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CHAPTER 25

EXCUSE ME, SEAN heard the whale tell the rapidly sinking Ke-ola, you looked just like a shark from that angle.

Allow me, Sean said, diving after Ke-ola and catching his parka hood in his teeth.

You again, the orca said grumpily. I suppose you don't want us to eat any of this new herd of seals either.

You're on your own with that, as long as none of them are my kids or their otter friend, Sean told them. Ask before you bite, though. Murel is out here somewhere.

She was on an iceberg but I don't hear her now.

***

WHEN SHE SENSED the large group of finned creatures approaching, Murel first feared the sharks were coming. Then she knew it couldn't be the sharks. They were unaccustomed to water this frigid. Maybe later Petaybee would change them so they could live in more of the sea, but they were new here. They would have returned to the volcano-warmed waters. That left the orcas. They were being helpful again. Surprising, considering their pointed remarks about being used to fetch and carry for her. Nevertheless, this time they scared off her menacing relatives. She owed the orcas yet again.

It is good whales want to eat the otter-eating seals instead of us, Sky said, clarifying the situation. He was right. The orcas weren't doing her another favor- they were feeding. No sense getting carried away with gratitude.

Right you are, she replied. Let's follow those deep sea otters and see if they take us back to Ronan.

She broadcast her sonar signal and picked up the retreating creatures. They did not seem to be in a hurry. Sky was refreshed enough to catch fish and frolic beside her.

Sooner than she had dared hope, they entered Perfect Fjord. Along the bottom was an area of the undersea chimneys and plant life similar to that near the big volcano.

Black chimneys, sulfurous waters, red-mouthed vents. Over a glowing rift in the sea floor lay the city of the deep sea otters.

To her surprise, two of the city's inhabitants-and she supposed it had to be the same two she had been following-lingered outside the shield until they saw her.

Hah! one of them said. You got away. That is good. That will show those seals not to bother our little cousins the river otters.

Sky otters, Sky corrected.

Of course. Come. The other seal is waiting.

Can you bring him out here? Murel asked, suddenly scared. Kushtaka must have been very angry to whisk her city away the way she did and to keep Ronan.

But the deep sea otters didn't reply, just rubbed their paws across the shield and entered. Sky followed closely behind them, and there was nothing for Murel to do but follow. As they swam toward the ground level, Ronan and Kushtaka swam up to meet them, while Tikka came from another direction.

Kushtaka said, Good, you're back. It took you long enough.

Tikka started toward Murel too but Sky swam up to the youngster and climbed onto her shoulder, chirruping and purring like a happy cat, though his were actual otter noises, and they had the charming and distracting effect on the child he had surely intended.

I tried, Murel told Kushtaka before Jeel's mother could say anything. Misery swept over her again as Jeel's death came back to her. I know I said the sharks would listen to me and I thought they would, but they didn't.

Ronan swam between his sister and Kushtaka. So what? he demanded of the elder.

If Murel and I hadn't said we could stop the sharks, what would you have done?

Gone out yourself or sent some of your other people out there to get eaten too? At least she tried. You want to blame someone because Jeel got killed doing something he wasn't supposed to, but it's not fair to blame us.

And yet you brought the monsters to this sea, Kushtaka said.

Maybe so, but everything got brought here by someone at some time, as you should know, Kushtaka, Ronan replied. I heard how even your people came from someplace else, and they must have messed up too, because while you were living on Petaybee, it died. You had to leave, and while you were gone, our people came and revived the world so it survived for you to return to. We did you a big favor and you're quibbling about a few sharks. I know, I know, they killed your kid.

They'd have killed us too at one point. Killing is what they do.

Killing is what a lot of things in the water do, Murel said, thinking of the seals and the whales as well as the sharks. It's how things work. You hide from people as if we're the worst things on the planet. But all most of the animals are interested in is eating other animals. If you can't deal with it, then you'd better go back where you came from.

Ronan interrupted her defensive tirade, directing a private thought at her. Actually, sis, they've been here longer than we have and are as much Petaybean as we are.

Is that so? Well, they don't act very Petaybean to me. They're snooty, for one thing.

Kushtaka, waiting until they ran out of things to say, answered their preemptive tirades, surprising them both then by continuing, in a softer tone, I am not glad you returned in order to punish or blame you, Murel. I am glad you returned because I wanted to thank you for trying to save my child. I was angry, but all that you say is true. I had intended to keep your brother with us so that your parents would endure something of what I endured, but that would help no one. But it is good that you returned so both of you can have your memories wiped and we can send you back to your people before we leave this planet to search for a new one, with fewer predators.

With an apologetic look at Puk and Mraka, who floated nearby taking in the scene,

Ronan told Kushtaka, But all of this mistrust and wiping people's memories, that's part of the problem. You saved our father's life. He wouldn't have wanted any harm to come to you if he'd remembered about you. He and Mum both try to make everything better for everyone. If you hadn't erased his memory, Da would have taken you into consideration before releasing the sharks and figured out a way to protect you. You swore Murel and me to secrecy, so all we could do was try to warn you.

Perhaps, Kushtaka said, but nevertheless, your memories must be wiped. No one must know about our colony.

Sorry, Murel said, I'm afraid it's a little late for that.

***

WITH THE HELP of one of the orcas, Sean got Ke-ola back to the ice, though he had to drag him through the water until the ice would support him. Then, with a whale supporting the boy from beneath the ice, Sean changed into his dry suit and pulled Ke-ola the rest of the way up. He retrieved the extra dry clothing from the survival cache farther back on shore and helped the cold-numbed boy strip off his clothing. Ke-ola could never have done this alone. His hands were like clubs. Sean feared the newcomer to Petaybee might lose fingers or even his hands to frostbite if he was not able to warm up quickly enough.

Sean wrapped the thermal blanket around the boy while he redressed him in warm clothes, then helped him the rest of the way to the dropoff point, the closest place where it might be safe to start the heater. Because of the warmer currents from the volcanic activity, even this far north, the ice was thinner than usual. When it was six feet thick, it didn't hurt if you built any sort of campfire on it, but now it was only three feet in the thickest spots.

The stowed gear included a heat generator powered from a very small canned flame easily ignited with a mechanical clicker. Once this was going, Sean was able to make some snow tea with herbs that had a restorative effect on hypothermia victims. He instructed Ke-ola to stick his bare hands between his dry pants and his bare stomach, since his trunk would be the warmest part of his body. Then he put the teacup-actually a heat-proof fiber tea bag-to Ke-ola's mouth and had the boy swallow.