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the dark — a blustery blow that had the crew hanging onto bulwarks and rigging as they made their way around the deck. Mr. Radford handed out life jackets and safety harnesses.
    “Always keep your belt locked onto something that’s attached to the boat,” he ordered sternly. “When you move from place to place, hang on with two hands. Don’t be embarrassed to crawl. Got it?”
    The waves grew, slowly but steadily. At first, they weren’t any bigger than the seas that had turned thePhoenix into a roller coaster ride a day before. But Luke could see they were more dangerous. Yesterday the swells had been like mountains, forcing the schooner to climb and descend, climb and descend from peak to peak. These were more like a series of oncoming cliffs, vertical walls of water. A ship can’t climb a cliff. Instead, wave after wave broke over the bow, sending a constant knee-deep flood surging across the deck.
    lan’s feet were swept out from under him — and down he went. Luke caught him and yanked him upright.
    Luke wasn’t sure whether or not to be alarmed. The storm was howling worse every minute, but the captain and mate were working calmly and efficiently in the battering wind and rain.
    “This is bad, right?” he shouted to Mr. Radford. “Shouldn’t we go below?”
    “Don’t panic, Archie!” ordered the mate. “Let’s batten everything down first.”
    “No!” J.J. protested “We don’t have to get blown around like this!”
    Radford shot him a fierce look. “You gonna ask your famous daddy to pay off the storm and make it go away?”
    “We can outrun it!” J.J. argued. “We’ve got more wind than we know what to do with! Just put up the sails and fly!”
    Radford shook his head in disgust and rushed away.
    JJ. threw up his arms. “What’d I say?”
    He got a faceful of spray for his answer.
    Great patches of foam blew in dense streaks. At one point, Luke looked over the gunwale and saw nothing but white water — not a speck of blue or green. Every minute or so, thePhoenix was lifted bodily and then flung contemptuously aside by a thirty-foot wave.
    The deck lurched violently. Unlike yesterday’s up and down, the tumbling of the sea was heavy and shocklike. Even athletic Charla couldn’t keep her balance. She sat down on the cabin top and tried to slide along on her behind. Will crawled across the deck on all fours, unable to trust his own feet. A rush of sea washed over him, leaving him flopping and sputtering.
    Lyssa was clamped onto the ratlines, her face green. “I’m gonna lose it!” she warned.
    “That’s so typical!” howled her brother, spitting salt water. “All day long you’re Sinbad the Sailor, and now you can’t hang on to your lunch!”
    Radford turned to the cockpit. “We’re secure, Skipper!”
    Harnessed to the wheel stand, Captain Cascadden was barely visible through the rain, foam, and spray. Out of the chaos came his order. “All hands below!”
    “You don’t have to ask me twice!” exclaimed Will, sprint-crawling for the companionway to the main cabin.
    Lyssa was hot on his heels, followed by Charla, high-stepping to keep her balance. Next came Luke, dragging Ian by the arm. At the last second, a huge wave broke over the bow, jolting the stern upward and pitching the two boys down the companionway.
    Radford hooted with laughter. “You guys should join the circus — the flying Archie brothers!” His brow clouded as he did a head count. “Where’s Richie Rich?”
    Luke froze as JJ.‘s words came back to him: Jusfput up thesails and flyl “That maniac,” he muttered, clamboring up the companionway again.
    “Hey!” barked the mate. “Get back here, Archie!”
    At that moment, J.J. was clamped around the wrapped mainsail, hanging on with one hand and untying lines with the other.
    When the furled sail was free, he stood up. Instantly, he was thrown to the deck. His father had once gotten him a bit part in a movie — an earthquake scene. There had been thirty