“Is this what you’re looking for, Melis?”
“Yes, it’s definitely a grave marker. I can’t read everything there, but that isn’t unusual. All the grave markers we found have been written in a different style than their normal written language. It may be an older dialect, or maybe even their version of poetry.” Melis paused. “I guess there’s no way you can bring that up.”
“Sorry, doll,” Matthew said. “Not now. We probably couldn’t swing it even if we had both Conners in service. We’ll do well just to get that trellis up.”
“I knew the answer,” Melis said. “Sorry I asked.”
Josh positioned the exterior cameras over and around the marker. “But we’ll have some spectacular 3-D video for you. Next best thing to being there.”
Whump.
Jarring force.
Whump.
The submersible skittered to the side.
Whump.
Three more dolphin hits, each more forcible than the one before.
Another hit!
Hannah tried the compressed air again, but this time the dolphins did not even hesitate to body-slam Conner Two.
“We’re out of time,” Hannah said. “Let’s put that trellis into the sled and get the hell out of here.”
Josh and Matthew piloted the vessel back to the trellis, struggling to keep it steady against the crush of pounding, circling dolphins.
Hannah pushed a button, and the sled’s protective cover slid open.
First hurdle overcome. Kyle had struggled to coax the larger cover to open and close properly using a hydraulic system that had been designed for a much lighter sled.
Using every bit of the mechanical arms’ articulation and sensitivity, Hannah gently picked up the trellis and swung it toward the sled. Before she could lower it, she saw a dark cloud racing toward the artifact.
Dolphins. Dozens of them.
“No!” she said through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare. It’s mine!”
The dolphins pounded the trellis, the sled, and the mechanical arms.
The trellis flipped out of her grasp, and chunks of colored glass floated downward. Before the trellis could hit the ocean floor Hannah managed to swing the arms underneath and guide it down gently.
“Great catch!” Matthew said. “But you gotta work fast. Our friends are coming back for another blitz.”
Hannah looked up. There was an even larger shadow advancing on them this time, building speed with each passing second.
No time to spare.
She spun the trellis around and quickly attempted to gauge how best to lower it into the sled. Normally she would have spent several minutes making adjustments to the position, but today she didn’t have that luxury.
She held her breath and let go of the trellis.
As the gray cloud loomed ever larger, the trellis, riding the current, eased into the sled.
Matthew and Josh whooped, but she wasn’t ready to celebrate yet. She hit the switch and watched as the cover slid shut in jerky fits and starts.
Just a little bit more . . .
Success!
“Move!” she yelled. “Get us out of here!”
Conner Two raced from the site as hundreds of dolphins pounded the submersible and sled from every direction.
It was crazy, Hannah thought desperately. This couldn’t be happening.
“They’re following us up,” Josh said in disbelief.
And how much more pummeling could the sub take? Hannah held tight as the submersible pitched from side to side. “Don’t go up yet. Follow the ridge along the ocean floor.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
Conner Two changed direction. The onslaught of the dolphins lessened almost immediately.
“It’s working!” Matthew said.
Hannah glanced back at the sled. “Keep moving. We’re not out of this yet.”
As they left Marinth behind, the dolphins thinned considerably. After another few minutes, there were none to be seen.
Matthew turned to her. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t. It was a crapshoot. But they were so concentrated in Marinth, I thought they might not want to venture away.” Hannah pulled the bandanna from around her neck and wiped away a layer of perspiration that had collected on her brow. “Okay, guys. Let’s get topside.”
CHAPTER
3
“Are you okay?” Melis asked Hannah as she exited the minisub. “That was completely weird. For a little while I didn’t think you’d make it.”
“For a little while, I didn’t either. When we went down before, we had no trouble with the dolphins. It was as if that accident we had that uncovered the trellis triggered something. Crazy.” She nodded at the sled, now resting on the deck. “But I know you can’t wait to get a close look at the trellis. Go for it.”
Melis hesitated.
“Go ahead.” Hannah grinned. “You’ve been properly concerned and caring, now go see what your Marinthians have to say.”
Melis made a face. “I do care.” She started to unfasten the sled containing the trellis. “But I’ve waited a long time for this. And it may be only the beginning. I wish you could have spent more time down there.”
“Blame your beloved dolphins. They weren’t willing to have us down there.” Hannah fell to her knees beside her. “Let me do it. Your hands are shaking.”
“You’re damn right they are.” Melis’s face was glowing. “I have a right. This could be the bonanza, Hannah. You saw it down there. Now I want to see it, touch it.”
Hannah nodded, smiling. “I can see that you do. Just give me a minute.” She carefully opened the sled and sat back on her heels, watching Melis’s expression. It wasn’t often that she’d been privileged to be present at the realization of a dream. It was a rare and special moment. “It’s dirty. There’s a lot of silt floating around down there.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Melis stared at the intricate pattern on the glass. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it is.”
Melis glanced at her. “You’re not impressed?”
“I guess I’m more excited about how things work than the actual physical beauty of an object. Conner used to shake his head and tell me I had no soul.”
