by Caney, Mark
‘Do you have to have those big lugs following you around all the time?’
Storm glanced back at the hulking forms of the two followers, ‘Rock and Nightfall? They just want to protect me.’
‘Protect you from what? I hate having them follow us around all the time.’
‘Look, little one, there are many who fear what the Guardians represent and they might want to harm me — you too if they knew how important you are to me. And besides, they like doing this job; they think it’s an honour.’
‘You could at least have someone interesting hanging around that I could talk to when you are busy,’ Dusk complained, ‘those two have the intellect of a sea cucumber — and that’s if you combine both their minds.’
Storm laughed. ‘Well they don’t get the job for being great conversationalists, but they are good fighters! Stay here a moment, and I’ll tell them to wait by the arch for us.’
She watched him go back to talk to them. Rock On Sand seemed to be objecting at first but they left after a few words. As they moved away into the darkness she thought she saw Sorrow After Nightfall give her a hard look. She found herself wondering how Storm knew they were such good fighters and why that mattered so much.
Storm approached her from behind and, dropping his pectoral fins, swam above her back, caressing her from tail to head, then turned in slow circles around her head, nuzzling her face with his.
‘I missed you so much,’ he murmured, ‘you don’t know how much.’
‘Well perhaps I missed you too,’ she said tartly, and swam quickly away into the shallows, leaving a stream of flickering phosphorescence in her wake. Storm followed her and easily caught up. He slipped above her and pushed her down with his body until they were almost swimming on the sand.
‘Storm, get off!’ she said, trying to sound angry, but the feeling of his physical power over her gave her the same confusing mix of emotions.
‘Stop swimming and I will!’
She stopped, but looked away from him. He swam again from her tail to her head, this time spiralling around her body, caressing her with his pectoral fins. It felt delicious but she tried to stay unmoved.
‘You’re driving me crazy,’ Storm whispered to her, and this time her eyes smiled. ‘Ha!’ he cried, ‘she isn’t made of ice!’ He quickly somersaulted backwards over her head and disappeared behind her. In a moment though, he was under her, pressing his belly against hers.
She felt his need for her and a shock of hot desire ran through her body, but she peeled away from him and moved off a little way.
‘Storm, no!’ she gasped, ‘you know my situation as a Novice! This is so unfair of you!’
‘Who would know if you are celibate or not?’ he growled, ‘and anyway that finishes in just three moons!’
‘No, and that’s it! Now let’s talk about something else.’
Storm was terse for a while, but started asking her about the Gathering which was to start the next evening. She answered distractedly, fighting with her own inner desires. Although she did want him in moments of passion, she had to admit to herself that it was a relief to have the excuse of being a final year Novice. Without it, would she take their relationship further? There was something that troubled her about Storm, but she could not say what.
She told him about the planned celebrations and who would be there. He was quite shocked to hear the news about Cloud Passing and also seemed very interested to hear about the ambassador who was coming to represent the clans of common dolphins.
‘A Xenthos appearing at a Gathering?’ he said, ‘Has that ever happened before?’
‘Yes, once, in 12,231,’ she said. ‘I had to unlock some data at dusk yesterday for the Council and that was one of the things I remember.’
‘Over a thousand years ago!’ Storm exclaimed, ‘You Starwriters are amazing. Just how much have they stuffed in that pretty head of yours?’
‘It feels like far too much, but maybe that is to do with all the studying at the Academy! I’m hoping it will get easier soon when I graduate, then at least I’ll only be using my subconscious for all this stuff.’
‘And you really can’t recall any of it without an unlocking song?’
‘No, I’ve told you this a hundred times! Just accept that you can’t imagine what it is like — you couldn’t do it as a male anyway. We can’t access any of it without the right unlocking song and the right cosmic arrangement. Can we talk about something else please?’
They carried on talking and swimming in the pale light for hours. Eventually they made their way back to the arch where the two bodyguards were waiting restlessly. The sky was becoming lighter so they quickly said their farewells and Dusk left.
Storm watched Dusk’s slim form disappear into the now blue-grey water.
‘Kark-Du Storm Before Darkness?’ Rock On Sand said respectfully.
‘Yes,’ said Storm distractedly.
‘She is one of those Academy types isn’t she, Kark-Du? Must be clever I suppose.’
‘Very. And a Starwriter too.’
‘A Starwriter?’ Rock echoed dully, ‘Wasn’t that female who joined us a few moons back a Starwriter?’
‘That’s right,’ Storm murmured, half to himself, ‘the first one to join us. And a Dreamweaver too.’
Rock began again, encouraged by his leader’s softer mood, ‘Kark-Du…,’ but Storm was back in the moment.
‘Come on,’ he said brusquely, ‘we have a lot to do.’
He led them back the short distance to the region of coral heads that the Guardians were basing themselves from for the present. The sun was half above the horizon now and the shallowest water had a pinkish tinge.
As they neared the mass of dolphins, Storm’s second in command, Sharp Beak, made his signature call and approached them. His small wiry body looked odd in contrast to his over-large head. This was tipped with an unusually long rostrum that immediately revealed the source of his name.
