Part 55 (2/2)

By now the lead catodons should be in verbal con-

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tact with the baleen pod, Cora knew. ”Fins could out- swim them,” she murmured.

”If they haven't by now, that means some of the pod are on the other side of them, and probably div- ing to get beneath them,” Mataroreva replied specu- latively.

The fins did not try to swim away, though they were the fastest of all the whales. But they did not stop to answer questions, either. What they did was so shocking that both humans and catodons were equally stunned.

A sound echoed through the long-range pickup and over everyone's communicator. A sound that Cora rec- ognized as a whale in pain. Mataroreva was pointing wordlessly over the bow as others ran to join and gape alongside them.

Ahead, the water was churning as if disturbed by the explosion of a series of heavy charges. Huge forms breached clear of the sea and vast flukes battered the innocent waters. The helmsman slowed the foil with- out waiting for formal orders. Commotion and chaos made froth of the ocean around the s.h.i.+p, jolting it and inhabitants unmercifully. If they had been traveling among the pod instead of behind it, they would al- ready have been swamped.

From the speaker emanated sounds diversified in their anguish and all too familiar.

”What's going on?” Dawn wanted to know, arriving out of breath.

”I don't believe it!” Mataroreva told her above the cetacean screams and the noise of great bodies in col- lision. ”I don't believe it!”

The fins were attacking the catodons.

If the humans on the foil were stunned, the pod of catodons was more so. Surprise and shock rapidly gave way to instincts equally basic, and they began to de- fend themselves.

Charging at great speed, a pair of fins would at-

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CACHALOT.

CACHALOT.

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tempt to catch an unwary catodon between them. But they were badly outnumbered, and in any case, at a real disadvantage in having nothing to bite with. Nor were they constructed for b.u.t.ting, the only form of at- tack they could use against another whale. The more intelligent catodons soon overpowered their cousins.

All at once the fins ceased their a.s.sault.

The sonarizer was of little help now. Crowding the bow, the onlookers stared anxiously at the quiet sur- face as the craft moved slowly into the area of combat. It was left to the orcas to relay the critical information back to the s.h.i.+p.

”Noww hawe thhey stopped theirr obscene activi- ties. Now hawe thhey ceased to do battllle,” Latehoht told them.

”What are they doing now?” Cora asked.

”Lie thhey in the waterr devoid of mowement or response.” She went quiet for a moment, then, ”Wenkoseemansa says the catodons do quesstion thhemm. Says he thhat the Great Cousins appearr dazzed and lifeless, unawarre of whhat thhey hawe just done. Unawarre to the point whherre thhey can- not feeel even outrrage at thheirr actions.” Her voice was full of disbelief. ”Woefful thhing is thhis. Sadness fills the waterrs. Not since thhis worrld was given overr to us has cetacean fought cetacean.”

”I'd like to question them myself,” Cora murmured.

”Out of the question.” Mataroreva moved closer, perhaps to rea.s.sure her during a nervous moment, per- haps to be ready in the event of an unexpected leap at the railing. ”Remember Vai'oire. Keep in mind that this bunch has just acted completely crazy and could do so again, and we're much closer now. We'll remain right where we are and let Lumpjaw and his brethren ask the first questions.”

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