Chap. 102 The Promise

Chap. 102 The Promise

"Now, Keendar, you tell how mosar bite dragon on tail," Swash, the dolphin, said.

K'ndar explained how they'd happened to get too close to a mosar.

"Teke tell Tillek you see mosars. Much danger, Keendar, much danger. No go near."

"That's what Teke told us."

"They not around here. Only south of land, where it very cold water. Go in circles around pole."

B'rost, fascinated by the dolphins, finally roused from his reverie.

"We found this skeleton. The skull is at Landing. No one knows what it is. We think you might know."

"What is?"

" A bone from the skeleton."

"Hold it out or drop in water," one said.

B'rost held it out, but it was heavy enough that he lost control of it and it dropped with a plunk into the water.

The dolphins submerged. They could hear clicks and buzzes.

They re-emerged, halfway.

"Is neck bone from what we call Deep Diver. Big. BIG. Bigger than dragon."

"What ARE they?"

"Very old. Live long, long, LONG time."

"Meat eater?"

"No, no. Live on bottom of sea most of time. Eat clams. Crabs. All sort bottom food. Sometimes kelp. Gentle. Slow.  Go very, very deep. Sometimes tell US where fish are. Even sleep on bottom."

"Mosar is brother, mother?"

"No. Deep diver all its own. Not mosar. Not dragon. Not wherry. All its own. This bone, where you find it?"

"South edge of continent. Where Teke and Prolar live."

"What you do down there? LONG way from home,"

"Aye. We explore. See new things. Ship wreck. See new things, like mosar, now deep diver."

"Deep diver dead long time?"

"Yes. Bones on beach. Had harpoon in pelvis," he pointed to his hip.

"Har Poon?"

K'ndar thought fast. How to explain a harpoon, when he'd never seen one til this morning?

Lindea answered.

"Fishing spear. Head sharp, like knife. Come off stick and stay in bone."

That elicited several comments from the dolphins. It sounded like dismay. 

"Why…why stick harpoon in deep diver?"

"Don't know. We didn't do it."

One of the dolphins started to explain to her cohorts. They discussed it for several minutes.

"Now know. Tillek tells us. Long time ago. LONG time ago. Ship wreck? Sailors fishing off coast. Bad weather, high winds. Dolphins talk to them, tell them currents too strong, rocks underwater, storm coming. But they not listen. Not believe we can talk."

The conversation amongst the dolphins interrupted. Obviously, they were getting information from someone elsewhere. 

"Tillek say, sailors see deep diver at surface. Sometimes eat fish. Fish sometime hide from mosar underneath deep diver. Throw 'harpoon' at her. Hits in her back and sticks. She tells us it hurts. Deep diver tries to submerge, can't. Starts to pull ship.  Fast, fast! Sailors try to cut rope, but too late! Wind and current catch ship, throw it on rocks. Humans fall out, many die. Deep diver aground, too. Cries. She is hurting. Too big, can't breathe. Dies on beach." 

The dolphins, amongst themselves, wondered why humans were so willing to hurt another species for no reason.

"Why they throw harpoon into deep diver? She not hurt anyone." 

Everyone was quiet. The little girl was tearing up.

"I don't know, Swash. I don't know. I’m sorry, " K'ndar finally said. He felt ashamed. So did they all. 

B'rost finally broke the silence. "Can you tell how old this deep diver is? Was?"

One of the dolphins clicked on the bone.

"Two hundred," she said.

"TWO HUNDRED? TWO HUNDRED TURNS?"

"Maybe ten more. Not sure," she said. 

"Not un yoo shul.  Two hundred turns. Deep divers, live long, only have baby once every ten years. Take long time to mate. Take long time to grow big. Never stop growing!  Live slow, live deep in sea, not hurt anyone," Swash said.

"They're not here?" K'ndar finally said.

That elicited a rather long conversation amongst the dolphins. It was obvious they were discussing something of great concern. 

Finally, Swash made a decision.

"Keendar, you want to kill deep diver?"

"NO!"

The others all shouted no in unison.

"No, absolutely not."

Lindea said it, too. "No, Swash, I fisherman. I sailor. We never hear of deep diver, no want to hurt them or hunt them."

"Ok. I trust you. You are good human. But we make promise long time ago, you make promise now. Then we tell you something. We ask you don't hurt deep diver. Ever. Promise?"

"That's the easiest promise in the world, Swash." K'ndar looked at the children who had remained on the dock with them. He already knew his compatriots answer.

"Kids, you heard what Swash said. Do you promise to never hurt a deep diver?"

Every one of the kids stood up straight, stuck out their fists to pinky swear with each other. 

"Never. I want to see one. I won't ever hurt one," one said.

The three adults, all wearing solemn expressions, pinky swore with each serious faced child. 

"Swash,' he said, when they'd finished, "We've all sworn to never hurt a deep diver."

"Okay. Deep diver used to be here, sometimes. In winter, when water is cold. They hear about humans harpoon old deep diver. She like Tillek to them. Very old, very wise. Deep diver don't know what humans are. Don't know what ship is. But they hear  humans harpoon old deep diver. They hear old one cry.  Now afraid of humans. Go away from here. Stay south. Need  cold water, like mosars. Sometimes we see them here. They say, don't tell we here. Don't tell. Now we warn deep divers when humans near. So we don't tell humans. You first humans we tell in long, long time. Only tell you now because you make promise."

They all felt a deep responsibility, now.

After several reflective minutes, B'rost asked, "Can I have the neck bone back?" 

Lindea looked at him. "Maybe…maybe you should leave it be, B'rost. Maybe, to let the dolphins know we keep our promises, we should at least allow part of the deep diver to be back in the sea."

He opened his mouth to protest, and then, thinking about it-and his promise-said 'Okay."

"Thank you," said Swash.