by Caney, Mark
‘No, you must go; do it for the clan — for all zetii. I’ve done so much harm already, I couldn’t bear this on my conscience too.’
‘No! I’m staying here. Someone will come along eventually; then we can warn the clan. I thought I’d lost you before, I’m not going to let it happen again.’
She looked into the empty eyes of the turtle for a long while. Her own eyes had a strange, distant look, but in their depths great emotional currents swirled: sorrow certainly, but also, in other circumstances, what he would have guessed at as joy. She looked into his eyes at last, ‘You must go now. I can be strong if I know you are coming back to me. Just promise that you’ll return before Senx sets. I don’t want to be alone in the dark.’
She swam up to the surface and took a breath, seemingly with little effort.
Sky hesitated, but her eyes smiled reassuringly, pleadingly. He pressed his face alongside hers for a long moment.
‘Alright. Be strong. I’ll come back before Senx hides his face. Nothing will stop me.’
He disappeared quickly into the blue. She watched him go and closed her eyes for a while. Then, with great effort she swam against the dreadful, heavy embrace of the net and snatched a breath. She sank down again. Her body rocked gently in the swell. She looked in the direction he had gone; closed her eyes once more and at last, spoke softly.
‘I love you, Sky.’
Chapter 50
“Taking vengeance is like eating sand.
Easily done but serving no real purpose.”
— Clouds Reveal Menkar (8,633 - ? post Great Alluvium)
Sky reached the arch where the Xenthos should have returned Deneb Rising to his clan as the sun approached its zenith. Of course, no Xenthos would come today — they had already assumed that the Ka-Tse had broken their word. But he knew that a delegation from his clan must be arriving sometime soon. He was surprised that the Guardians were not already here and he looked around desperately, afraid that he had somehow missed them. He decided that they must still be coming and looked for a place to hide among the rocks where he could watch unseen. He did not dare to use his sonar in case it was heard, and so had no warning when a large shape loomed out of the blue towards him, closely followed by another. Two big, powerful, tiger sharks swam towards him, both more than twice his size. The nearest one turned its broad head towards him to investigate, the distinctive dark, vertical stripes on its back clearly visible as it turned.
Sky swam around the beast, not especially concerned. Although the tigers were clearly hunting, they would not be likely to attempt to catch a fit, adult dolphin. As he had expected, once they recognised what he was, the pair turned away again and began patrolling the shallows to the west of the arch. Sky felt relief: for a moment, he had thought that he had been discovered by the Guardians. He quickly concealed himself among the large rocks above the arch. He realised bitterly that he was in almost the same spot as the time he had hidden to watch the Guardian ceremony. This time he made sure that he should be able to escape unseen close to shore if need be. He could then slip back and surface if need be.
He kept thinking of Dusk, trapped in the net and of the treachery of Green Wave Falling. They had trusted him as their teacher and he had fooled them all. He had always been the stickler for following the Way exactly with absolutely no deviation. Yet all the time he must have been a Guardian spy, waiting his chance to betray them all. If there was any one zeta who deserved justice it was him. He had tried to kill Dusk in such a calculating way and he must know the Guardians’ plan. To create open conflict between the zetii, so that the Ka-Tse could emerge as the dominant race. It was madness. Sky remembered the lessons in the Academy with Green Wave, the clan Council meetings, the Grand Council meetings. All the time he had been there with his secret plan, telling lies, making schemes. He had even been with Sky when he had first seen that net! Sky realised with revulsion that Green Wave may have already made a mental note of it at that time, in case it became useful for a situation like this. He was not fit to be called a zeta, much less addressed as Jeii! Sky wanted to punish him; to find him and make him suffer like Dusk was suffering.
He did not have long to wait.
