From THE LOST KINGDOMThe bear-wolf stood on its hind legs, looked up at us, and slammed both of its front paws against the ship's hull with its full weight. The de Terzi jolted, and I felt the reverberation through my boots. "We don't have two minutes!" my father shouted. "That thing is strong enough to crack the hull!" The bear-wolf heaved itself against the ship a second time, and I heard the sound of wood splintering. "I'm working as fast as I can!" Mr. Faries shouted. "Someone take the helm!" Mr. Kinnersley raced to the controls. "I'll do it!" "Wait for my mark!" Mr. Faries said. The ship thundered with a third blow from the bear-wolf. The animal roared, and something in it sounded triumphant. Almost as if it had realized it was breaking through. "Mr. Faries?" my father said. "Now!" Mr. Faries said, letting a rope lose in his harness. I shouted in alarm as he plummeted toward the deck, but he pulled the rope tight just as he was about to hit and stopped his fall. Mr. Kinnersley threw a lever, and the de Terzi eased upward out of the bear-wolf's reach. We all looked over the edge, watching the animal grow smaller as our ship moved slowly down the river, and I began to feel safe enough to relax a little. But the bear-wolf pursued us, never taking its eyes from us as it stalked down the riverbank, parallel with the ship. Excerpted from The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J. Kirby All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
