The towing cord still smelled of supper. 🪢
THE BOOK OF TAD
PAGE 114
WHAT CAME AWAY 🫧
Finley kept Glint level between the mineral teeth. The injured flipper lay tight against Glint’s body. When Finley caught the harness beneath it, Glint shut his eyes.
“The other strap. Pull that one.”
Finley changed his grip.
Zale came back through the cover. He looped a food cord around the sound side of Glint’s harness, leaving the injury clear, and took its free end.
“Best towing cord in the Pond,” he said. “Very exclusive.”
Glint glanced at the frayed end. “Second-hand?”
“Experienced.”
Glint’s mouth moved. It was not quite a smile, but Zale saw it.
TurboTAD backed away from the broken shelf. Krail withdrew his hook and came around the mineral tooth instead of trying to force between its narrow neighbours.
That gave them moments, not distance.
Vael waited at the next patch of cover. Beyond him lay the chamber entrance and one last stretch of exposed water.
“This way. Keep him level.”
Finley looked back once. A corner of his strip flashed below the shelf, then disappeared into water Krail now occupied. Its rolling reed was gone too.
Zale drew the towing cord straight. Finley steadied Glint from the sound side. TurboTAD took the outside position, watching the nymph through the weed.
They left the teeth together.