No kidding I thought to myself before asking, "Why? Don't they drown?"
Her face was serious as can be as she said, "That's why it's dangerous. One has to drown little bits at a time and fight down one's own panic for it to work and not be fatal."
Matt had come up to us and he stated what both Jim and I were struggling with to comprehend, "I know I just heard her speak clearly, but I don't have any idea what she's talking about. Do you?"
I shook my head no and Jim did to.
Breathing bubbly water as if it was air?
Everything was so different down here.
The coral reefs got more numerous and ran even closer to the surface. I even saw where they crested out in spots.
Keturah took steering the ship back over as she expertly sailed in and around the underwater obstacles as if she knew the way like the back of her hand.
Crazy came to mind again as the pontoons of the boat sliced through the waves perilously close to outcroppings of coral above and below.
"Shouldn't we take some sail down?" I asked finally as I chickened out.
What we were doing was akin to playing Russian roulette. She gave me a sideways glance full of mirth followed by a deep chuckle to match.
"Scared?" She asked her voice full of playful teasing.
I had the immediate knee-jerk reaction to lie and protect my masculinity, but I told the truth instead, "Yes!"
Jim to his credit nodded affirmatively as well. Matt and Christina were beyond words and had stopped looking outward from the ship, but instead they sat huddled together with their eyes crammed shut. It was tempting to join them but my last vestige of pride resisted such a notion.
Keturah gave Matt and Cristina a sympathetic look and then gave me one, "I'm sorry, but it is the only way. If we take sail down we'll lose speed. If we lose speed we'll sit heavier in the water and hit the rocks."
I nodded grimly.
"This is the only way into these islands?" Jim asked in exasperation.
Keturah's eyes dodged away as she said, "There is another way through, but it is several hours away."
She glanced to where Matt and Christina were huddled and softly admitted, "Perhaps we should've gone that way."
I stared at the back of Keturah's head my emotions wrathful. Forget mating the girl, as I might strangle her first!
I heard one pontoon scrape enough to give everyone a healthy jolt of fear and I was about to lash into Keturah for being so stupid, when Jim's hand gripped down over my shoulder warningly. He leaned in close to my ear and said, "She was just trying to impress you. Cut her some slack Captain."