Dolphin Island - Arthur C. Clarke [24]
"This time I may," answered the Professor. The solemnity in his tone warned his listeners that this was no ordinary discussion.
Quickly he outlined the events leading up to Johnny's arrival on the island. They were already familiar to his audience, for this strange rescue had received world-wide publicity. Then he described the sequel—the voyage of the Flying Fish and Einar's parley with the deep-sea dolphins.
"That may go down in the history books," he said, "as the first conference between Man and an alien species. I'm sure it won't be the last, so what we do now may help to shape the future—in space, as well as on Earth.
"Some of you, I know, think I've overestimated the intelligence of dolphins. Well, now you can judge for yourselves. They've come to us, asking for help against the most ruthless of their enemies. There are only two creatures in the sea that normally attack them. The shark, of course, is one, but he's not a serious danger to a school of adult dolphins; they can kill him by ramming him in the gills. Because he's only a stupid fish
—stupid even for a fish—they have nothing but contempt and hatred for him.
"The other enemy is a different matter altogether because he's their cousin, the killer whale, Orcinus Orca. It's not far wrong to say that Orca is a giant dolphin who's turned cannibal. He grows up to thirty feet in length, and specimens have been found with twenty dolphins in their stomachs. Think of that—an appetite that needs twenty dolphins at a time to satisfy it!
"No wonder that they've appealed to us for protection. They know that we've got powers they can't match—our ships have been proof of that for centuries. Perhaps, during all these ages, their friendliness to us has been an attempt to make contact, to ask for our help in their continual war—and only now have we had the intelligence to understand them. If that's true, I feel ashamed of myself— and my species."
"Just a minute, Professor," interrupted Dr. Saha, the Indian physiologist. "This is all very interesting, but are you quite certain that your interpretation is correct? Don't get upset, but we all know your affection for dolphins, which most of us share. Are you sure you haven't put your own ideas into their mouths?"
Some men might have been annoyed by this, even though Dr. Saha had spoken as tactfully as possible. But Professor Kazan replied mildly enough.
"There's no doubt—ask Keith."
"That's correct," Dr. Keith confirmed. "I can't translate Dolphin as well as the Professor, but I'd stake my reputation on this."
"Anyway," continued Professor Kazan. "My next point should prove that I'm not hopelessly pro-dolphin, however fond of them I happen to be. I'm not a zoologist, but I know something about the balance of nature. Even if we could help them, should we?
Dr. Hirsch, you may have some ideas on that."
The Director of the Tel-Aviv Zoo took his time in answering; he was still a little sleepy, for it was not yet dawn in Israel.
"This is a hot potato you've handed us," he grumbled. "And I doubt if you've thought of all the complications. In the natural state, all animals have enemies—predators— and it would be disastrous for them if they didn't. Look at Africa, for example, where you've got lions and antelopes sharing the same territory. Suppose you shot all the lions— what would happen then? I'll tell you: the antelopes would multiply until they stripped all the food, and then they'd starve.
"Whatever the antelopes think about it, the lions are very good for them. Besides preventing them from outrunning their food supplies, they keep them fit, by eliminating the weaker specimens. That's Nature's way; it's cruel by our standards, but effective."
"In this case the analogy breaks down," said Professor Kazan. "We're not dealing with wild animals but with intelligent people. They're not human people,