“You have a soul. Your focus is just different.” She looked back at the trellis. “When I first started exploring Marinth, I couldn’t understand why my husband, Jed, could be so excited about the artifacts that the crew brought up from the depths. I was only interested in the huge dolphin population that lived down there in the ruins.”
“You were a marine biologist.”
She nodded. “But that changed one day. I reached out and touched one of the goblets they had brought up on deck. It might have been warmed by the sun, but it felt oddly . . . alive. As if it had just been set down by some young Marinthian before he strolled away. I began to think of those men, women, and children who had lived and studied and loved all those thousands of years ago. I felt a connection and then I felt . . .” She reached out and touched the panes of glass with gossamer gentleness. “Wonder.”
Hannah’s throat tightened. She knew about wonder. Wonder was when she had stood with Conner by the bedside of his sleeping children. Children were wonder. Connecting with someone you loved was wonder. As she had told Melis, her life had been more involved with machines than human interaction but she knew that truth. “I guess I don’t have your sensitivity.”
Melis laughed. “Heaven save me from the gentle souls who tell you how sensitive they are. We’re all different. We all have our own priorities. I’ll take you anytime over them. Particularly when you risked your pod to keep from hurting my dolphins.”
“It came close,” Hannah said ruefully. “It was pretty scary down there. Dolphins can be intimidating, and there were so many. I can handle Pete and Susie, but those dolphins reminded me of those Foo dogs that guard Chinese temples. Very fierce.” She looked down at the trellis. “Were they protecting t
his artifact, Melis?”
“I don’t know. You can’t make the mistake of thinking all dolphins are like Pete and Susie. They’re not; they can be as lethal as sharks in some situations. Something triggered that ferocity. We’ll have to think about it.” Melis began to set up her camera. “But right now I want to study and photograph and not worry about the dolphins.”
“Can I help?”
She shook her head. “Just keep Ebersole out of my hair until I finish.” She nodded at the AquaCorp executive on the bridge. “He’s been salivating to examine the trellis, and I’ve told the crew they’re not to let him near it.”
Hannah could see that he’d pose a problem. He was frowning, and he looked as if he were pulling at an invisible leash. “No problem.” Hannah made a face. “Well, actually I’d rather take arsenic than have him cross-examine me about the retrieval. How long?”
“Three hours. Then I’ll have the crew stand guard while I arrange transport for it. I need to ship it to the museum. My lab isn’t equipped for this kind of restoration. You can bring him to view it then . . . at a distance.”
Hannah nodded and turned away. “I’ll go do my duty right after I change.”
“Hannah.”
She looked over her shoulder.
Melis smiled. “Thank you.”
“I just did my job.”
She shook her head. “You took that extra step. You retrieved my trellis, and you protected my dolphins. That qualifies as damn terrific.”
Hannah grinned. “I guess it does. But the hardest task is yet to come. Just get that trellis off the ship and out of Ebersole’s view.” She strolled down the deck toward the steps that led to her quarters.
“Hannah,” Ebersole roared. “I need to talk to you.”
She sighed, then forced a smile. “Right away. Just let me change first.” She started down the steps, then heard the familiar chirping off starboard. She glanced out to sea and saw Pete arc high out of the water. Susie followed only seconds later.
Beautiful. Splendid creatures.
Mysterious creatures.
And what had happened today down in the ruins of Marinth had been full of mystery.
And wonder?
Perhaps. If she had been able to stay here longer, then she might also have been able to reach out and touch the wonder . . .
“A Helicopter?” Jed Kelby said it as if he hadn’t heard Melis correctly.
Melis walked toward the stern of Fair Winds, holding the satellite phone tight against her ear. “Yes. It’s necessary, Jed. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t. You know I don’t like asking you for help with Marinth.”
“No, dammit, I wish you would. I’m your husband, and that place is as special to me as it is to you.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
“Well, finding it was special for me.”
Melis smiled. Marinth had been the passion—no, obsession—of Jed long before she had even heard of it. As she had told Hannah, her interest in Marinth had originally centered on the ancient civilization’s unusual interaction with dolphins, and how, thousands of years later, the local dolphin population still exhibited unique social behaviors with each other and human visitors. In addition, the Marinth dolphins’ highly evolved skeletal and respiratory systems allowed them to dive deeper and longer than any other dolphins on earth. But Marinth had held her once she’d been caught up in its unfolding story. Jed, however, had quickly moved on to other challenges, other adventures that took him to the far reaches of the world. He was currently in Micronesia, on the trail of a sunken Japanese destroyer that might have gone down with a fortune in diamonds in its hold.
“Marinth was only special to you when it was still so blasted elusive,” Melis said.
“That’s not true. It will always be special to me. It brought us together, didn’t it?”
“Don’t get all sentimental on me. I’m still not through teasing you about your attention deficit disorder.”
“Let’s get back to the helicopter. Why do you need it?”
