With every violent twist of the eel, Talon wrenched toward the volcano. Soon the Artiméans could tell that Talon was slowly pulling the eel out of the water and closer to them. Samheed watched for a moment, then looked around frantically. Seeing Fifer’s bird hammock spread out, he lunged for it. Grabbing the longest rope, he ripped it loose from the fabric. “Come on, everybody!” he called. Coiling the rope, he bounded partway up the side of the volcano with Lani rolling over the rocks in her magical contraption behind him. Kaylee followed. “Everyone!” Samheed said again. “Up here! Talon, try to come this way!”

Confused, Fifer and the rest followed Samheed up the side of the volcano. Stopping on a large ledge, Samheed partially uncoiled the rope and handed the loose end to Lani. Then he cast a magic carpet spell and climbed on it. He commanded the carpet to move to Talon and uncoiled the rope slowly as he went out over the water.

“What’s he doing?” Fifer demanded once she and the others reached the ledge.

“Everybody grab on!” Lani handed the slack end of the rope to the ones behind her, then locked her wheels and gripped a new spot a short way up it and leaned precipitously over the edge.

“Oh, I see!” said Thisbe. “We’re going to help pull Talon and the eel.”

“Precisely,” said Lani. “Everybody hold tight and plant your feet behind rocks. Get ready to reel them in. Just don’t yank too hard, or we’ll pull Sam off the carpet.”

They stood in a line, positioning themselves behind boulders for support, as Samheed inched closer to Talon.

Talon yanked and strained, moving little by little toward Samheed and the volcano.

“Hurry up,” Seth muttered, his normally pale cheeks red with exertion. He knew his mother could hold her breath for seven minutes, like most of the humans here, but time was ticking. And if she hadn’t had a chance to get a breath before the eel yanked her under, she would be in big trouble by now. Seth’s own breathing was shallow and quick, and he felt an old familiar panic swelling inside his chest. He gripped the rope tighter, his hands beginning to tremble.

“She’s going to be okay,” Thisbe whispered comfortingly from behind him. She recognized the panic signs and understood what was happening to him. “Focus on something and take slow, deep breaths.”

Seth gulped and nodded and tried to breathe more slowly.

“Come on, Talon!” Samheed shouted, jiggling the end of the rope. “Almost there!”