I go to the one place where he could be. He's hiding in the very bottom of the ship. His shoulders are humped and he's sobbing. Water splashes around his feet. I silently sneak up behind him and go beside him, just far enough that he couldn't feel me. I sit there for a moment, and then I speak, startling the bejeezus out of him. He stares at me like I'm a ghost, shock plastered all over his face.
"I'm here," I say. "It's okay."
"I thought you were dead. My God, you scared me." He pulls me close and holds me tight. We sit there together in the dark and the wet for a long time. When I've had enough, I untangle myself from his grasp. I stand and stretch, my fingertips brushing the dark splintery wood of the Pearl.
I take him by the hand, "Ragetti, Come up on deck with me. There's someone I want to show you."
I call Adalinda up from the sea. When he sees her, his eyes widen so many ch I think his eye will fall out again.
"What-who? Marina, explain. NOW."
So I did. At the end. he turned and stared at the young Tiamat some more. Ada croons worriedly and rubs her huge head on my chest, knocking me over.
"Easy, big girl. It's alright. He won't hurt me. " I climb back up on her, lounging casually on her flat head.
Ragetti is still dumbfounded. He stands silently on the deck, his mouth agape.
"What's wrong?" I call. "Leviathan got your tongue?"
He finally musters a feeble "Big" and walks away.
Ada gives me a look like, "What is his problem?"
I shrug and slide smoothly off of her back to find Elizabeth.
