The Eye of Neptune by Jon Mayhew

submersible at the same time as Oginski,’ he said slowly. ‘While your uncle built a sub on this side of the ocean, Oginski built one in England. They were building the subs and exchanging advice with each other but first Oginski was kidnapped and now your uncle.’
    ‘A likely story,’ the girl snorted. ‘Why would my uncle share his ideas with this Count Oginski?’
    ‘Think about it – you said yourself that they’re friends,’ Dakkar replied. ‘They’re the greatest engineering minds in the world, so of course they would collaborate.’
    ‘I don’t trust you, your highness ,’ the girl said, jabbing Dakkar with her index finger. ‘If your precious Oginski is missing, then what are you doing here with the Brits, kidnapping my uncle?’
    Dakkar gave an exasperated groan. ‘ I didn’t kidnap your uncle! I thought the “Brits” on that ship had kidnapped Oginski so I went after them in my submersible – I called her the Makara .’
    The girl sat quietly for a moment, chewing her lip. Dakkar could tell she wasn’t convinced.
    ‘So how come you were on board the Palaemon ?’ she demanded. ‘And not in your . . . Marraka ?’
    ‘ Makara ,’ Dakkar corrected, his face burning as he remembered how he lost her. ‘I attacked a pirate ship and got caught in the wreckage. The sub sank and they rescued me.’
    ‘You got caught,’ she said, pulling a disapproving face at Dakkar. ‘At least I can use the Liberty to good effect!’
    ‘So you call this submersible Liberty ,’ Dakkar said, looking around. ‘Was it you who sank the ship, thinking that your uncle was on board? Are you an imbecile?’
    ‘Who are you callin’ an imbecile?’ the girl spat, and she jumped up, fists balled again.
    ‘If Fulton was on that ship, surely he would have drowned by now,’ Dakkar said, his voice cold. ‘And you thought that sinking the ship was a good plan? You’re lucky he wasn’t aboard.’
    The girl’s face crumpled as she realised her mistake. Dakkar could see the worry lining her brow. Tears glistened in her eyes. She threw herself back in her seat.
    ‘I know,’ she said, sniffing back the tears. ‘I was so angry but I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. When the ship began to sink, I realised my mistake and panicked. That’s why I came back. I was looking for survivors, anyone who might know anything. ’
    ‘I know how you feel.’ Dakkar nodded, thinking back to when he almost rammed Blizzard’s ship. ‘But they didn’t take your uncle.’
    ‘Then where is he?’ she sobbed. ‘And who has taken him?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Dakkar said gently. ‘But I bet it was the same people who took Oginski. Untie me and we can find them together.’

Chapter Eleven
    The Boathouse
    They sat in silence as the girl steered the Liberty through the waves towards land. Dakkar’s cheek still tingled from the slap she’d given him. After some time she began to relax, and as she did she began to talk.
    ‘My name’s Georgia,’ the girl said. ‘Georgia Fulton. I live with my Uncle Robert. Aunt Harriet scolds him for showing me his inventions and all but I find it interesting. His own children are too young. The eldest is eight and not really interested yet. The girls are adorable though . . .’
    Dakkar rubbed his face and pressed his fingertips against his eyes. Does she ever shut up? he thought. His wet clothes still clung to him and he felt chilled and shivery.
    He scanned around the Liberty as Georgia rambled on. The sub looked incredibly similar to Oginski’s version, only larger. The engine whirred at the back of the craft. A number of keys studded the surface of the control panel, each turning at a different rate. The central crank looked larger than the others and clacked as it whirled round. It’s clockwork too, like the Makara was . Dakkar remembered the letters from Fulton in the Makara . They had compared notes closely. Dakkar recognised the lever for forward and back, the ballast wheel and even the