Part 53 (1/2)

Rachael and Merced rejoined them, already properly equipped for interspecies conversation.

It was decided that Mataroreva would speak first, as before. He leaned over the portside of the bow, chose a subject, and shouted hopefully, ”How goes your jour- ney, youngling?” The translator could interpret that query several ways. It might refer to the journey for food, the whale's personal odyssey, or the catodonian journey through life. She guessed that he left it purposely indistinct, perhaps to provoke a questioning

response.

A very young whale, no more than four meters in length, responded by angling for the flank of the s.h.i.+p.

”Human ones, I have never seen that-” A vast ma.s.s suddenly appeared beneath the juvenile, nudged it aside.

”Will you talk, mother?” Matororeva hurriedly in- quired of the female who had interposed herself be- tween s.h.i.+p and offspring. She and the infant slid away, and what she replied was not translated effectively.

Mataroreva managed a tight grin, however. ”Scolding the child, I would guess. Trying to keep him from the evil influence of human beings.”

Abruptly, a gigantic bulk emerged alongside the s.h.i.+p. A vast skull, larger than most of the creatures that had dwelled on the Earth or in its waters, reared above the surface. Cora immediately recognized the gnarls and whorls that slashed it, like markings on some ancient tree.

”Greetings, old one,” Mataroreva offered in recog- nition.

”Human, I Know You,” a vast, sighing voice said

through Cora's headset. The eye set back and just above the wrinkled jaw flicked across the railing. ”I Know Most Of Thee. We Did Talk To Little Purpose Not Long Ago.” Lumpjaw paused, considering how to

proceed.

”We Did All Our Talking Then. Why Dost Thou

Disturb Us Yet Again?” No one could mistake the urgent edge to that question, nor the implied threat behind it. Normal catadonian apathy was changing to anger.

”Thou Tryest The Patience Of The Pod. We Will No More Talk With Thee. Go-Now!” he finished em- phatically. ”Or We Will Not Be Responsible. We Know The Laws And Will Make Use Of Them! Nor Depend On Thy Small Servants To Help Thee. They Are Well Away From This Place And Would Not Help Thee If They Could, For They Also Know The Laws.”

”What is there for them to help us from?”

Mataroreva asked with an ease he did not feeL ”If we are not friends, at least we are not enemies, for we have not harmed you.”

”Thou Interruptest Thought, Thou Breakest Con- centration, As Thou Didst With That Youngling, Thou Lengthenest The Great Journey!” the furious old ce- tacean stormed.

”We know and we're sorry,” Mataroreva replied quickly. ”We just want-”

A ma.s.sive pair of flukes slammed dangerously near the s.h.i.+p, dousing everyone on board. ”No More Talk- ing! No More Wasted Time! Life Is Short!” Cora found herself wondering at their perception of time, since a healthy catodon could live well over a hundred years, as this patriarch probably already had.

”We Go This Side Of The Light-Giver. You Go The Opposite Way. Go Now!”

”That's enough,” Hwos.h.i.+en grumbled outside his headset. ”We'll have to find another pod to question, or look elsewhere altogether.” He yelled dispiritedly up at the helm. ”Slow turn to starboard and quarter speed ahead.”

”Yes, sir,” the helmsman acknowledged; he needed no urging to comply.

”Wait,” Cora pleaded with the Commissioner. ”We

226 CACHALOT.

can't give up now. We need to ask only one or two