It had nearly got me. Something smelled burnt and I realized the blast had singed my hair. Black powder bombs. Another one fell just in front of the boat. I heard it clunk underwater before exploding just as I passed it. Water splashed me in the face.

They were letting me catch up. They wanted me close as possible so they wouldn’t miss. They were going to blow up my skiff.

I tried to slow myself down, but the current was too strong, I was being drug straight for them. I saw Pop kick and struggle in the boat and Cecily Bob whack him with an oar. Mr. Hugo lit another black powder bomb then, held it close to his chest, the fuse burning low. In the starlight I saw his gap-toothed grin.

He was close enough I could hear him giggle.

Then he reared back and hurled the black powder bomb right at my head.

I ducked. It flew just over my noggin, clanking on the floor of the skiff.

The black powder bomb was in the boat with me, fuse burning down to a bare smidgen.

I had two choices.

I could snatch it up and chuck it into the water, pray I was quick enough to keep it from blowing up in my hands.

Or I could abandon ship, fling myself into the river, and hope it would hold me, hope it would carry me on to somewhere safe.

Of course, the bomb blew up before I could make a decision.

The blast flung me into the corner of the skiff, nearly out of it. I bonked my head something awful, and I looked down and my pant cuff was on fire. I kicked the flames out quick enough, but the worst of all was the hole blown in the floor of the boat. It was about the size of my head I reckon, and black water gushed up through it.

Wasn’t any point in bailing the water out. This sucker was sinking, and fast. I gripped tight to Pop’s knapsack, still slung over my shoulder, and got ready to say my prayers. That’s when I heard Cecily Bob’s horrible cackle, and a lit black powder bomb went sailing over my head, the burning fuse streaking across the sky like a dismal shooting star.

It landed with a plop in the waterlogged skiff.

This time it blew me out of the boat. Cinders and wood fell around me like burning rain. I hit the water hard, sinking down, down, my body heavy as a cannonball. Deep beneath the water the river turned and twisted, its undercurrents like a wild mass of tangled hair. Debris snatched at my clothes, twigs and driftwood, sunken boats and storm-thrown trees and old forgotten things. My leg was caught, my pants hooked on something gnarled and twisted. I kicked and I kicked but I couldn’t break free. I peered up at the moonlight glimmering on the surface of the water over my head, I imagined the billion stars glittering like all the world’s jewels, that perfect beautiful night sky I never was going to see again, there was no chance. I was sure I was going to drown.