“A great crash of splintering branches and splashing water exploded from the mangroves. An enormous crocodile, the biggest I’d ever seen, launched itself into the open water of the lagoon and snapped up the chicken as it hit the surface.

“Holy Mother of Kittens,” Grace said, her back arched high and her tail straight up.

“Great Dog of the Stars!” I swore, my tail tucking between my legs.

The crocodile chomped his massive jaws a few times, bits of chicken sticking out the sides, and then tilted his head up and held motionless, the chicken at the tip of his snout. The tourists ooohed and ahhhed, and held their camera phones out at arm’s length.

The crocodile’s small evil eye rolled toward them, and then he rose half his length out of the water, flicked his neck, and tossed the chicken into the air. He caught it in his open mouth and swallowed it down as he sank below the surface.”

–from “Saving Scrumpy