Soon he heard the sound of a single dolphin approaching from the direction of his old clan’s bay. The dolphin appeared below him, and paused on the sand there, apparently agitated. Although Sky could not see the new arrival clearly from his hiding place, he could make out that the tip of his dorsal fin was missing. It was him! Anger flooded his mind. The old traitor did not know he was there; Sky could dive down now and he would not see him until it was too late; he could smash into him with his rostrum — hurt him, kill him, punish him for what he had done! He started out of the rocks, vengeance filling his mind, but then a small voice — his own — spoke in the corner of his mind: we’d be just like the creatures we despise. He had said that once to Dusk; a lifetime ago, when Ocean had seemed a simpler place, with rules that everyone followed. And when she had suggested he should kill Storm he had told her it would be wrong. Yet Storm was another zeta who surely deserved to die.
He paused. It would not help Dusk now if he attacked. And he would be doing just what the Guardians wanted; starting the endless cycle of zeta killing zeta, death leading to more death. But the traitor deserved it. And might not killing this evil zeta prevent the deaths of others in the future? He paused. Then came the sound of the sonar of a number of dolphins approaching. He dropped lower behind the rocks and watched. Five dolphins appeared. The large form of Storm led the way, flanked by Sharp Beak. Close behind, two more big dolphins flanked the battered shape of Deneb Rising. Sky’s heart sank when he saw the condition of his friend. He was swimming, but in obvious pain, and he looked pitifully thin and weak. The two guards forced Deneb into a small recess in the reef wall and hovered at its entrance, hemming him in. Storm approached Green Wave Falling and stopped. They were not far from Sky and he could hear them clearly.
‘Greetings, Kark-Du.’
‘Greetings, old one. Why are you here alone now? You should come at noon with the delegation from the clan. This could ruin things!’
‘I know, Kark-Du, but matters were nearly much worse. Fortunately, I believe I have saved us, but I wanted to warn you of an unfortunate development.’
Sky wondered what to do. He could try to swim down and drive the guards away from Deneb, but it looked hopeless. There were too many of them, he would be easily overwhelmed. Below him, Green Wave was still talking.
‘The female, Fades Into Dusk, learned of our plans. She was on her way to the Council to warn them, but by chance she met me first.’ His eyes gave a little smile.
‘How much does she know?’ Storm demanded.
‘Everything. She had spoken to the prisoner and knew every detail. But do not be alarmed, I have neutralised the threat she posed. We can still proceed.’
‘What do you mean, you’ve “neutralised the threat”?’ Storm growled.
‘I tricked her into swimming into one of the Walkers’ hunting devices. She did not suspect a thing and became hopelessly entangled. When they find her body it will look like it was an accident.’
Green Wave looked pleased with himself, as though expecting praise. But Sky noticed that the smaller dolphin with the long beak seemed to have recognised a change coming over his leader and had stealthily backed away from him. Storm seemed to grow in size; he moved closer to the old dolphin, his eyes blazing. ‘Do you mean that she is dead?’
‘Yes, Kark-Du; we are safe, she cannot harm us now.’
‘You killed Fades Into Dusk?’
‘Well, she is dead, but I didn’t actually…’
He never finished. Storm launched himself at him, smashing his rostrum into his side. The old dolphin let out a scream of pain and shock. ‘No, Kark-Du, I have saved our plan, you should thank me!’
‘Thank you? You hurt her!’ He slammed again into Green Wave’s side, forcing another scream from him. ‘You killed my Fades Into Dusk!’ He dr
ove his full weight again into soft flesh just behind his head. The frail form of the old dolphin was thrown against a rock. His eye turned slowly towards Storm in incomprehension. His body jerked spasmodically twice; then was still, a thin trail of blood oozed slowly from his mouth.
Sharp Beak moved over to the body and scanned it. ‘He’s dead, Kark-Du.’
Storm hung in the water, his head low, near the sand. ‘Gone,’ he murmured. He reared up again, and with a scream smashed into the inert form of Green Wave again.
‘She was mine!’
He sank back to the sand again morosely. Sky watched mesmerised at the strange scene. The smaller dolphin nervously edged forward again towards his master.
‘Kark-Du, it is almost noon. What shall we do?’
