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From THE LOST KINGDOMThe bear-wolf stood on its hind legs, looked up at us, and slammed both of its front paws against the ship's hull with its full weight. The de Terzi jolted, and I felt the reverberation through my boots. "We don't have two minutes!" my father shouted. "That thing is strong enough to crack the hull!" The bear-wolf heaved itself against the ship a second time, and I heard the sound of wood splintering. "I'm working as fast as I can!" Mr. Faries shouted. "Someone take the helm!" Mr. Kinnersley raced to the controls. "I'll do it!" "Wait for my mark!" Mr. Faries said. The ship thundered with a third blow from the bear-wolf. The animal roared, and something in it sounded triumphant. Almost as if it had realized it was breaking through. "Mr. Faries?" my father said. "Now!" Mr. Faries said, letting a rope lose in his harness. I shouted in alarm as he plummeted toward the deck, but he pulled the rope tight just as he was about to hit and stopped his fall. Mr. Kinnersley threw a lever, and the de Terzi eased upward out of the bear-wolf's reach. We all looked over the edge, watching the animal grow smaller as our ship moved slowly down the river, and I began to feel safe enough to relax a little. But the bear-wolf pursued us, never taking its eyes from us as it stalked down the riverbank, parallel with the ship.