‘Greetings, Kark-Du, how was your rendezvous?’
‘Pleasant enough,’ Storm replied. Then, to his bodyguards: ‘Rock, Nightfall, go and find something to eat. Meet me back here at half post-noon and bring the rest of the Inner Guard — I have something important to explain to them.’
As they left, Sharp Beak looked interested.
‘Well, Kark-Du, you have lost a lot of sleep with your night-time meetings, I hope it has proven worthwhile.’
Storm’s eyes flicked towards him, betraying his annoyance. ‘She amuses me. And I think she is close to being converted to our beliefs. You know the value I place on her joining us.’
The smaller dolphin nodded, and picked his next words more carefully, cautious of angering his master. ‘Did she tell you anything new about the Gathering?’
‘The only news to me was that Cloud Passing is to make a Darkening Dive at the Gathering.’
‘I’ve heard of Cloud Passing.’
‘He’s reputedly a zeta of high integrity who has reached the first level of consciousness — I wish I’d met him. Too bad for him, but good for us. He was a senior Aligner, and this gets him out of the way quicker than we could hope. Everything else she said was confirmation of what our source has already told me.’
‘We are lucky to have such a well placed spy Kark-Du.’
Storm grunted. ‘It nearly all went wrong. That silly little female that followed him — she might have identified him and then we would have had to redo much of our work.’
‘How did you find out who she was in the end?’
‘Later, she had a chance meeting with our friend and hinted at what she thought she had seen. It seems it was too much for her conscience to accuse another without telling them first!’
‘Ahh. So that’s why he led her to us.’
‘Typical of his hypocrisy! He doesn’t want any zeta blood in his jaws, but he’s happy for us to do it for him.’
‘Still, he has been very useful. Your plan seems to be going well, Kark-Du’
‘I am
encouraged. But everything must go perfectly if we are to accomplish our goals. The time is right to finally raise the Ka-Tse from lethargy. So many are growing frustrated with the old, soft interpretations of the Way. They are beginning to open their eyes to the hard facts. The Way is meant for the Ka-Tse alone, not these lesser zetii. They only need waking up to see that they have the power to dominate them. There is already plenty of mistrust; if we can just give them enough reason to hate them, the events we need to happen will take place naturally.’
‘And we can move forward now, Kark Du?’
Storm narrowed his eyes. ‘Yes. We’ll soon have a chance to right the wrongs against our clan. I think one or two good zetii may have to make the ultimate sacrifice, but they will be remembered well for it in time. Thanks in part to their gift, the other Ka-Tse will soon learn that they are the rightful masters of Ocean and their children no longer need to go hungry. They will finally see why they have to stop these lesser creatures taking what is rightfully theirs.’
Chapter 19
“Give your family and lovers the respect you give a stranger and you will always be loved.”
- Traditional
Dusk approached the headland at the east end of the clan’s bay as the day was just beginning. She leapt from the water from time to time and could now see signs of activity. The other bottlenose dolphin clans had begun to arrive in the last two days and the bay was getting crowded with them. Against the first rays of the new sun, there was evidence of their multitude in the distance, with many of the younger ones jumping from the golden water in their excitement. She stopped surfacing and held her breath for the final part of the approach to the headland so as not to arouse suspicion.
Suddenly she was aware of the faint sound of another dolphin’s echolocation. It was the deep pulses used to search though the seabed, or to scan another dolphin’s internal organs for illness or injury. She was about to change direction when she noticed the sound had abruptly stopped. She realised that the other dolphin must have heard her own echolocation and it would seem strange to turn around. Then, a call, close by:
‘It is I, Touches The Sky!’
‘And it is I, Fades Into Dusk,’ she responded, partially relieved it was him, but also concerned at what he might think.
Sky appeared ahead of her. She decided to bluff it out by putting him on the defensive.
‘What are you doing all the way out here on your own?’ she asked.
‘I was going crazy in the bay, already it’s like every Ka-Tse in Ocean is there, and another four clans are still expected. And you? Where’ve you been?’
‘I…just needed some time to think too. Went for an early swim.’
‘I was looking for you yesterday evening: no one knew where you were. Dusk, I was worried about you.’
Dusk could see from his eyes that he meant it; he was genuinely concerned and she was touched. She felt guilty, not just for lying now, but because she had treated him badly in the last year. Since she had met Storm she had found it hard to be close to Sky as they had once been, as she was afraid she might give away her secret.
‘Well…thanks. But I’m fine, don’t worry. Any news of the world from the latest arrivals?’
Sky looked as though he had more questions in his mind but he answered her.
‘Same old story. The shortage of prey isn’t just around here, it’s everywhere. Some of the older and weaker ones look seriously under fed.’
‘They have to come up with something drastic at the Gathering. We can’t go on like this.’
‘It’s the same for the other zetii species,’ he said, ‘they’ve the same problems we have. That’s why it’s good that the Xenthos are sending someone this time. If we can get all the zetii to work together, we can get through this.’
