hurt a little, but it was more an annoyance, you know. Like getting plankton in your ear. But your buddy here… He gestured to Carragheen. … seemed like he was pretty destroyed by it. He was seconds from death. I took him to DC til he came to, gave him some stuff to speed recovery.
Wow, DC. Dolphin Central. Rick must have been worried. But why so much concern about an Aegiran? Dolphins like us, sure, but I’ve never known of anyone who got taken to DC.
There was some other agenda here, and I wanted in on it. Okay, Rick, whassup?
Rick was working nonchalant. Que?
I wasn’t having it. Enough with the que, ’kay? I’ve had it up to here with your cryptic messages and now all this pretending you go around saving the ass of Aegirans every day. What’s in it for you guys? Dolphins are nothing if not self-interested. And I get that. I mean, they have a right to be, I guess, being the most evolved species on the planet. So I wanted to know why Rick was breaking the habit of a lifetime for this one, admittedly very hot, guy.
Rick did this elegant little twirly dance, stalling. Eventually he spoke into my mind again. We know there’s something going down. We didn’t like that blood in The Eye stunt. And we’re watching. We’re worried about the outcome.
Something occurred to me, an echo of the prophecy, and I telepathed the question quickly and privately to Rick. Is Carragheen one of The Three?
Rick laughed. No way, babe. I’m not giving anything away, but I can tell you that none of The Three wear pants.
Huh, so they’re all women. A lifetime of wondering about the prophecy, especially who the hell the three were, backed up inside me and led to this huge shudder of excitement. For thirteen years, I’d had a personal interest in the issue. And now this.
They know, the damned dolphins know.
I was trying to work out how to coax more detail out of Rick, figuring I’d need to corner him alone, when Carragheen interrupted. I’m just grateful to Rick at this point.
I snorted a little ungraciously as Rick made to leave, and heaved myself up to try to follow him, to drill him some more.
But Lecanora interrupted this time. Rick, one more thing. I don’t suppose you could spare any of those special healing herbs you used on Carragheen? For Rania here.
Rick looked at me then and I realized it was the first time since he’d arrived that he’d focused on me properly. That in itself was strange. We had a bond, me and Rick, but now I clocked that he had been in kind of a hurry to go the whole time he’d been there, at Carragheen’s place. He swam closer, placing one fin over my heart. How badly are you hurt?
Lecanora answered for me. She was seconds from death too. She’s still very sick.
Even from where I was lying, I could see a nerve jumping at Carragheen’s jaw.
Rick uttered a squeak that could have been fury or frustration (my dolphin lingo had never been that hot) and spat a lump of something disgusting from his mouth into Lecanora’s hand. Small portions, hourly. She’ll be fine to travel in a few hours.
I raised my head. Who says I’m going anywhere?
Rick sniggered like only a smartass dolphin can. Oh, babe, you’re talking to a dolphin. Don’t you know by now that we know things? And with that, he was gone.
Before I could say “hang on, what does it taste like?” the Princess was coming towards me with the half-masticated glob from inside Rick’s mouth.
I’m sure I’ll be just fine without it, I telepathed feebly at her, imploring with half-dead eyes. I never did like taking medicine.
She wasn’t having it. Swallow.
I considered saying that wasn’t a polite thing to say to a lady but there were a few problems. First, I’d never considered myself a lady. Second, she wouldn’t get it. And third, my Mom was in the room. So I did as I was told. There was a first time for everything, and I was too weak to argue. It tasted dreadful, worse than I would ever have imagined some half-regurgitated piece of who-knows-what from the inside of a dolphin’s mouth could taste.
And believe me, I’ve got a pretty good imagination.
But almost instantly I felt the mire of aches and bruises start to lift. I felt suddenly very sleepy. I would never have imagined that I could take