The huge squid hung in the water like a massive parachute; its tentacles dangled beneath it, and its shroud slightly open as its jets gently sucked in and then eased out water. Huge eyes the size of basketballs watched them with an intelligent curiosity that was both mesmerizing and unsettling.

“A fucking giant squid,” Greg spluttered.

“Big one,” said Yegor. “Maybe fifty feet across.”

“Colossal or perhaps Architeuthis.” Mironov had left his seat and now stood behind Jack’s shoulder. “And why not? They’ve also been around for many millions of years. They just don’t leave obvious fossils due to their soft bodies.”

The massive umbrella glided closer, and one of the long tentacle-whips lifted towards the submersible. Jack eased the Prusalka back a dozen feet but the huge arm stretched and finally the four-foot pad gently touched the glass of the front window, tapping and caressing it.

“Probably just trying to understand what this hard-bodied creature is,” Jack said, watching it closely.

“Yeah, or maybe trying to reach inside and get to the soft-looking beings it can undoubtedly see here,” Greg countered.

The second long whip came forward to also feel along the glass.

“They can taste with their tentacle tips, you know.” Mironov’s eyes were fixed. One of the pads flattened on the glass, and they could all see the softball-sized circular suction mechanisms opening and then compressing flat on the convex glass. At the center of each was a talon-like structure that arced forward to scrape at the window.

“I think we’ve seen enough.” Jack moved the stick back a few more notches. The tentacles stretched slightly, but then more of the stubbier gripping arms came forward, and the shroud enveloped the glass. The Prusalka stopped dead in the water.

Abby whimpered behind them.

Yegor turned to her. “Don’t worry, little sparrow; it can’t get in, or damage us.”

The shroud completely enveloped them, and Cate suddenly felt like a skydiver that had become fouled in their parachute.

The huge bell of the mantle closed tight over the front of a vessel, and then the beak emerged – two-feet long, parrot-like and wickedly curved. It scraped against the toughened glass, and even inside the submersible they heard the grinding, squeal that set their teeth on edge. A long white gouge appeared on the super toughened glass.

“Okay; that’s enough of that. We need that bastard off, now! If that thing gets itself caught in our prop, we’ll be dragging it all the way to the communication buoy.”

“Yeah, and I for one, do not want to damn well surface with the Kraken still hanging onto us.” Greg’s eyes were round and his mouth remained open.