Page 78 of Seas the Reckoning

Pickles barks from the boat.

“I’m sorry, buddy, I’m not sure you can come out here.”

“Need a pet life vest? I keep one on board!” Thomas calls out. He goes about strapping Pickles into it before I can give a response.

“You all right with this?” Jackal asks.

Pickles lets out a small howl.

“I’ve got him!” I say, swimming over and jumping near the side of the boat to pull Pickles from Thomas as he leans over the edge.

I set Pickles in the water, and he begins paddling furiously with his tiny legs, his long ears dragging along the surface.

“Can you make sure he doesn’t drink the salt water?” I ask Jackal.

“On it. You enjoy your swim.”

The two dog-paddle around, and I pick up speed, letting myself cover a fair distance from the boat, and then loop back. I spiral under the water, observing a variety of fish. No sharks for the moment. Those don’t tend to worry me, but I keep an eye out, because I’m not letting one get close to Jackal or Pickles.

One bite, and it would be your fault for letting your dog in the water.

It’s easier to accept and let the thought roll past me while I’m here in the water. I’m not being unrealistic. I will be surprised if I don’t have an anxious moment flare at some point soon, but right now, I feel at home.

Not far from the boat, I spot a massive tangle of sargassum, a type of algae. I flag the others over, and Thomas steers the boat.

“It’s not scallops, but could you make use of this?” I ask Starla.

“I’m not going to cause the collapse of the ocean ecosystem, am I?” she asks, reluctant.

I shake my head.

“No. Believe it or not, this is small in comparison to others.”

She makes quick work of it, and when the sargassum is dried up, a bit of color has returned to her cheeks.

She looks even better after Thomas announces he has sandwiches in an icebox on board, and we go back on the boat for a filling lunch. We’re wiping crumbs off ourselves when he takes off his captain’s hat and wipes his brow.

“About ready? You all give me the coordinates, and I can make my way there. I have an excellent sense of direction.”

Exos relays our information. The councilman did indeed have a map, but the gargoyle took a picture of it with his cell phone instead of stealing the original copy.

“No need to tell him exactly where we’re headed,” Exos says.

I would have swiped it and run without considering that piece. Guess I still have a bit to learn when it comes to investigations and sneaking into places I’m not supposed to be.

Thomas nods to himself as he looks at the picture.

“I can get us there easily, but it’ll take the rest of the day. That all right with you?”

“Will we be able to breathe?” Starla asks.

Thomas waves off the concern.

“Unlike a real whale, I won’t fill my mouth with salt water and whale spit. And I won’t dive deep enough to cause issues with your anatomy. Plus, I brush my teeth daily, so you won’t be gagging on whale breath. Not saying it’ll be comfortable, but you’ll make it.”

Lovely.

“You could swim alongside, if you wanted,” Jackal says to me.