Read Online The Seadragon's Daughter by Alan F. Troop - Free Book Online
Authors: Alan F. Troop
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girl,” Henri says, treading water by the side of the boat, patting the water’s surface in between strokes. “Come here, girl.”
I doubt that the dolphin either hears or understands his words, but its speed increases so quickly that the water boils behind it. Watching its rapid approach, my heartbeat speeds up too. Just moments before the beast reaches my son, I lean over the side of the boat and grab the boy.
“Hey!” Henri shouts as I yank him from the water.
The dolphin shoots by only an instant later, then dives from sight. “Why’d you do that?” Henri says, staring at the water, trying to spot the dolphin. “She just wanted to swim with me.”
“She was coming too fast,” I say, concentrating on slowing my heartbeat.
“She would have stopped.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Henri says.
“My father taught me to never ignore my instincts. It’s something you should learn too. It just didn’t look right,” I say. “Even more important, it didn’t feel right.”
Henri glowers at me. “You watch. Now she won’t come back.”
“Go below and dry off,” I say. “I think we should go check out the lighthouse. Then we’ll see if she comes back or not.”
To Henri’s disappointment, we see no sign of the dolphin when we return from the lighthouse, nor does it reappear to follow us home from Boca Chita. He goes to our island’s harbor each day after that and watches for it. But each evening he informs us that she hasn’t visited again.
After a week passes, he declares, “I don’t think she’s ever coming back!”
“You never know. They’re wild creatures, Henri,” I say. “She could have gone anywhere. She could come back tomorrow or in three months or never.” I don’t share with him that my choice, if it were up to me, would be never.
8
Chloe and I have finished most of the maintenance needed on our machines and equipment and we’ve selected almost all the clothing we plan to pack before Ian Tindall finally calls. I expect him to give me our travel plans. Instead he says, “Is it okay if everything’s delayed a few weeks more? I’m afraid Bartlet House can’t be opened just yet—unless you want me to hire a new crew for you.”
I say nothing.
“Peter, I called down there just like you asked. But it seems that your man, Granville Morrison, can’t make himself available for at least two weeks more.”
“Why?” I say. “He’s still our caretaker, isn’t he?”
Tindall clears his throat.
“Ian, damn it! What’s going on?”
The man sighs. “I was just trying to save you money. It’s been years since you’ve gone down there and we’ve been carrying both him and his wife on the payroll—for doing almost nothing. So I made a different arrangement with them.”
I think of the big Jamaican and his wife, Velda. I’d hate to have to replace either one of them. “You didn’t fire them, did you?”
“No, Peter, nothing like that. I just cut them back to part-time status. They agreed to watch over the property on weekends. That’s more than it needs. Believe me, they were still well paid for the little bit of work they had to do. When we worked it out I told them they could get other jobs but they had to promise they’d be available whenever you needed them. Granny swore it would be no problem. But now his wife tells me he has a job in Montego Bay. The man insists on giving them two weeks’ notice.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Damn it, Ian, you should know better than to cut costs at my expense.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was just looking out for you. It’ll just be a few more weeks, okay?”
I turn to Chloe and explain the situation to her. “If you want, we can get someone else for the first few weeks,” I say. “Or stay somewhere else until the house is opened.”
She thinks a moment, then shakes her head. “No. You told me how much Henri likes Granny. It won’t be any big deal if we wait here,
I doubt that the dolphin either hears or understands his words, but its speed increases so quickly that the water boils behind it. Watching its rapid approach, my heartbeat speeds up too. Just moments before the beast reaches my son, I lean over the side of the boat and grab the boy.
“Hey!” Henri shouts as I yank him from the water.
The dolphin shoots by only an instant later, then dives from sight. “Why’d you do that?” Henri says, staring at the water, trying to spot the dolphin. “She just wanted to swim with me.”
“She was coming too fast,” I say, concentrating on slowing my heartbeat.
“She would have stopped.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Henri says.
“My father taught me to never ignore my instincts. It’s something you should learn too. It just didn’t look right,” I say. “Even more important, it didn’t feel right.”
Henri glowers at me. “You watch. Now she won’t come back.”
“Go below and dry off,” I say. “I think we should go check out the lighthouse. Then we’ll see if she comes back or not.”
To Henri’s disappointment, we see no sign of the dolphin when we return from the lighthouse, nor does it reappear to follow us home from Boca Chita. He goes to our island’s harbor each day after that and watches for it. But each evening he informs us that she hasn’t visited again.
After a week passes, he declares, “I don’t think she’s ever coming back!”
“You never know. They’re wild creatures, Henri,” I say. “She could have gone anywhere. She could come back tomorrow or in three months or never.” I don’t share with him that my choice, if it were up to me, would be never.
8
Chloe and I have finished most of the maintenance needed on our machines and equipment and we’ve selected almost all the clothing we plan to pack before Ian Tindall finally calls. I expect him to give me our travel plans. Instead he says, “Is it okay if everything’s delayed a few weeks more? I’m afraid Bartlet House can’t be opened just yet—unless you want me to hire a new crew for you.”
I say nothing.
“Peter, I called down there just like you asked. But it seems that your man, Granville Morrison, can’t make himself available for at least two weeks more.”
“Why?” I say. “He’s still our caretaker, isn’t he?”
Tindall clears his throat.
“Ian, damn it! What’s going on?”
The man sighs. “I was just trying to save you money. It’s been years since you’ve gone down there and we’ve been carrying both him and his wife on the payroll—for doing almost nothing. So I made a different arrangement with them.”
I think of the big Jamaican and his wife, Velda. I’d hate to have to replace either one of them. “You didn’t fire them, did you?”
“No, Peter, nothing like that. I just cut them back to part-time status. They agreed to watch over the property on weekends. That’s more than it needs. Believe me, they were still well paid for the little bit of work they had to do. When we worked it out I told them they could get other jobs but they had to promise they’d be available whenever you needed them. Granny swore it would be no problem. But now his wife tells me he has a job in Montego Bay. The man insists on giving them two weeks’ notice.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Damn it, Ian, you should know better than to cut costs at my expense.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was just looking out for you. It’ll just be a few more weeks, okay?”
I turn to Chloe and explain the situation to her. “If you want, we can get someone else for the first few weeks,” I say. “Or stay somewhere else until the house is opened.”
She thinks a moment, then shakes her head. “No. You told me how much Henri likes Granny. It won’t be any big deal if we wait here,
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