MORNING, MOURNING

There was no moon, no stars.  Not a wave stirred.  Bud stood at the rail and waited, the underwater lights of the Magnate illuminating the hull and surrounding sea.  And then the whispers came, tickling his ear.

"Bud . . . baby, where are you?"

"Maggie?  Maggie, is that you?"  Bud leaned over the rail, searching the black sea.  I'm losing it, he thought.

"Bud, my love, please help me."  The whispers cooed into his ear.

"Oh God, Maggie, where are you?"  Hot tears rolled down his cheeks.  He watched a droplet fall into the ocean.

Bud waited.  He felt its aura rising.  Then the glow, followed by the snout, still hovering below the surface.  The jaws opened, revealing blackness.  The words came again, tearing at Bud's heart . . . "Bud, please, I don't want to die."

"MAGGIE!"

The nurse ran in, grabbed his arm.

"Maggie!  Maggie, no . . ."  The monster slowly turned, disappearing into blackness.  Bud screamed a bloodcurdling howl.

The orderly held him down, the hypodermic releasing its serum.  "It's okay, Mr. Harris," the nurse soothed.  "It's okay."  The orderly strapped him down, bound his wrists and ankles.

Bud fell backward in slow motion onto the Magnate 's deck and watched the sky, helpless, as the gray haze of dawn approached.

*        *        *        *        *

Jonas passed out as the sun rose, the birds chirping permission to sleep.  The sea was gray, the swells bobbing the AG I up and down along the surf.  He saw the swimmer, black hair, almond eyes.  It was D.J.

The sub was inverted, no power.  Jonas hung suspended upside down, waiting for D.J. to pull him out.  He looked down into the mist.

The surreal glow appeared, then the immense mouth, the serrated teeth.  She rose slowly.  Jonas couldn't move, paralyzed with fear.  He glanced at . . . Terry!  Not D.J..  D.J. was dead.

"Terry, get away!" he screamed.  She smiled, waving at Jonas.  The monster opened its mouth.

"Terry, Nooooo!"

*        *        *        *        *

The knock bolted him upright.  "Terry?"

Three more knocks.

Jonas rolled off the sofa, spilling the shot of Jack Daniel's onto the carpet.  Staggering, he opened the door.

"Masao."  The bright daylight burned into Jonas's eyes.

"Jonas, you look like hell.  Let me in."

Jonas stood aside.

"You have coffee?"  Masao went into the kitchen.

"Ah, yeah, Mas, um, one of the upper shelves, I think."

Masao made coffee, handed it to Jonas.  "Here, drink this, my friend.  It's three o'clock.  Morning is over."

Jonas shook his head, taking a seat at the kitchen table.  "I can't.  I'm sorry, Masao, I can't anymore."

"Can't?"  Masao Tanaka stood over his friend, eyeball to eyeball.  "What can't you do?"

Jonas looked down.  "There's been too much death.  I can't do this anymore."

Masao sat down.  "Jonas, we have a responsibility.  I feel it.  I know you do as well."

"I've lost my desire to keep chasing this monster."  Jonas looked into Tanaka's eyes.

"Hmm."  Masao was quiet.  "Jonas?"

"Yes, Mas."

"You are familiar with Sun Tzu?"

"No."

"Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War over twenty-five hundred years ago.  He said, if you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.  If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.  But if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.  Do you understand?"

"I don't know, Masao.  I can't think right now."

Masao placed his hand on Jonas's shoulder.  "Jonas, who knows this creature better than you?"

"Masao, this is different."

Masao shook his head.  "The enemy is the enemy."  He stood.  "But if you will not face our foe, then my daughter will."

Jonas leaped up.  "No, Masao.  Not Terry!"

"Terry can pilot the AG I.  My daughter knows her responsibility.  She is not afraid."

"Forget it, I'm going!"

"No, my friend.  As you say, this is different.  D.J.'s death must not be a meaningless one.  The Tanaka clan will finish this business ourselves."

