Read Online Peter Benchley's Creature by Peter Benchley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peter Benchley
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approached the outboard, then took the boat out of gear and let it idle thirty or forty yards off the outboard's port side.
One boy sat in a fighting chair in the stern, the butt of his rod snugged into a socket between his legs. The rod was bent nearly to the breaking point, and the line led straight out behind the boat: the shark was near the surface, but still fifty yards or more away. The other boy stood forward, at the console, turning the wheel and using the gears to keep the stern of the outboard facing the shark.
"Can he really catch a shark that big?" Max asked. "On a fishing rod?"
"If he knows what he's doing," Chase said. "He's using a tuna rig, probably sixty- or eighty-pound test line with a steel leader."
"But you said the shark weighed a ton."
"He can still wear her out. Great whites aren't great fighters, they're not true game fish. They just pull and pull and finally give up."
As they watched, the boy with the rod tried to reel in some line, but the weight was too great, and the drum of the reel skidded beneath the spool of line. So the boy at the console put the outboard in reverse, backing down toward the shark, giving the angler slack to reel in.
As Chase had feared, the boys knew what they were doing.
"Get closer," he said to Tall Man. "I want to have a talk with them."
Tall Man maneuvered so that the stern of the boat was within ten yards of the side of the outboard. Chase walked aft and stood at the transom.
"What've you got there?" he asked.
"Jaws, man," the boy at the console said. "Biggest damn white shark you ever seen."
"What're you gonna do with it?"
"Catch it ... sell the jaws."
"How're you gonna get it aboard that little boat?"
"Don't have to ... gonna kill it, then tow it in."
"Kill it how? That's one big angry shark."
"With this." The boy reached under the console and brought out a shotgun. "All we have to do is get close enough to him for one clean shot."
Chase paused, considering, then said, "Did you know he's a she?"
"Huh?"
"That shark is a female, and she's pregnant. We've tagged her, we've been studying her. If you kill her, you're not just killing her, you're killing her and her children and her children's children."
"It's a fish," the boy said. "Why should I give a shit?"
"Because white sharks are very rare... endangered, even. I'll make you a deal. You cut that shark away—"
"Fuck you!" shouted the boy with the rod. "I been busting my hump—"
"—and I'll get your names in the paper for helping the Institute. You'll get a lot more mileage than if you just kill her."
"Not a chance." The boy with the rod yelled over his shoulder, "Come back some more, Jimmy. He's takin' line again."
The boy at the console put the outboard in reverse, and Chase saw the angle of the line increase as the boat neared the shark.
"Dad," Max said, "we've gotta do something."
"Yeah," Chase said, leaning on the bulwark as he felt rage rise within him. The problem was, there was nothing he could do, not legally anyway, for the boys were breaking.no law. And yet he knew that if he let this happen, he would never forgive himself. He turned away and went below.
When he returned, he was carrying a mask and a pair of flippers, and a pair of wire cutters was stuck in the belt of his shorts.
"Jesus, Simon . . ." Tall Man said from the flying bridge.
"Where is she, Tall?"
Tall Man pointed. "About twenty yards thataway, but you don't—"
"She's so worn out and confused, she won't pay any attention to me. Last thing she wants to do is eat anybody."
"You know that, do you?"
"Sure," Chase said, forcing a smile and pulling on his flippers. "At least, I hope that."
"Dad!" Max said, as Chase's intent suddenly dawned on him. "You can't-—"
"Trust me, Max." Chase pulled the mask over his face and rolled backward off the bulwark.
The driver of the outboard saw the splash as Chase fell into the water, and he shouted, "Hey! What the hell's he up to?"
"What you shoulda done way back when," Tall
One boy sat in a fighting chair in the stern, the butt of his rod snugged into a socket between his legs. The rod was bent nearly to the breaking point, and the line led straight out behind the boat: the shark was near the surface, but still fifty yards or more away. The other boy stood forward, at the console, turning the wheel and using the gears to keep the stern of the outboard facing the shark.
"Can he really catch a shark that big?" Max asked. "On a fishing rod?"
"If he knows what he's doing," Chase said. "He's using a tuna rig, probably sixty- or eighty-pound test line with a steel leader."
"But you said the shark weighed a ton."
"He can still wear her out. Great whites aren't great fighters, they're not true game fish. They just pull and pull and finally give up."
As they watched, the boy with the rod tried to reel in some line, but the weight was too great, and the drum of the reel skidded beneath the spool of line. So the boy at the console put the outboard in reverse, backing down toward the shark, giving the angler slack to reel in.
As Chase had feared, the boys knew what they were doing.
"Get closer," he said to Tall Man. "I want to have a talk with them."
Tall Man maneuvered so that the stern of the boat was within ten yards of the side of the outboard. Chase walked aft and stood at the transom.
"What've you got there?" he asked.
"Jaws, man," the boy at the console said. "Biggest damn white shark you ever seen."
"What're you gonna do with it?"
"Catch it ... sell the jaws."
"How're you gonna get it aboard that little boat?"
"Don't have to ... gonna kill it, then tow it in."
"Kill it how? That's one big angry shark."
"With this." The boy reached under the console and brought out a shotgun. "All we have to do is get close enough to him for one clean shot."
Chase paused, considering, then said, "Did you know he's a she?"
"Huh?"
"That shark is a female, and she's pregnant. We've tagged her, we've been studying her. If you kill her, you're not just killing her, you're killing her and her children and her children's children."
"It's a fish," the boy said. "Why should I give a shit?"
"Because white sharks are very rare... endangered, even. I'll make you a deal. You cut that shark away—"
"Fuck you!" shouted the boy with the rod. "I been busting my hump—"
"—and I'll get your names in the paper for helping the Institute. You'll get a lot more mileage than if you just kill her."
"Not a chance." The boy with the rod yelled over his shoulder, "Come back some more, Jimmy. He's takin' line again."
The boy at the console put the outboard in reverse, and Chase saw the angle of the line increase as the boat neared the shark.
"Dad," Max said, "we've gotta do something."
"Yeah," Chase said, leaning on the bulwark as he felt rage rise within him. The problem was, there was nothing he could do, not legally anyway, for the boys were breaking.no law. And yet he knew that if he let this happen, he would never forgive himself. He turned away and went below.
When he returned, he was carrying a mask and a pair of flippers, and a pair of wire cutters was stuck in the belt of his shorts.
"Jesus, Simon . . ." Tall Man said from the flying bridge.
"Where is she, Tall?"
Tall Man pointed. "About twenty yards thataway, but you don't—"
"She's so worn out and confused, she won't pay any attention to me. Last thing she wants to do is eat anybody."
"You know that, do you?"
"Sure," Chase said, forcing a smile and pulling on his flippers. "At least, I hope that."
"Dad!" Max said, as Chase's intent suddenly dawned on him. "You can't-—"
"Trust me, Max." Chase pulled the mask over his face and rolled backward off the bulwark.
The driver of the outboard saw the splash as Chase fell into the water, and he shouted, "Hey! What the hell's he up to?"
"What you shoulda done way back when," Tall
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