Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [75]
“Well, I guess the fish worked better anyway,” Nicholas said. He glanced at Pete and Susie playing in the water. “He seems to have forgotten the deadly dodo. Do you think it survived Pete's attack?”
“It's supposed to be very sturdy,” Kelby said. “We'll see when we get back on board and check out the instruments.”
The green light was still lit on the control board when they reached the Trina ten minutes later.
“By George, it's alive,” Nicholas murmured. “This dodo is definitely not extinct. You saved it, Melis.”
“Why don't you go tell Billy to fix lunch?” Kelby's gaze was on the panel. “And then bring us a couple towels.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me? First a fishmonger and then a cabin boy.” Nicholas strolled down the deck. “You've got to promise you won't do anything that might amuse me while I'm gone.”
“I'm surprised it's still working.” Melis took a step closer to the panel. “If it's as sensitive as you say.”
“The imager is sensitive, but the casing is built like a tank and should withstand most things.” Kelby bent down and adjusted a knob. “Evidently, including a dolphin trying to sink it.”
“Are you saying I didn't save the dodo?”
“Heaven forbid. I wouldn't presume. You're faster than a speeding bullet. . . .” He'd moved around to the graph. “It's just that you had a little help from the lab that— I'll be damned.”
“What is it?” She went to stand beside him and looked down at the graph. “Something?”
“We were over the site area all during the time we were trying to finesse Pete into leaving the dodo alone.” He pointed to a jagged line on the graph paper. “Something's down there.” He pulled up more paper to examine. “Except for a couple of minutes when the dodo was spinning like a top, the imager indicates the same irregularities. Higher and more extreme to the west.”
“You're getting excited. It could be another—”
“And it could be the jackpot.” Kelby's gaze never left the graph. “Go down and change, Melis. We're going to take the dodo for a little ride to the west and see what we come up with.”
Two miles west, the jagged variations on the graph sharpened and horizontal lines appeared.
Another half mile and they saw the dolphins.
Hundreds and hundreds of them, sleek bodies shimmering in the afternoon sun as they swam and jumped and played. Joy. Grace. Freedom.
“My God,” Melis whispered. “It makes me think of the beginning of creation.”
“Last Home?” Kelby asked.
“It could be,” Melis said. The sight of the dolphins was awe-inspiring. She couldn't take her eyes off them. Rays of sunlight were filtering through gray-blue clouds and touching the sea with radiance. The dolphins had been impressive deep below the water, but this display was truly remarkable. It made her throat tighten with emotion. “I guess we'll see tomorrow when we go down with Pete and Susie.”
“If those other dolphins let us near it.”
“We don't have to use Pete and Susie.” She didn't look at him. “You could get a diving bell or one of your other fancy submersibles to explore it.”
“No, I can't. It wouldn't be the same. I don't want to be surrounded by a steel cage when I see Marinth for the first time.”
She smiled. “The dream?”
“What else?” His voice was suddenly vibrating with intensity. “My God, it's here, Melis.”
“I hope so.” Lord, he was happy. His expression was glowing, and warmth flowed through her as she looked at him. She couldn't share the dream, but she could share his joy. It reached out and embraced her, enfolded her. She moved a step closer and took his hand.
He looked down at her inquiringly.
“No big thing.” She smiled. “I just wanted to touch you.”
“That's a very big thing.”
“Not right now.” She looked back out at the sea and the dolphins joined together in an eternal circle of life and renewal. “Not here. But it's very good.”
“Our watcher is using a Ballistic 7.6-meter monohull tender,” Nicholas told Kelby when he came back to the ship that night. “Actually, there may be two sentries.”
“Two?”
“I saw another