"Give me five minutes to get dressed."  Jonas ran into the bedroom.  The television was still on, channel 9 Action News.  They were showing the underwater footage, Maggie's footage, taken from the cylinder.

" . . .amazing footage taken just before she died in the creature's jaws.  Maggie Taylor gave her life to her profession, leaving these incredible scenes as her lasting legacy.  A public service was held yesterday, and Channel 9 will be presenting a two-hour special tonight at eight honoring Ms. Taylor.

"In a related story, a federal judge ruled today that the Megalodon has been officially listed as a protected species of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary.  We bring you live to the steps of the Federal Court Building."

Jonas sat on the edge of the bed and turned up the volume.

" . . .hope to speak with him.  Here he comes . . . Mr. Dupont, Mr. Dupont, were you surprised today how quickly the judge ruled in favor of protecting the Megalodon, especially in light of the recent attacks?"

André Dupont of the Cousteau Society stood next to his attorney, several microphones pressed to his face.

"No, we weren't surprised.  The Monterey Sanctuary is a federally protected marine park designed to protect all species, from the smallest otter to the largest whale.  There are other marine predators in the park, orcas, great whites.  Each year, we see isolated attacks by great white sharks on divers or surfers, but these are isolated attacks only.  Studies have shown that the great white sometimes mistakes a surfer for a seal.  Humans are not the staple of the great white's diet, and we certainly are not the preferred food of the sixty-foot Megalodon.  Of greater importance will be our effort to immediately place Carcharodon megalodon on the Endangered Species list, so it is protected in international waters as well."

"Mr. Dupont, what is the Cousteau Society's opinion of the Tanaka Insitute's plan to capture the Megalodon?"

"The Cousteau Society believes that all creatures have a right to survive and thrive in their natural habitat.  However, we are dealing with a species that was never intended to interact with man.  The Tanaka Lagoon is certainly large enough to accommodate a creature of this size, so we agree that it would be in the best interest of all parties to have the Megalodon captured."

The Channel 9 anchor reappeared.

"We had our field reporter, David Adashek, conduct an unofficial street poll to see what the public's opinion is.  David?"

"Field reporter?"  Jonas stood up, feeling the blood drain from his face.  "This guy works for Maggie's network?  Jesus, Maggie . . ."

" . . .opinions seem to favor capturing the monster that destroyed the lives of so many gallant people, including my close friend Maggie Taylor.  Personally, I feel the creature is a menace, and I've spoken to several biologists who believe that the monster has acquired a taste for humans.  This means that we can expect more gruesome deaths, especially in light of today's federal court ruling.  This is David Adashek reporting, Channel 9 News."

Jonas hit the power button on the remote, turning off the set.  He sat motionless on the edge of the bed, trying to piece together everything he had just learned.

God, Maggie, he thought, what did I do to ever make you so bitter, so unhappy.  But Jonas knew in his heart:  the long hours, the traveling, the long nights alone in his study, writing his books.  Tears rolled down his cheeks.  "I really am sorry, Maggie, so sorry."  At that moment, Jonas felt more love for his wife than he had over the last two years.

The noise of the car horn forced him to move.  He washed the tears from his face, then grabbed his duffel bag and shoved a few days' worth of clothing inside.  He pulled out his workout bag, already loaded with his wet suit.  Jonas looked inside, verifying that his good-luck charm was packed.  He took a moment to examine the blackened seven-inch fossil, as wide and as large as the palm of his hand.  He felt its sharp serrated edges as he ran the tooth across his fingers.

"Fifteen million years old, and still sharp as any knife."  He replaced the tooth in its leather pouch, dropped it in the gym bag, and slung the two carry-ons over his shoulder.

He looked in the mirror.  "Okay, Dr. Taylor.  Mourning's over.  Time to get on with your life."

When he walked out the front door, Masao Tanaka was waiting.