Part 17 (2/2)

hoht-She-Who-Rises-Above-The-World.”

”What is the origin of?-” Merced started to ask.

Before Mataroreva could reply, the question was an- swered by action.

Cora stumbled backward in spite of herself, in spite

of all her supposed scientific preparedness, and fell to the deck. Rachael gave a scream and ran into Merced, nearly knocking him over. Only Mataroreva wasn't affected. He ducked, bent over as much from expecta- tion as from laughter.

All seven meters and nine tons of Latehoht had

exploded in a geyser of salt spray. Cora lay on her back, staring in horror and fascination as the enormous body flew completely over the low bow of the Caribe, to land with a tremendous splash on the starboard side.

She fought the wildly rocking deck as she scrambled back to her feet, dripping water and shouting angrily at Mataroreva. ”Why the h.e.l.l didn't you warn us?” He was laughing too hard to reply. She had to admit she was more embarra.s.sed than frightened. ”Why didn't

you'.-”

”Apletely. In a daze she turned and walked to the starboard railing. She had studied many tapes of cetacean talk, both in the natural state and trans- lated into terranglo. But it was one thing to hear such an alien yet warm voice on tape, quite another to ex- perience it in reality.

A ma.s.sive blunt head protruded above the water.

Two tiny, almost imperceptible eyes of vitreous black were staring up at her as the head moved slowly from side to side. The mouth was open, showing startlingly white, sharp teeth. The sounds uttered from within

79.

reached Cora not as squirps and squeals but as rich, clean terranglo.

”You drop in fear. You worrry and wince with your body and soullll. She-Who-Rises-Above-The- Worid intimidates and does not plea.s.se you in herr greeting-time.” Then, more quietly, ”I do not knoww if I like this one-she, Sammm.”

”I'm sorry,” Cora said automatically. ”Really I am.”

She ignored the whistles and yelps that blasted from her headset speaker, concentrated on forming the words with her lips. ”I was startled, that's all. Prob- ably,” she continued more confidently, ”I could do some things which would startle you.”

”She of surprise, she of mystery haunts my dayyy.

Unknowwwn neww quality. Can it be that a female human has such capability, Samm?”

”I don't know,” he said. ”But in the case of this one, it is possible-thing.” He grinned at Cora, then spoke again to the distraught orca. ”You should not be up- set, little one.”

A second, more ma.s.sive head emerged from the water next to Latehoht's, rose to the railing, and turned one eye on Cora. She did not pull back. White teeth were centimeters from her face.

”She did not mean to upset or displease,” Wenko- seemansa rumbled. He sank back toward the water, no longer treading on his tail. ”But onlyy to greeeet.”

”I wasn't upset,” Cora replied a bit defensively. She leaned over the railing. ”It was a glorious jump, Late- hoht. I've swum many of the oceans of the universe and encountered much in them that amazes and de- lights me, but none that truly displeases.”

”Know we fast ones nothingg of the otherrr oceans, though Samm tells us sometimes of them.” Wenkosee- mansa did a neat little pirouette on his tail. ”Know we much of the universe that isss this ocean. We will protect you frommm it. We sufferr you to live upon

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