Another boat passed them in a wider part of the tunnel, returning the way it came. The guides had a whispered conversation. Indra looked over the side and screamed, taking to heart the ancient Māori legends of taniwha and water dragons. “Taniwha!” she screeched, mangling the word with her accent. “It’s chasing you!”
The other boat tipped as its members leaned over to look, adding their terror to the mix. A man at the back pointed to a white shape moving behind the boat. “It’s chasing us!”
Hana closed her eyes as Deepak made a swipe for his turban, trying to unhook it from the back of the other boat. It slid around in the water like an oversized eel and Hana felt the boat lurch beneath her. “I can get it!” he complained as the guide forbade him in a tight, high voice. She slapped his fing
