SFFS 2/4/2016 Sorrel Swordless part 9

This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone else is still posting here, but I'm going to carry on doggedly simply to complete the story I'm posting. If there is anyone else on this weekend, their details are here.

This is part 9 of a complete short story (in snippets) set in Sorrel's world. For those who have already read the Sorrel novels (and if you haven't, you should - they're good books!) this is set after the end of Sorrel in Silver - but you don't need to have read the novels for it to make sense, and it doesn't contain too many spoilers for the main trilogy. Part 8 is here, in case you missed it last week. A giant horror has crept up on our hapless heroine. She is swimming in the lake, trying to stay out of its reach, and has swum over to her moored seaplane.

Thirty seconds were enough to get me onto the top of the lower wing, clinging onto the engine cowling. Big Violet strode closer on its stilt-like legs. Kelhene was still lurking well back. The main fuselage was between me and the monster. I could get onto the top of the fuselage. Unfortunately, unlike my old amphibious aeroplane, the Swan didn't have any hatches on top. Very remiss of the designers. If I got out of this alive and got back to the surface I would have words with them.

The monstrosity had moved further up the bank, so that it was almost alongside the Swan. The fat violet snake-body was swaying back and forward, tentacles swirling and writhing, the two eye-stalks twisting and peering downwards. I watched it, puzzled as to what it was thinking or feeling (assuming it did either).

It struck lightning-fast. Four tentacles slammed forward as it shrieked a battle-cry.

Next week we find out if Sorrel survives the creature's actions! As always, comments are welcome.