She marvelled at the complete contrast between his attitude and that of Storm. Storm would have said that this was weakness, that the other zetii species were inferior to the Ka-Tse and that they couldn’t be trusted. Who was right? She looked into Sky’s eyes and saw his earnest look: he really believed that this was the right thing to do.
‘What if it doesn’t work? What if we find that they are ignoring the quotas and tricking us? How can we force them to stop taking our food then?’
Sky shook his head, ‘What’s the alternative? To try and force them to? To attack or even kill them?’
‘Sky,’ she pleaded, ‘what if there’s no other choice? Do you want to see the clan’s children starve and die?’
‘No, but still, the Way is clear, we can’t kill another being except for food. No exceptions.’
‘But some say that it’s acceptable in self-defence, and we are under attack.’
‘I’ve heard that too and I know where it comes from, it’s a quote from Stone Eyes, that prophet of theirs who lived a hundred years ago. The Guardians follow his teachings you know. Think about what you’re saying Dusk! Don’t you remember Born? Or Wakes? What killed them? I know what these Guardians are capable of!’
‘How do you know, Sky?’
Sky looked at her intently as though trying to read her mind. She felt intensely nervous.
‘Never mind,’ he said at last. ‘Look, tonight Cloud Passing is going to tell the Creation Legend during the opening ceremonies. Come with me and listen to it.’
‘Well…yes, let’s do that. Thanks — it’s a lovely idea.’
As they swam back, she trailed slightly behind him, suddenly seeing him differently. She had known him since they were very small and she realised that she had missed something in the last few years. He was no child any more but a confident adult, with clear ideas about the world. Not just an adult in mind either, he had a strong, powerful body; not massive power like Storm but a natural, lithe strength that let him move with a natural grace.
She followed him back to the clan in a state of confusion.
Chapter 20
“And Senx said, ‘I have’.”
- From the Creation Legend
Fifty-seven clans of bottlenose dolphins had arrived in the bay, most of which had ten to thirty members. A few were larger, like Sky and Dusk’s clan, and there were also some smaller, all male groups. In all, over a thousand dolphins were there.
Silent Waters addressed them that evening as the sun settled into the horizon, formally opening the Gathering. In a clearing in the coral the visitors formed a dense, milling circle around her. She held herself upright, with her tail just off the sandy bottom, speaking with a clear, confident voice. ‘You honour our clan by joining us this year. There will be much here for you to enjoy; there will be exhibitions of strength and elegance, dance, song, and recitals. Of course, you will meet old friends again; some of you will find new ones, maybe even new lovers.’
She smiled as she said this: for the young adult dolphins, a Gathering was a wonderful opportunity to find a mate from another clan and many of them had become highly excited at the prospect over the last few weeks.
She continued: ‘But, of course, there is a serious side to a Gathering, this one perhaps more than any in our history. We live in strange times. Ocean is sicker than our forbearers would have believed possible just one hundred years ago. Many fish populations are at critical levels, and the water temperatures are rising unnaturally quickly. I do not have to remind you of the long memory of our race. Our histories, kept safe over millennia by the Starwriters, allow us to estimate what may come as a result. Eventually, the great conveyor currents will change course or stop, and then the whole Cycle of Life will be disrupted. The Starwriters tell us such things have happened before, but we have never known it to happen so fast, or to such degree. All Ocean’s life forms will be affected. Some will adapt, some will perish, but it will be hard for all. Who knows what the end result will be. Therefore, at this Gathering, the Grand Council will meet as usual but this will be their prime mission: to find a way forward for us all. At this stage, we do not expect to regain our old style of life again. Instead we must find a way for the Ka-Tse,
for all zetii, and perhaps indeed for Ocean herself, to simply survive.’
Those dolphins that had initially been restless as she spoke had by now grown still and silent. The crowd was unnaturally quiet; just the occasional movement as one drifted gently to the surface to breathe.
She paused, a sad smile in her eyes, then continued, ‘I apologise for opening this Gathering with such thoughts, but we must face these facts. However, we should remember the teachings of the Way: the purpose of life is to take joy in life. So we will take as much joy as we can from these five days. Now please join me at the surface to witness the rising of the full moon!’
They all rose to the surface and, on that cue, a chorus began, a song without words, a melody so old that no one knew its origin. One by one others joined in; the music gently rose and fell like an ocean swell. First with deeper notes, then, as the top edge of the pale disc appeared, rising in pitch and pace; gently at first, then as more and more of the bright, white circle appeared, increasing to a joyous crescendo of sound — and finally, as the bottom of the moon peeled away from its reflected image in the sea, just as it seemed the music must implode upon itself with its own crashing power, they stopped. As one.
The silence rang loud for a long time. Then, at last, Silent Waters said, ‘Cloud Passing, a dear friend to many here, will now recite the Creation Legend.’
The dolphins settled down once more into the circle at the bottom. A few mothers hushed distracted young ones and then there was silence again.
Cloud Passing moved slowly, stiffly, into the centre and once there slowly turned around. Although the light was failing, every dolphin there felt that just for a moment, he looked directly into their eyes.
When he began, in a clear, measured voice, it seemed too as though his words were meant just for each one of them.
