The Sunsprite wasn't visible, but the column of steam slowly moved towards the beach, the water fizzing and boiling all around it
"Can't the sea quench it?" asked Arthur.
"Eventually, if there was some means of keeping it in the water," Tom told him. He held out his left hand and his harpoon appeared there out of nowhere. He immediately handed the weapon to Arthur, who accepted it with surprise.
"My friend does not willingly fly from another's hand, but she will help the Master of the Lower House. Aim high, for the upper torso of the Sprite - and keep your distance. My friend is best thrown as far as you can."
"But? but what are you going to do?"
"I must ready the Helios for our departure, before the other Sprites drag it back into the sun. You will need to distract this Sunsprite, then finish it. Miss Blue, your cutlass will cut several times before the blade melts. Use your weapons well."
He rushed into the surf just as a man-sized cloud of writhing steam emerged from the sea. A moment later the steam wafted away and Arthur caught a glimpse of a dark charcoal-colored creature, just before it exploded into flame. Even through his star-hood, Arthur felt the heat of it on his face.
Without even thinking about it, he threw Tom's harpoon at it, aiming for its upper chest. Once again there was the strange crackling noise, like wrapping paper being mangled, magnified a hundred times. The harpoon flew so fast Arthur only saw a luminous aftertrail.
"Ow!" exclaimed Suzy, and Arthur groaned as the harpoon hit. Both of them clutched their mouths, as they were hit by a sudden toothache that radiated through into their cheekbones and eye sockets.
It was much worse for the Sunsprite. It screamed and ropes of flame shot from its hands up into the sky, then came back down and wrapped around the harpoon that stuck through its chest. When it seemed as if it might pull the harpoon free, Suzy dropped her hand from her mouth and drew her cutlass. But the flaming ropes dimmed and the Sunsprite's fire went out completely as it crumbled into ash and chunks of charcoal.
The harpoon disappeared. Arthur flinched as it reappeared in his hand with a solid whack!
Suzy looked at the harpoon, ran her tongue across her still-aching teeth, and shook her head. "That's nasty, that is. I wouldn't want to be any closer next time you use it."
"I hope there won't be a next time," Arthur replied as he hurried into the sea. He held the harpoon away from his body as far as he could, as if it might turn and strike at him. "Let's get aboard before another Sunsprite comes through, and -"
A wave slapped him in the face before he could continue. The star-hood stopped him from swallowing anything, but he had to stop where he was in order to regain his balance.
At that moment, steam exploded just in front of him. He stumbled back into Suzy, and both of them fell over in the soft sand, the wash spilling over their legs as another steam-wreathed Sunsprite reared up out of the sea.
It was too close to throw, and he was blinded by steam, so Arthur simply thrust Tom's harpoon up and out, while Suzy scrambled away on all fours as fast as she could.
Arthur felt the harpoon shudder in his hands at the same time an intense heat blasted across his face. He pulled his hands into his sleeves as far as he could, and leaned back into the wash, setting the shaft of the harpoon into the sand.
A moment later, he had to let go of the weapon, as a biting ache struck every bone in his body and spread through his teeth and across his face. He screamed and beat at his mouth with his sleeved hands, desperate to stop the pain. The intense heat of the Sunsprite was nothing compared to the deep, vibrating ache beneath his skin, throbbing in agonizing time with his increasing pulse.
Rushing to escape the harpoon's awful influence, Arthur squirmed away through the sea and sand. He didn't care whether he'd gotten the Sunsprite, whether it was following to kiss him and burn him to death. All he wanted to do was get away from the Captain's terrible weapon -
Something slapped into his right hand, and Arthur screamed again. The harpoon had come back. He couldn't get away from it!
That meant the harpoon thought it would soon be used again.
Chapter Seventeen
Even though the harpoon was back in Arthur's hand, the pain suddenly ebbed away, disappearing as quickly as it had come, leaving only a lingering discomfort in his teeth and a horrific memory.
Arthur found he was lying facedown in wet sand, and hastily rolled over. There was no sign of the Sun-sprite or any other geysers of steam. Wearily, he sat up, then staggered to his feet and looked around properly. Suzy was lying still on the sand about six feet away, just above the tide line.
"Suzy!" Arthur called, panic in his voice. What if the side effects of using the harpoon had killed her?
Suzy lifted her head, probed her face with her fingers as if to make sure it was still there, then shakily stood up.
"Are you all right?" Arthur asked urgently, taking a step towards her. She backed away and held up her hands.
"Keep your distance with that sticker, Arthur. I'll just follow on behind." "Arthur! Miss Blue! Quickly, we need to cast off!"
Tom's shout galvanized both children into action. Arthur flung himself into the waves, turning sideways to get through them more easily, though he had to kick as well, as a bigger wave lifted him off his feet. Suzy, despite her words, plunged in and soon caught up to him.
As they approached the portside hatch and the rope ladder hanging from it, the water all along the golden bulk of the sunship's hull began to fizz and bubble. Tom leaned out of the hatchway and shouted again.
"Faster! The Sunsprites have done something to the Immaterial Glass, our anchor's dragged, and our starboard sail is filling!"
Arthur redoubled his efforts, but stumbled just before he got to the ladder. He fell completely underwater. Hot water. He pushed off the sand and felt a hand under his arm, and when he burst back out, Suzy was right behind him, helping him up.
She practically threw him onto the ladder. Arthur dropped the harpoon as he grabbed the bottom rung, but it didn't fall. It just disappeared.
"Don't come back to me," muttered Arthur under his breath as he clambered up. At the top, he turned and reached back to help Suzy. The water was really boiling now all along the sunship, and Arthur could see a red glow spreading through the clear blue-green sea.
Suzy leaped aboard with alacrity, hardly needing Arthur's help. "Shut the hatch and dog it!" roared Tom from somewhere inside.
Arthur pulled and Suzy pushed on the hatch. It was very heavy, made of the same golden metal as the hull, and at least a foot thick. It moved very slowly along a top and bottom rail. As it closed, Arthur saw dozens of gouts of steam explode up through the waves outside. The columns of steam were motionless for a second, then all turned towards the still open hatch.
"Sunsprites!" shouted Arthur. "Lots of them!"
He gave up pulling the hatch and ran around to help Suzy push.
"Heave!" he yelled. "One, two, three - heave!"
A ropy arm of fire thrust itself inside just as the hatch rolled shut. Cut off, it rolled and twisted around Arthur's and Suzy's feet, till Suzy stamped on it. Its fire went out and it collapsed into black dust.
Arthur picked up the long metal bar and slid it in place, locking the hatch. He'd barely gotten it in place when there was a sudden beating on the hull, a sound like many hammers striking metal.
"I hope they can't get in," said Suzy. "I lost my cutlass in the sea."
"So did I," gasped Arthur, feeling his side. He couldn't remember when he'd last had it. "Let's get some more. I'm not using that harpoon again."
"All hands to the bridge!" Tom bellowed.
Arthur and Suzy hurried along the passage and then up to the bridge. Tom was steering the wheel with one hand and reaching out to pull levers with the other. Through one blue porthole, Arthur and Suzy saw the island, now hidden in steam and smoke. The other porthole showed only bright light and indistinct figures that had to be Sunsprites. The metal hammering noise was just as loud here, making it hard to hear and even harder to concentrate.