Storm opened his eyes; wearily, painfully. ‘Sharp Beak, help me push this body into deeper water. Then we’ll execute the prisoner.’
Chapter 51
“Great strength wielded without control marks a coward’s mind.”
- Hidden Nebulae (11,345 – 11,402)
Sky had watched the scene unfold below him and felt sick. He had just been thinking of attacking Green Wave Falling himself; even thinking of killing him. He had had similar thoughts about Storm, too, had thought of taking revenge on him, revenge for his father’s death. That is what it would have been like, that was what it was to kill another zeta — now it repelled him. Once again he was stunned at the violence the Guardians were capable of. Then he roused himself. Storm and Sharp Beak were awkwardly pushing the body out towards the deeper water; they would be back soon. The two guards still had Deneb pinned against the recess in the reef wall. Could he fight them both? He doubted it; they were both huge, strong looking creatures — he needed help. Then he glimpsed a distant shape at the edge of visibility behind him, followed by another. The Cleaners!
He slipped back towards the two big tiger sharks who were still patrolling the shallows. He made a pass close in front of them and then turned back towards the arch. The tigers ignored him. Hunting a healthy dolphin was far too much work. Sky looked around desperately, then realised what he had to do. Nearby was a sharp protrusion of coral. He drove the side of his face against it, opening a wound on the side of his face. The cut burned but there was little blood. He turned again and forced his face harder against the coral, aiming for the same spot. Some of the sharp, brittle coral snapped off, he could feel fragments break off into the wound and this time it really hurt badly. But now there was a steady stream of blood, tinted green by the depth of water.
He overtook the two tigers and made a pass in front of them, and swam with awkward, jerking motions. He went to the surface and splashed about there as though sick and convulsing. The first tiger did not react at first, then it passed through the scent trail of Sky’s blood. It immediately turned towards the surface, followed by its companion and they started to circle Sky, evaluating whether he really was easy prey.
Sky could not afford to wait for the tigers to be cautious. He swam back towards Deneb, making a show of swimming spasmodically. The sharks followed, getting more and more interested. Sky was getting close to the arch now, he had to provoke the tigers if this was to work. He swam to the nearest coral head, and, choosing an especially vicious-looking corner, once more ground his wound against it. He cried out involuntarily at the pain. Blood poured forth this time, and now the smell of it made the tigers very excited. Suddenly the big one lunged at him. Sky barely escaped and shot off, keeping just ahead of the monster. The other one joined the pursuit and both were after him at full speed, now frenzied by the stream of blood they were swimming in. Sky flew though the rocky arch, the sharks just behind him. He had just a moment to take in the scene: the two guards turning to look around in shock, Deneb barely visible against the wall, Storm and Sharp Beak nowhere to be seen. Sky barrelled between the two guards, the leading tiger crashed into one of them, his jaws agape, and took in the whole of his head, killing him almost instantly. A huge cloud of blood filled the water. Sky darted into the recess alongside Deneb, as the other shark snapped at the second guard, removing a chunk from his tail fluke. The guard fled, the shark in hot pursuit. The remaining big tiger shook its head violently from side to side, the guard’s body flopping limply back and forth in its maw as its teeth sawed through his body. It gave a final violent shake of its head and the guard’s head and upper body were severed, the rest of him falling to the seabed. The tiger gulped down its meal and then circled the body, struggling to digest the first half of the dolphin.
Sky turned to the shocked Deneb. ‘Quick: go to the clan, tell them what’s happened! I’ll distract it.’
Deneb started to protest, but Sky shoved him out in the direction of the clan’s bay. Then he moved out into the open in front of the shark which eyed him warily. ‘Go!’ Sky hissed to Deneb.
Deneb took a last look then turned and swam off as fast as he could. Sky watched him disappear; wanting to be sure that he would get clear of the Cleaner. All the blood from the severed body of the guard would attract more of them soon. Sky taunted the shark for a little longer, staying just out of its reach. Then it lost interest, remembering the half eaten body on the seabed. It nosed it again, as though trying to decide whether to try and eat it too. Sky slipped past it, and headed after Deneb as fast as he could across the reef.
