Read Online Startide Rising by David Brin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Brin
Tags: Fiction, Science-Fiction
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of mental discipline studied by Creideiki and Hikahi.
“Stop! If we time it right we can work as a team! We can avoid the aftershocks! Will you let me catch up?” he screamed. But it was no use. The fin had too much of a head start. The futile chase frustrated Toshio. How could he have lived and worked with dolphins all his life and known them so poorly? To think the Terragens Council had chosen him for this tour because of his experience with fins! Hah!
Toshio had always taken a lot of kidding from fins. They kidded all human children, while protecting them ferociously. But on signing aboard Streaker, Toshio had expected to be treated as an adult and officer. Sure, there’d be a little repartee, as he’d seen between man and fin back home, but mutual respect, as well. It hadn’t worked out that way.
Keepiru had been the worst, starting right off with heavy sarcasm and never letting up.
So why am I trying to save him?
He remembered the fierce courage Keepiru had shown in saving him from the weed. There was no rescue fever then. The fin had been in full control over his harness.
So, he thinks of me as a child, Toshio realized bitterly. No wonder he doesn’t hear me now.
Still, it offered a way. Toshio bit his lip, wishing vainly for an alternative. To save Keepiru’s life he would have to humiliate himself utterly. It wasn’t an easy thing to decide to do, his pride had taken such a beating.
With a savage curse, he pulled back on the throttle and set the bow planes to descend. He turned up the hydrophones to maximum, swallowed, then cried out in pidgin Trinary.
* Child drowning—child in danger! *
* Child drowning—child’s distress *
* Human child—in need of savior *
* Human child—come do your best! *
He repeated the call over and over, whistling through lips dry with shame. The nursery rhyme was taught to all the children of Calafia. Any kid past the age of nine who used it usually pleaded for transfer to another island to escape the subsequent razzing. There were more dignified ways an adult called for help.
None of which Keepiru had heard!
Ears burning, he repeated the call.
Not all Calafian kids did well with the fins, of course. Only a quarter of the planet’s human population worked closely with the sea. But those adults were the ones who had learned the best ways to deal with dolphins. Toshio had always assumed he’d be one of them.
Now that was all over. If he got back to Streaker he’d have to hide in his cabin … for at least the few days or weeks it took for the victors of the battle over Kithrup to come down and claim them all.
On his sonar screen, another fuzzy line of static was approaching from the west. Toshio let the sled slip a little deeper. Not that he cared. He continued to whistle, but he felt like crying.
# where—where—where child is—where child is? where #
Primal Dolphin! Nearby! Almost, Toshio forgot his shame. He fingered a rope left over from Brookida’s lashings, and kept whistling.
A streak of gray twilight flashed past him. Toshio gathered his knees under him and took the rope in both hands. He knew Keepiru would circle below and come up the other side. When he saw the first hint of gray hurtling upward, Toshio launched himself from the sled.
The bullet-like body of the dolphin twisted in an abrupt, panicky attempt to avoid collision. Toshio cried out as the cetacean’s tail struck him in the chest. But it was a cry more of glee than pain. He had timed it right!
As Keepiru twisted around again, Toshio flung himself backward, allowing the fin to pass between himself and the rope. He clamped his feet around the dolphin’s slick tail and pulled the rope with all the will of a garroter.
“Got you!” he cried.
At that instant the aftershock hit.
The cycloid clutched and pulled at him. Bits of flotsam struck him as the suction tossed his body about in apparent alliance with the mad, bucking dolphin.
This time Toshio felt no
“Stop! If we time it right we can work as a team! We can avoid the aftershocks! Will you let me catch up?” he screamed. But it was no use. The fin had too much of a head start. The futile chase frustrated Toshio. How could he have lived and worked with dolphins all his life and known them so poorly? To think the Terragens Council had chosen him for this tour because of his experience with fins! Hah!
Toshio had always taken a lot of kidding from fins. They kidded all human children, while protecting them ferociously. But on signing aboard Streaker, Toshio had expected to be treated as an adult and officer. Sure, there’d be a little repartee, as he’d seen between man and fin back home, but mutual respect, as well. It hadn’t worked out that way.
Keepiru had been the worst, starting right off with heavy sarcasm and never letting up.
So why am I trying to save him?
He remembered the fierce courage Keepiru had shown in saving him from the weed. There was no rescue fever then. The fin had been in full control over his harness.
So, he thinks of me as a child, Toshio realized bitterly. No wonder he doesn’t hear me now.
Still, it offered a way. Toshio bit his lip, wishing vainly for an alternative. To save Keepiru’s life he would have to humiliate himself utterly. It wasn’t an easy thing to decide to do, his pride had taken such a beating.
With a savage curse, he pulled back on the throttle and set the bow planes to descend. He turned up the hydrophones to maximum, swallowed, then cried out in pidgin Trinary.
* Child drowning—child in danger! *
* Child drowning—child’s distress *
* Human child—in need of savior *
* Human child—come do your best! *
He repeated the call over and over, whistling through lips dry with shame. The nursery rhyme was taught to all the children of Calafia. Any kid past the age of nine who used it usually pleaded for transfer to another island to escape the subsequent razzing. There were more dignified ways an adult called for help.
None of which Keepiru had heard!
Ears burning, he repeated the call.
Not all Calafian kids did well with the fins, of course. Only a quarter of the planet’s human population worked closely with the sea. But those adults were the ones who had learned the best ways to deal with dolphins. Toshio had always assumed he’d be one of them.
Now that was all over. If he got back to Streaker he’d have to hide in his cabin … for at least the few days or weeks it took for the victors of the battle over Kithrup to come down and claim them all.
On his sonar screen, another fuzzy line of static was approaching from the west. Toshio let the sled slip a little deeper. Not that he cared. He continued to whistle, but he felt like crying.
# where—where—where child is—where child is? where #
Primal Dolphin! Nearby! Almost, Toshio forgot his shame. He fingered a rope left over from Brookida’s lashings, and kept whistling.
A streak of gray twilight flashed past him. Toshio gathered his knees under him and took the rope in both hands. He knew Keepiru would circle below and come up the other side. When he saw the first hint of gray hurtling upward, Toshio launched himself from the sled.
The bullet-like body of the dolphin twisted in an abrupt, panicky attempt to avoid collision. Toshio cried out as the cetacean’s tail struck him in the chest. But it was a cry more of glee than pain. He had timed it right!
As Keepiru twisted around again, Toshio flung himself backward, allowing the fin to pass between himself and the rope. He clamped his feet around the dolphin’s slick tail and pulled the rope with all the will of a garroter.
“Got you!” he cried.
At that instant the aftershock hit.
The cycloid clutched and pulled at him. Bits of flotsam struck him as the suction tossed his body about in apparent alliance with the mad, bucking dolphin.
This time Toshio felt no
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