You tell Mopo not to worry that he can trust human beings. "Let's get out of the water," he shouts. The fishermen throw you a rope and pull you aboard. Then Mopo leaps out of the water and lands on the deck.

The grizzle-faced captain steps forward, his eyes fixed on the alien. "I've seen a lot of strange creatures in the sea, but nothing like you — and you even talk! You may be the devil for all I know, but I don't see that you mean any harm, so you'll be as well treated on this ship as any ship-wrecked sailor. Follow me."

The captain shows you into the deck house. Mopo follows, scuttling like a crab crawling along the beach. The fishermen watch in amazement. The captain pours you a cup of hot chocolate, but his eyes hardly leave the alien creature beside you. "Would you like something to eat?" he asks Mopo.

"No," Mopo says, "I ate a few months ago." The captain smiles, shakes his head, and turns toward you. "We're bound for Seattle, with a cargo of tuna. We'll be there in forty-eight hours. Do you think I should notify the Coast Guard about this? They'll never believe me."

~ If you ask the captain to notify the Coast Guard at once ,

< GO TO CHAPTER 16 >

~ If you suggest keeping the news quiet until you reach Seattle ,

< GO TO CHAPTER 19 >