Anybody notice that the steering wheel changed from one side of the boat to the other by the time we get to panel 3? Or are Mark and Diana just taking turns driving the boat? Still, they must think something is near, because Diana is holding a camera in panel 4. Well, it might be a camera, though there is no telephoto lens. Looks more like an old-school Instamatic.

And Jules Rivera found an opportunity to make a “Mark and Rusty fishing trip” joke. Mark must have followed Cherry’s advice and made nice with Daggers. He seems to be unusually calm this morning, dressed in his standard red check shirt. Interestingly, Diana shows a note of concern about Rusty coming along. But Mark is just wistfully daydreaming, of course. He doesn’t really want to bring him along on this specific trip. Nevertheless, Mark should show more surprise that Diana would be that thoughtful. Of course, her comment is more likely meant to be understood as “Where are your brains, Trail!? This is a dangerous assignment.”

Well, a few more questions should pop up to any Mark Trail reader:

1. How and when did Lost Forest wind up on a shipping route?
2. Why begin the search there? And search for what:  A container ship with zebra mussels that just came in from a secret port in China where they cultivate zebra mussels to ruin US waters?
3. Wouldn’t Mark already know if zebra mussels were a problem in waters around Lost Forest?
4. Is Mark using a speedboat!? We know they can hurt manatees, but will they hurt lake and river aquatic animals, as well?
5. And who let Mark handle a boat? Maybe he is one of those people who is only careful around his own equipment.
6. And is that a wolf spider in panel 3? Hard for me to tell, but it resembles one. Anybody out there a better amateur arachnologist?

Well, this looks like a good start, in any event. I know I’m certainly looking forward to what they find around that bend in the river ahead of them.