The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke Page B

some time before they learn to trust the dolphins.:
    :That’s their problem,:
Dai says with a shrug. Before I can ask him how he came to work with Ton, the big dolphin comes back and bobs his head at Dai.
    :I’m going to check out what Ton found for us,:
Dai tells Kyel.
    Dai heads off, kicking incredibly swiftly for someone who just spent his whole day swimming through the sea.
    The group draws even closer together after that. Everyone is on the lookout for sharks, which do become more active at night. Ree and Bria in particular keep glancing around them, their faces pale. It’s hard for me not to feel tense when everyone seems so scared.
    As the last of the light vanishes, true night turns the water black all around us. Now I can only see twenty feet ahead of me. My legs feel like lead. I hope Ton and Dai find a place for us to get safely settled for the night, and find it soon.

:NERE, PLEASE TELL KYEL that Ton’s found a protected overhang big enough to hold us all,:
Dai contacts me.
:I’m sending Ton to bring you all back here while I clear out a couple of wolf eels.:
    :Why don’t you tell him yourself?:
I ask. I’ve already made a lot of suggestions today, and I’m pretty sure Kyel is getting tired of them.
    :Because Kyel isn’t a very strong telepath. He has problems hearing my thoughts over longer distances.:
I can feel Dai’s exasperation with Kyel and me in his mental tone.
    :I’ll tell Kyel for you,:
Tobin offers, and I smile at him gratefully. Moments later, Tobin relays Dai’s news to everyone. Ton appears soon after that and leads us to a large overhang he’s found at the end of a rocky canyon. The overhang is deep enough to protect us from sonar detection, and the canyon is narrow enough to give us some defense against predators.
    Kyel inspects the overhang carefully. I grow impatient as I watch him. I’m beyond ready to eat and hit my hammock.
    At last Kyel declares,
:All right. This looks good. Let’s set up camp.:
    He assigns Thom to keep watch while the rest of us put up our hammocks. Ton returns from a quick foraging trip looking quite pleased with himself. He presents to Dai the big yellowfin tuna in his mouth. Dai makes short work of filleting the yellowfin with his knife while Ton chases away greedy scavenger fish. Ton swims off with the carcass while Dai comes around and offers each of us strips of tuna.
    Once again, Lena refuses the raw fish, but Robry and I thank Dai and take some. I’m hungry enough to eat just about anything, but in the midst of wolfing down the raw fish, I can’t help remembering the ham sandwich my mother gave us right after our transformation. Now I wish I’d eaten it more slowly.
    Robry meets my gaze as we eat.
:I miss my mother’s bread,:
he admits.
    :I think she must be the best baker in the southern sector,:
I say as my mouth waters at the memory of her crusty, warm bread.
    :I miss everything we ate on land.:
Lena sighs wearily as she eats another fish bar.
    I look out into our little canyon. Its walls are covered by sea fans, spiky purple anemones, lush red algae, and ostrich-feather hydroids. Densil and Sokya have swum down to meet Ton. I can tell from Densil’s behavior that the bigger animal intimidates him. Sokya, however, seems quite taken with him, nipping and rubbing against him and inviting him to play. Ton swims after her slowly as if he doesn’t quite know how to respond to her antics.
    Eating the yellowfin has given me more energy. I swim out into the canyon to say good night to the dolphins. While I study Ton, I realize his body is crisscrossed with scars. Most wild dolphins have scars from shark attacks, but Ton looks like he’s been through a war.
    :We have survived some rough times together.:
Dai swims over to join me. His cool expression warms as he looks at his dolphin. Ton watches me just as carefully as I watch him. Every dolphin has his or her own personality, just like