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Authors: Stuart Harrison
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carried on a wave to the side of the boat where his companion grabbed him.
For still another second he didn’t comprehend what had happened, until at last he realized that his companion’s gaze was focused beyond him now, his expression slack and pale rather than terror stricken. He turned and saw the orca’s dorsal fin dip beneath the waves, and he thought he heard a high pitched sound, and then it was gone. Suddenly the sea was once again calm and still, disturbed only by a breath of wind.
The shad that hadn’t been eaten had dispersed. Further pursuit of such small prey was counter productive and the pod re-grouped to continue on their way. The young male who had swept by the boat joined the flank. He had never considered the man in the water as potential prey, any more than he would consider killing one of his own kind for food. Though the man had been totally helpless the orca had ignored him. Even a juvenile animal such as he, had long since learned to recognize the brain impulses of a highly evolved predator, equal in intelligence to himself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Santorini entered the harbour late in the afternoon without having taken a single lobster. Jake Roderick stood among a group of men alongside the Seawind. As they talked quietly among themselves they cast hostile glances towards the Santorini as she docked, and it seemed to Ella that Jake wore the trace of a grim smile.
She did her best to ignore them. Gordon stepped on to the dock to tie up and then without warning he picked up a short gaff and started towards the men. When Ella saw him and guessed his intent she called out, but he paid no attention and she scrambled to go after him. He reached the men and stopped in front of them, feet apart, hefting the gaff in one hand at his side.
“Which one of you bastards has been at our traps?” He looked from one to the other, and each of them seemed surprised to be confronted by someone they all thought of as not much more than a boy. They looked uncertainly at one another.
“What’s wrong? Nobody got the guts to take me on face to face?”
“Watch what you’re saying,” one of the men warned, but he eyed the gaff and kept back.
“Or what will you do?” Gordon mocked.
Jake pushed his way forward, and the men parted to let him through. He appeared unconcerned. “You better get back to your mother’s tit, before I give you a hiding you won’t forget in a hurry, boy. What are you planning to do with that thing? You think you’ve got what it takes to use it?”
Gordon glanced at the wicked steel point of the gaff. The quiet threat in Jake’s tone caused him a flicker of uncertainty.
“You could kill a man with that thing. Split his head right open. Think you could do that? Because if you come at me with it, you better be ready to.” Jake cast his eye around and went casually to the side of the Seawind where he reached over and grabbed hold of a gaff stained with fish blood. He hefted it in his hand, testing the weight, then without warning he swung it against a plastic fish crate on the dock. The point blurred with the power of the motion, then smacked into the crate and shattered the plastic with a loud crack.
Jake yanked the point free. Think you could do that to me?”
Though Gordon stood his ground, he was unnerved. The other men looked on, waiting to see if he would back down.
“The only reason you’re on your feet now is that you’re still wet behind the ears, and because I know your dad,” Jake said. “Wasn’t for that I’d make you sorry you picked that thing up. Now get the hell back where you came from and mind your manners, before I forget myself.” His voice was low, almost languid, his apparent lack of concern a calculated insult.
Gordon wavered, his face flushed, the handle of the gaff felt slick with his sweat. He felt the pressure of the men all watching him, saw a couple of them grin. He started to take a step forward.
As Ella reached him she saw the muscles
For still another second he didn’t comprehend what had happened, until at last he realized that his companion’s gaze was focused beyond him now, his expression slack and pale rather than terror stricken. He turned and saw the orca’s dorsal fin dip beneath the waves, and he thought he heard a high pitched sound, and then it was gone. Suddenly the sea was once again calm and still, disturbed only by a breath of wind.
The shad that hadn’t been eaten had dispersed. Further pursuit of such small prey was counter productive and the pod re-grouped to continue on their way. The young male who had swept by the boat joined the flank. He had never considered the man in the water as potential prey, any more than he would consider killing one of his own kind for food. Though the man had been totally helpless the orca had ignored him. Even a juvenile animal such as he, had long since learned to recognize the brain impulses of a highly evolved predator, equal in intelligence to himself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Santorini entered the harbour late in the afternoon without having taken a single lobster. Jake Roderick stood among a group of men alongside the Seawind. As they talked quietly among themselves they cast hostile glances towards the Santorini as she docked, and it seemed to Ella that Jake wore the trace of a grim smile.
She did her best to ignore them. Gordon stepped on to the dock to tie up and then without warning he picked up a short gaff and started towards the men. When Ella saw him and guessed his intent she called out, but he paid no attention and she scrambled to go after him. He reached the men and stopped in front of them, feet apart, hefting the gaff in one hand at his side.
“Which one of you bastards has been at our traps?” He looked from one to the other, and each of them seemed surprised to be confronted by someone they all thought of as not much more than a boy. They looked uncertainly at one another.
“What’s wrong? Nobody got the guts to take me on face to face?”
“Watch what you’re saying,” one of the men warned, but he eyed the gaff and kept back.
“Or what will you do?” Gordon mocked.
Jake pushed his way forward, and the men parted to let him through. He appeared unconcerned. “You better get back to your mother’s tit, before I give you a hiding you won’t forget in a hurry, boy. What are you planning to do with that thing? You think you’ve got what it takes to use it?”
Gordon glanced at the wicked steel point of the gaff. The quiet threat in Jake’s tone caused him a flicker of uncertainty.
“You could kill a man with that thing. Split his head right open. Think you could do that? Because if you come at me with it, you better be ready to.” Jake cast his eye around and went casually to the side of the Seawind where he reached over and grabbed hold of a gaff stained with fish blood. He hefted it in his hand, testing the weight, then without warning he swung it against a plastic fish crate on the dock. The point blurred with the power of the motion, then smacked into the crate and shattered the plastic with a loud crack.
Jake yanked the point free. Think you could do that to me?”
Though Gordon stood his ground, he was unnerved. The other men looked on, waiting to see if he would back down.
“The only reason you’re on your feet now is that you’re still wet behind the ears, and because I know your dad,” Jake said. “Wasn’t for that I’d make you sorry you picked that thing up. Now get the hell back where you came from and mind your manners, before I forget myself.” His voice was low, almost languid, his apparent lack of concern a calculated insult.
Gordon wavered, his face flushed, the handle of the gaff felt slick with his sweat. He felt the pressure of the men all watching him, saw a couple of them grin. He started to take a step forward.
As Ella reached him she saw the muscles
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