Page 96 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
“I think I’m cute.”
“Hmmm…” I ran my hand over his shoulder. “Not as cute as Littlefoot. And he’s, you know,little.”
Alistair scooted his head a little closer to me. “But can he do this?” He blew out, sending a geyser of water straight into the air.
I squealed as that mist tumbled down, pelleting me lightly over the head. “Goofball.”
He responded with a sonic boom laugh—and the ocean took offense to having an Alistair detonate in its waters. It retaliated by shooting a barrage of tall, choppy waves at us.
I scrabbled when the waves sloshed over me and raked my nails into Alistair’s shoulder, fighting the slimy pull of the water.
“You’re safe, Pippi.” Alistair touched his snout to my side, holding me steady.
“I know,” I said. “But could you maybe wait until I’mnotin the water to launch a tsunami?”
“Ssssssoooooo-nam-eeee,” he gargled the word. “Those are…largewaves.”
“Sure are.”
“Much larger than the ones that just passed.”
“Hmmm, those got pretty close to tsunami level.”
“Hmmm,” he lightly mimicked me. “I think not.”
I splashed him, grinning when he chuckled.
“You, sir,” I added, “might be big enough to dismiss monstrous waves, but did you ever see what happens to people when they get flattened by a tsunami?”
“It’s bad, I’m sure,” Alistair drawled.
“They’repulverized. Every bone broken. Skin flayed to ribbons.”
“Oh dear.”
And that got me.
The slightly high pitched“Oh dear,”like he was Winnie the Pooh, hemming and hawing over the empty honey jar.
I cackled, and then ended up swallowing a big, salty mouthful of seawater, which turned my giggle into more of a barking gag.
Alistair snuffled gently. “Careful, Pippi. The b-b-b-banshees make that sound. When they m-mate.”
I choked again.
“One of them might answer your m-mating cry.”
I laughed.
Andlaughed.
Until my stomach hurt and I had to hold onto Alistair for dear life because the giddiness turned my muscles to goop. UntilI had tears streaming down my face and I was gagging—both on the air, and on the sea.
“This isyourfault.” I sneezed when a vat of water flumed up my nose.
“I’m very sorry.” Alistair vibrated with a low, non-tsunami inducing chuckle and sent another warm puff of air over my head.
It took several minutes for the giggles to subside.
