Part 19 (2/2)

It seemed that Poleetat, in exploring his new home, encountered a megalichthyian, one of the largest crea- tures inhabiting Cachalot's ocean. The megalichthyian was four tunes Poleetat's ma.s.s. Its teeth were sharp and small and many, and it boasted an enormous sin- gle tusk protruding from its lower jaw like a sword.

Unlike some of the younger orcas, Poleetat did not try to bite the megalichthyian. Instead, it remained out of range of that murderous, sharp-edged tusk and harried its wielder, teased and tired and tempted it.

All the while the furious megalichthyian, which had already killed or severely wounded several less circ.u.m- spect orcas, slashed and thrust at its tormentor.

Eventually, all the other orcas either had been wounded or had fled in confusion, not knowing how to deal with this alien enemy. And this was no ordinary megalichthyian, Latehoht explained, but an enchanted one. It would not tire or give up the fight.

Yet Poleetat, though his strength waned, refused to flee or pause to eat lest this dangerous monster harm others of the pod. So they dueled a dance of death, the enchanted megalichthyian twisting and stabbing, having only to make a single strike with its great tusk to kill, while Poleetat spiraled and spun around the great spotted brown bulk, snapping at its fins and tail and trying to get in a bite at one of the monster's several eyes.

They danced their way all around the world, changed direction, and fought from pole to pole, fight- ing even beneath the ice packs. Still the megalichthy- ian did not tire. But Poleetat, though the strongest of the orcas, was nearing the end of his strength and saw that something radically new in the way of fighting would be needed to end this war.

So he faked exhaustion, letting the spear of his op- ponent pa.s.s close, so close to his belly that blood was

86 CACHALOT.

drawn. Then he turned to swim limply away. Smell- ing death and triumph, the megalichthyian rushed in pursuit, growing nearer and nearer, ready to run Poleetat through from fluke to nose.

With his apparent last bit of strength Poleetat gave a final burst of speed and soared out of the water as if to escape. Contemptuously the megalichthyian fol- lowed.

Ah, but Poleetat had judged well his distance. He shot through the air and pa.s.sed over the thick ice, to land an incredible distance away-and drop cleanly through the far hole he had perceived.

But the megalichthyian could no more fit through that comparatively tiny hole than the waltzing sea worms of the lagoon floors could slip through the breathing duct of a clam. It landed hard on the ice pack, which cracked slightly but did not give.

It lay flopping there, helpless beneath the pressure of its own great weight. Poleetat swam back up to the open sea, stuck his head out of the water to inspect his beached enemy. The convulsions faded and the mon- ster soon died, for it could not breathe air, as could orcas and men.

With his remaining strength the dying Poleetat sum- moned orcas from wherever they had scattered to, and told them they could swim safely with their calves now, for this particularly dangerous enemy had been van- quished. Then he died, and there was much mourning in the sea that day. The orcas managed to grasp the tail of the megalichthyian where it lay on the edge of the ice. They pulled it back into the sea and feasted on it for days, and made this song-story so that Po- leetat would not remain dead, but would be ever re- born in the tales parents tell to their calves on the long hunts for food.

”That's a wonderful story,” Cora finally told her.

”There's an incredibly ancient human tale similar to it, involving a man named Hercules and a wrestler named

87.

Antaeus, who lost his strength when he was held away from his mother, the Earth, the solid ground.”

”You'll have to tell me the tale sometimme,” Late- hoht said.

”Yes!” Wenkoseemansa might not talk, but he ap- parently listened well. ”Sometimme you will have to tell uss the story and we will listen, will listenn.” He sounded interested now.

”Don't you have any stories remembered from tunes before you came to Cachalot?” Cora asked. ”Times andstories from Earth, from Terra?”

”Tales from the past,” Latehoht murmured. ”Tales from the time of mourning.”

”We do nott go back to the pasts,” Wenkoseemansa said sternly. ”To the times of troubles, to the timmes of terror.” He sounded upset. ”We go noww to the place of recent pa.s.sing of mean.” In tandem they shot forward past the bow.

<script>