Read Online Far From The Sea We Know by Frank Sheldon - Free Book Online Page B

We move the gear inside fast
when conditions demand.”
    He looked up at the sky as if divining the
weather and added, “I’m not against new gear as long as it stays at
the end of your hand. Last night we relied mainly on the tag for
tracking. Would’ve been hard otherwise.”
    “How accurate is the satellite tag?” Penny
asked Thorssen as she watched the whales.
    “Within a meter or two, since it was
upgraded. Does what it’s supposed to do, even synched-up Lefty’s
signal with our satellite navigation. Tried some light-enhancing
gear last night, too, but that didn’t tell us much. The infrared
would have been better, but it has a glitch. Malcolm and Emory are
tinkering with it, so maybe later.”
    Thorssen produced a small black notebook
from his breast pocket of his slicker and thumbed through the
pages. He looked at Matthew. “Got the basic story from Martin,
would like to hear it directly from you. There’s more going on than
just the peculiar way they’re all moving together.”
    “What?” Penny asked. “Something since you
got here?” She was giving Thorssen that friendly, yet piercing,
look Matthew had already come to regard as his alone.
    Thorssen took off his hat and ran his
fingers through his hair. “Come on. Show you something.”
    He headed to a nearby entry and Matthew took
another quick look at the whales before following Thorssen and
Penny through the hatchway.
    Below decks, the Valentina showed
wear and tear, with paint worn through to metal in places like
railing ends, but the impression was of a ship being cared for in
all the details that really mattered. It was as safe as any place
was going to feel, out here. They entered a cabin full of benches
and equipment.
    “C-lab, our largest work area,” Thorssen
said. He walked to a desk and opened a drawer.
    “Take a look.” He handed some photos to
Penny and Matthew. “Got these with the telephoto this morning. Ship
was a little closer then. Our leader and five other whales. Notice
anything?”
    “The whale’s hide,” Penny said with some
hesitation. “It looks a little different on the leader.”
    “Yes. Was even more pronounced in person.
Seems to be gone now, though. And what else?”
    Penny handed the photos to Matthew. The
texture, or pattern of mottling, of the lead whale’s skin were
slightly different. Wait. “The barnacles look somehow off,” he
said.
    Penny took one of the photos back and
smiled. “These yellowish encrustations on the other whales?”
    “Yes,” Thorssen said. “Barnacles are so much
a part of grays, might as well been born with them. Add the sea
lice and they’re like reefs that swim. This one has the patterns,
but no barnacles. Maybe just a few small ones.”
    “You sure?” Penny asked. “I can’t be sure
from this.”
    “Got a closer view this morning.”
    “I thought you had been hanging back?”
    “We were, but the lead whale didn’t.”
    Thorssen turned and took a few steps toward
a porthole, clearing his throat. “This morning, we were a little
closer than now. Just breaking dawn, and wanted a good look. I’m at
the helm alone. Video crew is below, setting some connections. Just
me up here, and I’m looking out with binoculars, moving in closer.
All at once, here’s the leader suddenly just thirty meters in front
off starboard. Must have gone under and come back toward us. Stops
dead in the water and turns toward me. I bring our speed down to
idle, the other whales just wait. The leader is bolt upright in the
water, like a channel buoy, as we drift by her. Seen them
spy-hopping a thousand times, but it wasn’t that. The attention
was…deliberate. Directed toward me. Sure of it.”
    He closed his eyes for a moment and
continued.
    “She’s facing me, half out of the water, not
moving. Lasted about a minute, seemed like forever. She’s
completely still. I’m feeling odd. Knees go weak. Can barely
stand.”
    Thorssen’s breathing had picked up while he
was telling this, but now