Red Sparks Of Vengeance

As the humans head for the shore, the second whale breaches, performs a neat body roll and disappears under the water.

He sinks down... down.... down..... to the spot where the Humpback is facing the Catcher.

Oowaoohh! moans the second whale.

The Humpback turns slowly. Owh! Hoo?

Catcher notices that the second whale is different.

The second whale is a Sperm Whale. Black to brownish grey with white patches on the mouth and the belly. A huge square head, and skin that is heavily wrinkled.

Is this usual? asks the Catcher.

Is what usual? asks the Humpback.

Inter-whale communication, says the Catcher.

He hasn't said anything, says the Humpback.

He said Oowaoohh, says the Catcher.

Oowaoohh! says the Sperm.

This is exceedingly vexing, for the Humpback.  He can't understand what the Sperm Whale is saying. But the Sperm Whale has understood the Catcher.

.......

Surfing-With-Whales and Sweezus have just reached the shallows, when Sweezus says:

Shit!

What? asks Surfing-With-Whales.

Ageless! says Sweezus. He was with me. Now he isn't.

I wouldn't worry, says Surfing-With-Whales. No great loss, dude.

This is one way of looking at it.

Sweezus examines it from an ethical standpoint.

Yeah. Surfing-With-Whales might be right.

But Nietzsche, who has surfed in on a wave (how clever!) close behind them, has been thinking:

( mainly about how this all might be appearing to Lauren):

Yes, she will have seen him surf in on a wave ( how quickly he learns things!), but he has come in empty handed. He had paddled out to rescue the Catcher. And what had prevented him? A man-made RULE about not getting too near the whales.

Nietzsche turns and paddles out again. Thus decides Zarathustra.

.........

Ageless has slipped off Sweezus's surfboard not far from the whales and the Catcher.

He has sunk down...down...down.

He is planning to watch the demise of the Catcher.

He spots the two whales.

And the Catcher, gesticulating.

The conversation goes on for a long time.

Finally the Catcher nods at the Sperm Whale, who dives down to the seabed.

Then he waves ( which is easier ) at the Humpback, who slowly surfaces, and performs a tail lob, a pec slap, two blows and a body roll. Bravo!

It seems the whale confrontation is over.

Ageless undulates across to the Catcher.

You lost them both, says Ageless. Too bad.

On the contrary, says the Catcher. They belong to me now. And I have temporarily released them.

Devil take the Catcher! Making up his own facts! Ageless's eyes emit red sparks of vengeance.

He advances on the Catcher, claws at the ready........