Sky was elated. The wound on his head was still hurting badly. But he had done it! He had helped Deneb get away in spite of the odds. Now, he just had to convince the clan…a cry of rage shattered his thoughts and Sky felt a huge blow from above into his back, driving him onto the reef. He was flipped over onto his back and found himself lying in a hollow in the rock with the huge form of Storm looming over him. Storm’s eyes were narrow with fury and his voice was icy. ‘How dare you! You will die for your interference! Just tell me why you’ve done this before I kill you.’
Sky’s back hurt terribly and he knew that if Storm charged him now he had no chance but he did not feel afraid. He answered with a strong voice, glad that he had ruined the Guardian’s plans. ‘Because you are insane and have to be stopped. Because of what happened to Dusk. Because you killed my father, the last Kark-Du of your clan.’
‘Your father! He was not your father! What’s your name?’
‘I am Touches The Sky and he was my father.’
Storm looked taken aback. ‘Touches The Sky died on a beach with my mother a long time ago. Only I and my father escaped that day.’
‘No! I escaped too! But my brother’s name was…’
Storm gave a harsh laugh. ‘Still Bay. That was my old name until I embraced Stone Eyes’ teaching and joined the Guardians. So, my little brother survived!’
Sky took advantage of Storm’s momentary surprise to right himself and shift himself slightly out of the hole. Storm saw the movement and growled.
‘What are you doing? Trying to get away? You think this changes anything? You’re not my brother any more — I have many new brothers, every true believer is my brother now, not you. You’re from another time, another world. You’re weak and foolish like he was and you’ve ruined everything! It will seem like I have failed and you are responsible!’
His rage overcame him again and he lunged at Sky once more, plunging towards him with his eyes blazing. Sky darted away and Storm just struck him with a glancing blow, but it still hurt. He swam as fast as could; away from Storm, out into the blue, away from the land. He kept near the surface so that he could leap to breathe. It hurt; hurt a lot. Storm must have broken some ribs. But he had to swim or die. Below him, the bottom fell sharply away. Soon they were over the deep waters; darkest blue beneath them.
Storm was close behind him, cursing him, promising to kill him. Ordinarily, he would probably have been able to outpace the big dolphin, but the injury to his back was growing stiff and painful; it was becoming agony to swim. Storm was going to catch him. There was only one place to go.
Sky dived.
He heard Storm follow him, not far behi
nd, using his sonar to track Sky, still cursing him.
Sky forced himself to enter the deep diving trance in spite of the pain. He had never done it before while swimming this fast but this would have to be the best dive of his life or the last one. He visualised his body, the familiar dull red glow representing his conscious extending through it. Quickly, he made the glow dim, from his fins, from his tail, up into his body. He reduced the racing pace of his heart; making it pause between beats, extending the pause each time.
Slow your heart. Slow it or die.
Soon the red glow was just in his head. He was vaguely aware of his tail still driving him ever deeper, but it was far away, and the distant pain was almost a comfort. Now, he was at edge of the fourth level of consciousness. He could hear the sonar of Storm behind him, getting closer. The water became darker, the Shades spoke of joining, absorbing, and then: death.
Slower still.
They swam on and on into the void. The water became very cold as he passed the deep thermocline. It was almost perfectly black now. He had never been this deep before.
Slower.
He was aware that his body was running out of oxygen, he was struggling to keep any kind of control. He thought of One Eye and wished he could be there.
Beware the worm named Fear.
He knew that the inviting, dark mantle of unconsciousness was not far away; close enough to feel now, close enough to touch.
Slower yet.
A part of Sky’s mind could detect Storm closing behind him; he must be only a body length away. He vaguely noticed that Storm had stopped using his sonar. He must be about to attack. It did not seem to matter much anymore.
Dying is not hard at all.
He distantly felt the weight of Storm’s body collide with his.