We left Loch Ness and followed its river, True keeping us close to the northeastern shoreline. As we passed the Bona Narrows Lighthouse, hydrocarbon gas levels jumped, increasing again as we approached man-made Loch Dochfour.

The farther north we ventured, the greater the hydrocarbon levels. "The northern current's moving the oil," I said, "keeping it from being noticed."

"Aye, an' it's a nineteen kilometer journey frae the Moray Firth intae Loch Ness. Nae wonder the fish're turnin' back. But we still dinnae ken where the oil's originatin' frae."

"Take us back into Loch Ness, True, I want to explore the eastern shoreline."

* * *

"My faither, yer grandfaither, Logan Wallace, he died in these very waters when I wis aboot yer age. An awfy gale hit the Glen an' his boat flipped. Everyone says he drooned, but I ken better, see. Twis the monster that got him, a' part o' the Wallace curse."

"Are ye talkin' aboot Nessie?"

"Nessie? Nessie's folklore. I'm speakin' o' a curse wrought by nature, a curse that's haunted the Wallace men since the passin' of Robert the Bruce."

"Zack! Hey, wake up!"

My eyes snapped open. "Sorry."

"Yer damn monitor's twitchin' like a polecat's tail."

I checked the laptop, then glanced out the port side window. We were nearing Aldourie Castle.

"Shut her down, True. We're here."

"Aye? Whit makes ye sae sure?"

"Just a hunch."

"A hunch, aye? Ye expect me tae believe that? Yer faither telt ye this, didn't he?"

"Long ago, through the wisdom of whisky. He claimed the dragon's lair was down there. Said us Wallaces were cursed, and that the devil himself lurked in the shadow of our souls."

"A drunk dinnae offer any wisdom, Zack, jist ignorance. Ye dinnae need tae dae this. There's better ways tae die."

"And better ways to live."

"At least let me go wi' ye then. I can have a second suit brought within eight hours."

"Sorry, big guy, but this is strictly a solo act. Now show me how to use that dive suit."

* * *

Man has been searching for better ways to explore the depths since humans first learned they could hold their breath. The challenge lies in transporting an adequate supply of air, while handling the complexities associated with water pressure. In seawater, the weight of water increases by one atmosphere for each thirty-three feet, meaning, at thirty-three feet, the water pressure doubles, at sixty-six feet it triples, and so on. As pressure increases, air volume within a contained space decreases by the same ratio, and the density of the air is likewise compressed. For human beings, this means the deeper a diver goes, the greater the "squeeze" on air spaces within the body, including the lungs and sinus cavities. Prolonged activity underwater can also lead to dangerous increases in nitrogen in the bloodstream, maxing out normal scuba dives at 130 feet.