The coral was converging on the site of the island from all directions, 
some of the lithocules traveling several kilometers to reach their assigned 
positions. They displaced a volume of water equal to
the island itself, several 
cubic kilometers in all. The result was furious turbulence, an up-swelling in 
the surface of the ocean that made some of the children scream, thinking it 
might rise up and snatch the airship out of the sky; and indeed a few drops 
pelted the ship's diamond belly, prompting the pilot to give her a little more 
altitude. The curt maneuver forced hearty laughter from all of the fathers in 
the ballroom, who were delighted by the illusion of danger and the impotence of 
Nature.