“Hannah brought up the trellis. It’s reasonably intact, but there are dozens of missing glass pieces that need to be reconstructed before we can interpret the message on it. This could be it, Jed.” Lord, she hoped that was true. It had gone on so long, she was almost afraid to hope. “This could tell us what happened to the people of Marinth.”
“I hope so, Melis. It would be everything you’ve been working for.”
“It would.” She added lightly, “Don’t you wish you were here instead of chasing diamonds?”
He chuckled. “At this very moment, yes. No, not this minute. Every minute of every day. I miss you. Screw the diamonds. They don’t compare.”
She felt her throat tighten. No, they didn’t compare. Treasures were dazzling and the search exciting, but what she had with Jed was truly remarkable. Yet their relationship was based on freedom as well as love, and she would no more interfere with his life and purpose than he would with hers. He was an adventurer who traveled the world, but when they came together, it was fantastic. “I miss you too. If you get a chance, fly in and see what we’re doing here.”
“I might do that. The Japanese are giving me a king-size headache about that sunken sub. Things aren’t going so well here.”
“Which means that there’s no way you’ll change your focus until you get what you want. So I’m not going to see you anytime soon.”
“Unless you tell me to come.” His voice was suddenly grave. “Then I’ll be there for you. Anytime. You know that.”
“I know that.” For an instant she was tempted. No, she’d probably be so busy that she’d end up ignoring him for sixteen hours of the day. But oh would those other eight hours be fantastic.
Stop being selfish.
“No, go persuade the Japanese that they should let you have your diamonds. I’ll call you when you can come for a celebration.”
“I’ll be there. I’m happy for you, Melis.”
“Don’t be. Not yet. My lab here isn’t up to the job. I need to get that trellis to the museum right away.”
“Hence the helicopter.”
“Can you help?”
“I’ll get Wilson on it. If one of the corporate copters isn’t in the area, we’ll hire one with the juice to go out there and airlift your relic out. We’ll get it to you within a few hours. Happy?”
“Extremely. But I thought you had finally talked Wilson into taking a vacation.”
“I thought so, too, but an hour before we left Guam, he turned up at the dock. He said he was bored.”
“Well, working for you could never be boring.”
“That’s exactly what Wilson said. He’ll find you a copter, don’t worry.”
Four hours later, Hannah stood with Melis on the deck of the Copernicus, watching as the rented helicopter lifted off and headed east with its precious cargo. All around them, champagne corks popped, and crew members brought up bottles of whatever alcoholic beverages they could get their hands on. The first corks had popped the moment that Conner Two broke the surface, and Hannah had lived through enough end-of-expedition celebrations to know that the corks would still be flying at dawn.
Hannah turned toward Melis, who gazed wistfully at the helicopter as it disappeared into the distance. “I’m surprised you didn’t make them take you, too.”
Melis smiled. “It occurred to me, but I didn’t want to leave Pete and Susie. Not here.”
“They’re comfortable with the other people on your team, aren’t they? The crew of the Fair Winds?”
“Of course. They’re like family. And if it was anyplace else, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave. But here . . . Every time I come back to Marinth, I know I could lose Pete and Susie. They might decide to leave me.”
“That could never happen.”
“It could. They have a special connection to the other descendents of the Marinth dolphins. I don’t know what it is. Their brains may just be wired a certain way, but they communicate differently with t
hem than they do with any others. Dolphins communicate with each other, you know. Every time I come here, Pete and Susie disappear for a few days. I think the Marinth dolphins call them.”
“But they always come back.”
“Their time away has been getting longer and longer. And when our last expedition ended, they didn’t leave with us. That was a first. They finally caught up with us almost a week later, but they were . . . different. A bit listless, maybe even depressed. It took almost a month for them to get back to normal. I’m afraid it may have been a turning point for them. They were young when I found them, but I may be losing them as they grow to maturity.”
Hannah watched Pete and Susie as they sped back and forth across the stern of the Copernicus, putting on a show for the crew. “You could stop bringing them here.”
“No, I couldn’t do that, especially if this is where they would rather be. I’d miss them, but they know what they want.”
“I can’t imagine you without Pete and Susie.”
“I can’t imagine it, either.” Melis managed a smile. “Anyway, I didn’t want to just copter out of here in case this is the last day I’ll ever have with them.”
“I think you underestimate how they feel about you.”
Melis’s gaze never left the dolphins. “That may not be enough, Hannah. The relationship of the dolphins with the citizens of Marinth was a strange and powerful bond. Very powerful. The Marinthians protected the dolphins, and the dolphins protected them. I know it sounds weird, but I think it seems to be still in existence. It’s as if they believe the Marinthians are still here.” She shook her head. “I know. Those ancient Marinthians perished thousands of years ago. But who knows if there’s not still a lingering memory in the dolphins’ DNA. I’ve heard of genetic memory, and dolphins are strange and wonderful creatures.”
Hannah had to agree with her as she remembered how Pete and Susie had saved her life in the pod only a short time ago. She had run across many odd phenomena in her career on the sea, and she could accept that there was too much she still didn’t know to discount anything.
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