The water takes the breath out of her, like a punch to the stomach. She flails, swallows water - it's salty and sour and has the taste of things she doesn't want to think about - But the pirates, they've taught her how to swim. And thank God for that; a year ago, she didn't know how to so much as tread water - but now she has the instincts. More than the instincts - she knows to let out a burst of bubbles and follow them upwards until her head bursts forth into air.

She gasps for breath; coughs; retches; and then swipes an arm across her eyes, not managing to clear any water at all with her sopping sleeve. Her eyes burn with the salt, but there's no time to dwell on it. Because -

"Bartimaeus! Bartimaeus!"