Part 23 (1/2)
”Yes.” Cora spoke without hesitation now. ”We thank you.”
”Do Not Thank Us.” The huge mammal continued to tread water, unbearably graceful for something so ma.s.sive. ”We Did It Not To Please Thee, But To Please Our Cousins, For They Were Most Insistent.
”Now Say What Thou Wilt. Already Is The Talk Wearying To Us, And We Would Be On Our Way.”
”What do you-but we haven't even started yet.”
The head commenced a slow slide surfaceward.
Around them sounded a vast, explosive heaving as the herd expelled bad air preparatory to sounding.
”That Ends It,” the whale said.
”Wait, wait!” Cora was waving frantically at the re- ceding eye. ”I didn't mean to insult you. I-”
”You can't be subtle or dilatory with His kind.”
Sam spoke curtly, angry not at her but at Them. ”They
100.
CACHALOT.
CACHALOT.
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understand neither.” He raised the volume on his translator.
”Four floating towns. Four of the off-bottom islands on which our people lived have vanished in the past three months! All the people on them also disap- peared. Nothing has been heard of them; no trace of their pa.s.sing has been found. Have you any idea what might have happened?”
The head paused, the eye now just above water.
”We Do Not.”
”But how can you say that?” Rachael left off pro- gramming her instrument to interrupt undiplomati- cally. This did not upset Cora. At least her daughter was becoming involved. ”You haven't even asked the other members of your pod!”
The great eye swiveled to stare dispa.s.sionately up at her. ”I Am Called,” and the translator fought with whistles and squeaks to announce finally, ”Lump- jaw. Lumpjaw Speaks For The Pod. If Thou Hast Any- thing More To Say To Lumpjaw, Then He Bids Thou Sayest It. If Thou Hast Anything More To Say To The Pod, Then Say It To Lumpjaw. If Not...”
”No, we do. At least I do.” Cora took a cautious breath. ”Why are you so hostile?” Her curiosity had the better of her now. ”We haven't done anything to you. Why can't you wait?”
From the water rose the great head. It eased toward her, barely touched the railing. Even so, the Caribe slid slightly sideways and listed several degrees to star- board.
”Nothing To Us? How Many Whales Did Thy Ancestors Slay? How Near To Completion Came Man's Policy Of Genocide?”
”That was a thousand years ago,” she said indig- nantly. ”I will not be held accountable for the trans- gressions of my distant ancestors. Nor should you identify so intensely with your equally ancient ones.”
The whale pulled away. The railing groaned, unbent
in the middle, ”The Little Female Hath Spirit. We Do Care. We Do Remember. The Diaspora Came Al- most Too Late. But What Mankind Hath Done He May Do Again.'