The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke Page A

son.:
    I can’t help but notice that everyone is grinning as the dolphins come in close. Dolphins just have that effect on people. Even Kyel cracks a smile as little Tisi swims around our group upside down in the water, showing off in his excitement over meeting new people.
    Because Kyel is smiling, I decide to go for it and risk another suggestion.
    :Most of the dolphins are fed and rested right now. Maybe we could practice taking dolphin tows. I can make sure the pod pulls us in the direction we need to travel. I think we should only use the dolphins to help those of us who are the most tired. But in emergencies, the dolphins can help us all get away from danger much faster than we can swim on our own. Hanging on to a dolphin, though, takes some practice.:
    Kyel frowns as he considers my idea.
    :Very well,:
he says at last.
:We can all practice as long as we don’t get distracted from watching out for trouble.:
    :The dolphins will let us know if there’s any danger heading our way,:
I promise him.
    Quickly, I pair each person with a dolphin, trying to match personalities and strength. Because he’s the strongest and the biggest, I assign Densil to pull Thom. Our next strongest dolphin is steady Kona, and so I ask her to tow Kyel. Since Mariah already knows Lena, I think they’ll make a good team. Then I assign happy Pani to Ree, hoping she can handle Ree’s attitude. Mali, who is both strong and quite a flirt, is excited when I ask her to tow Tobin. Nika, one of Mariah’s younger granddaughters, is playful and sensible at the same time. She has been friends with Robry for years, and I know she will take good care of him. Gentle Ricca makes Bria grin when she tickles the little girl with her beak.
    Since I’m used to Sokya and her tricks, I ask her to tow me. Dai already has his big dolphin, and I have a hunch the two of them could teach me plenty about dolphin handling. After I show everyone the best way to hold on to the dolphins’ dorsal fins, Sokya and I lead off to the northwest, with Tisi, Halia, Mona, and Laki swimming in circles around us. I look back and see grins on everyone’s faces as they practice being pulled by their sleek, powerful dolphins.
    As Sokya tows me swiftly through the sunlit sea, I realize I’m grinning, too. I’ve always loved dolphin rides at the surface, but being towed below the waves is like flying through a whole new world. Sokya pulls me up and over rock ribs and past the edge of a kelp forest. We skim across a sand flat, startling a large torpedo ray hiding on the bottom. Minutes later we cut through a big school of salema and send the surprised fish flashing away from us in glinting swirls of gold and silver.
    With the pod’s help, we make good time over the next hour. Then I send them off to rest, except for Mariah and Ricca, who stay to help Lena and Bria. Working with the dolphins has helped to cheer up everyone. I notice, though, that the tension in our travel group increases as the light in the ocean fades.
    :Dai,:
Kyel suddenly orders,
:send Ton out to search for a place where we can spend the night.:
    I watch Dai give a series of hand signals, and the big dolphin speeds off. It never occurred to me to ask the dolphins to help find us shelter. With their ability to echolocate, they probably can do a better job of finding caves and overhangs than we can.
    Kyel orders us to swim in a tighter formation and to keep our spearguns at the ready. I can tell my new companions are frightened as the sea darkens. Although I feel uneasy, too, I wish I could make them understand that the dolphins fear the same predators we do. Mariah and the rest of the pod will warn me if something dangerous approaches us.
    :These people haven’t spent as much time in the sea as you obviously have,:
Dai says, suddenly breaking in on my thoughts.
:I tried to tell them that Ton would warn us of danger, but they don’t believe me.:
    :It’ll probably take