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.”
    He turned to David. “ Liopleurodon fossils have been found throughout Europe, and yet these creatures were but half the size of the monster who stalked you in the Panthalassa Sea. Dr. McDonnell, tell him why our Lio is so much larger—so big in fact that I am forced to build an even larger arena to contain it.”
    “Bergmann’s Rule,” the marine biologist replied. “A century and a half ago, a German biologist by the name of Carl Bergmann observed that animals tend to be larger at higher latitudes than they are at the equator, correlating colder ocean temperatures with increased body size. The lower the ratio of body mass to surface area, the less heat loss an animal will experience.”
    The Crown Prince turned to David. “What was the water temperature in the area of the Panthalassa Sea where you first encountered the Liopleurodon ?”
    “Freezing. The Panthalassa was segregated into hot vent areas and cold seeps. The creature preferred a chilly habitat. You’re saying the Panthalassa Lios grew much larger than their reptilian ancestors in order to stay warm?”
    “Precisely,” Dr. McDonnell said.
    The Crown Prince stood, his movement eliciting a response from the Dunk. “David, no one knows that monster better than you. I would love to hire you and your friend to join my cousin in hunting down the Lio … only I can’t.”
    David felt a knot in his stomach. “Why not?”
    “Because you seek to kill this magnificent creature, just to avenge the death of this Szeifert girl … a girl you barely knew.”
    “I give you my word, I won’t kill it.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “Test me. Let me prove it to you!”
    The Crown Prince stared at the San Francisco Giants sweatbands covering David’s wrists. “There are two converted supertankers engaged in hunting down several predatory species that fled the Panthalassa Sea. The Mogamigawa is in the Western Pacific heading north toward Japan; her sister ship, the Tonga, is after the Lio, which is heading south. Prove to me your motives are pure aboard the Mogamigawa. Pilot one of the Manta subs and help the crew capture these creatures and I’ll allow you to join my cousin aboard the Tonga.”
    David exhaled. “What about Monty? My friend needs a job.”
    “He can join the crew as a deckhand.”
    Monty shrugged. “Beats living in my cousin’s garage.”
    “Dr. Al Hashemi will take you to your hotel. Spend a few days resting poolside. We’ll fly you out on the next cargo plane bound for the Mogamigawa.”
    The aquarium director led David and Monty out, leaving the Crown Prince and the marine biologist alone to talk in private.
    “Is he really worth it, Your Highness?”
    “The girl’s death was witnessed by both ships’ crews. After seeing the size and ferocity of the Liopleurodon the other pilots quit, along with a third of the deckhands aboard the Tonga ’s trawler. In the last three months we’ve recruited a dozen more submersible pilots from around the world—Navy SEALs, Air Force pilots … none possess the reflexes or skills of David Taylor. He’s fearless, ready to put himself in harm’s way to kill that monster.”
    “There’s a difference between fearless and suicidal. The kid’s as angry as Ahab, and that makes him dangerous. How do you expect to turn David’s demons into something more manageable?”
    The Crown Prince smiled. “Leave that to me.”

 
    3

    Tanaka Oceanographic Institute
Monterey, California
    A steady wind howled through the concrete and steel bowl, ruffling canvas canopies and rippling the azure-green surface of the man-made lagoon. Sunlight warmed the aluminum bleachers. The Pacific was more aggressive, slapping at the mammoth steel doors sealing the ocean-access canal, causing the bells atop the warning buoys to toll.
    The Tanaka Institute and Lagoon: once home to the most dangerous creatures in the planet’s history; now an empty fortress.
    James “Mac” Mackreides exited the elevator on the third