It was about eleven o’clock when Ned Land drew my attention to a fearsome commotion out in this huge seaweed.
“Well,” I said, “these are real devilfish caverns, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those monsters hereabouts.”
“What!” Conseil put in. “Squid, ordinary squid from the class Cephalopoda?”
“No,” I said, “devilfish of large dimensions. But friend Land is no doubt mistaken, because I don’t see a thing.”
“That’s regrettable,” Conseil answered. “I’d like to come face to face with one of those devilfish I’ve heard so much about, which can drag ships down into the depths. Those beasts go by the name of krake—”
“Fake is more like it,” the Canadian replied sarcastically.
“Krakens!” Conseil shot back, finishing his word without wincing at his companion’s witticism.
“Nobody will ever make me believe,” Ned Land said, “that such animals exist.”
“Why not?” Conseil replied. “We sincerely believed in master’s narwhale.”
“We were wrong, Conseil.”