Even when sitting in the boat, Alice could not sit still for a single moment. One second she was standing up, making the gunwale creak under pressure; the next, she was running back and forth, rocking the boat from side to side. Barus and I had to hold onto the sides and try our best to keep our balance to prevent the boat from capsizing or someone from slipping into the water.
Alice paid no attention and just ran around with growing enthusiasm. Right as I reached out to grab her and stop her from running amok, the little girl suddenly seemed to trip over something and plunged straight off the boat into the water!
"Alice!" I cried out in panic, thrusting my hands blindly into the water and grabbing around in the hope of catching Alice's hand or her clothes. The water was icy cold. With the movement of the boat and the swirling currents, I vaguely brushed against a cold, hard object. I clutched it in my palm, and just as I was about to pull my hand back to see what it was, a splashing sound came from the other side of the boat. I looked back and saw Alice bobbing to the surface, thrashing her arms and legs awkwardly, but managing to keep her head above water to gasp for air.
Chapter 31