Page 76 of Tiger's Voyage

Kishan just shrugged his shoulders.

I went on, now that I was on a roll. “Cold-blooded, insensitive, inflexible …heartlessman!”

Ren yelled, “Fine! Wear what you want. Swim naked for all I care! Any shark that eats you will probably get a stomachache anyway and spit you right back out.”

“Ha! You’d have a lot in common then, wouldn’t you?”

Wes threw his hands in the air. “Alrighty, then. Let’s take a break and simmer down. Nilima left us some fruity drinks at the bar so why don’t you two go get one, work this thing out, and be back in five?”

I stormed off to the juice bar with Ren trailing silently behind me. When I reached the tray, I seriously thought about throwing the tall glass of juice into Ren’s face. I took a few deep breaths, all the while feeling him staring at my back. The warmth of him seeped into my skin, prickling my nerves. He reached around me, deliberately brushing my arm when he picked up his drink.

“Why do you have to make everything so hard, Kelsey?”

“Why do you?”

“Believe it or not, I’mtryingto make things easier.”

“Why are you here anyway? I thought you were avoiding me.”

“Iam.But I need to learn about sharks.”

I sipped my juice and then said, “Doesn’t a predator already know all about other predators and how they think? Maybe if I pay extra special attention, I’ll finally figure you out.”

“I’m easy to figure out. A tiger only needs three things to be comfortable. Lots of food, sleep, and … actually, no, it’s just those two things.”

I snorted. “Somehow I don’t think Kishan would limit himself to only those two.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Ren responded tightly. “He’d probably add you to his list.”

“Now why would he need me? An unreasonable, unattractive female?”

“I never said you were unattractive. I said I’d look for someone prettier. I didn’t say I’dfindsomeone prettier, just that I’d look.”

“Well, what’s keeping you, then? Go look already and leave me alone.”

“That’s my plan. Now stop goading me in class so I can learn something.”

I fumed as he walked off. When I entered the room, Ren was sipping his juice as calmly as if we’d never fought. Kishan waved me over to sit next to him. I was still extremely angry and had a hard time paying attention. I handed Kishan a glass of juice while I stared at Wes, who had already begun teaching, but all my thoughts were focused on Ren, picking apart every little thing he said. Finally, something Wes said brought me back to him.

“Sharks can smell blood a mile away, so don’t enter the water if you have a cut. Don’t splash around a lot. If you’re diving and a shark approaches, descend to the ocean floor and hide. It limits the angles it can get at you. And don’t play dead; it doesn’t work on sharks. Really, it doesn’t work on any major predator. They’ll eat you anyway—bears, wolves, tigers. They don’t really discriminate.”

“Exactly,” I mumbled. “They’ll chew up and spit out any helpless girl who comes along.”

Puzzled, Wes looked at me. “Right.”

Ren ignored me, and Kishan sighed.

Wes continued. “Okay, now suppose youareattacked by a shark. Poke him in his gills or his eyes. Hit him. Aggressively. Use whatever weapon you have at your disposal and beat him like a granny beats her rug. Try to remain vertical because it’s harder for him to get a bite. If you are bitten, stop the bleeding even if you’re underwater. Don’t wait until you get ashore.”

He handed us a small gadget and said, “This is called a shark shield. It’s a device that’s starting to become commonplace among divers and surfers.”

“What does it do?” I asked.

“Sharks have gel-filled sacs on their snouts that they use as sensors when they’re looking for a snack. The shield sends out an electric wave that tickles their noses. They don’t like it too much and leave. Attach one part to your ankle and the other part to the front of your BCD. There’s some debate on its effectiveness, but I’ve worn them, and I’ve never been attacked.”

“Okay. What else?”

“That’s about all you can do. If the shark is smaller you might get away, but you have about as much chance of escaping a big shark as you would a T. rex. They’re fast and powerful. Most of the time, the reason divers and surfers get away is because they don’t taste good. Humans are too bony. Sharks much prefer fat, blubbery seals.