This device should be simple enough to operate…” Arkon blew air through hissiphons.

Jax clenched his jaw. “But?”

“It appears as though they’ve put some sort of locking mechanism on it. The manual release for the lid is immobile, and I believe it must be free to move, even for the electronic controls tofunction.”

“Can you open it,Arkon?”

“I just need a few moments to puzzle itout.”

Every moment was precious, but the chance of escaping this cage without raising any sort of alarm couldn’t be easily dismissed. Jax counted his heartbeats as hewaited.

“How long will the humans be away?” Dracchusasked.

“I do not know,” Jaxreplied.

The large kraken grunted and turned away, looking between the othertanks.

Angling his head to glimpse Arkon, Jax frowned. “Arkon?”

“It is…somewhat more complicated than I anticipated.” Something rattled on thelid.

“We don’t have time for this,Arkon.”

“It will not be muchlonger.”

“Wanderer,” Dracchus growled, “we must go. They will put all three of us in these cages if theyreturn.”

Jax spread his fingers and raked his claws impatiently along the glass. “Iknow.”

Dracchus ducked beneath the walkway and disappeared from Jax’sview.

Arkon rattled something on the lid again, and then banged on it; the sound vibrated through the glass and made ripples on the surface of thewater.

“Arkon.”

“I’m doing what I can,Jax!”

Jax’s gaze flickered to the door; it was still closed, but he expected, the guards to walk in at any moment. Their eyes would go wide, and they’d raise their guns. Water and kraken blood would spill on thefloor.

“Can you open it, ornot?”

“Yes. I think so. I just needtime.”

“We don’t have any time.” Dracchus emerged from under the platform. “Macy awaits at the docks. The humans will return at any moment.” As he advanced toward the tank, he hefted something in his hands — a long metal tool with a bulkyend.

Dracchus met Jax’sgaze.

Jax nodded and shifted to the rear of the tank, pressing himself against theglass.

Gripping the tool in both hands, Dracchus drew himself up on his tentacles and twisted. Muscles rippled beneath his dark skin as he swung. The head of the tool crashed into the glass, and cracks shot in all directions, radiating from the point ofimpact.

“What was that?” Arkon demanded. “What is hedoing?”

Dracchus drew back once more. When the tool hit the glass a second time, the damaged portion collapsed inward, only to be swept out by the rush of escaping water. Dracchus hit the glass repeatedly as water pooled around his tentacles, opening the holewider.

“That was not necessary!” Arkon moved onto the walkway and lowered himself to the floor behindDracchus.

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