23.
Swordfish Story

How a dead dolphin washed up on a local beach.

UP FROM THEIR CRYSTAL HOUSE beneath the sea, Samak and Iasc, the youngest of eight swordfish brothers, swam to the surface.
  They were looking for dolphins. Their long white hair and thick eyebrows trailed behind as they ascended from the depths, bodies blue and long from tip of sword to end of tail.
  “I’d hope we find something fun,” Iasc said.
  “Young and stupid would be nice.”
  “No. How about something smart,” he told Samak. “That way the end is so much more difficult for them.”
  “Oh, I like thaaat,” Samak growled.
  They laughed and broke through the surface reaching for the sky before falling back to the water. Beside them they found a large jellyfish and Samak speared it with his nose, threw it to his brother who tossed it back to him.
  “Borrr-ring!” said Iasc. Samak agreed and flung the jellyfish as far as he could, over Sirenas Island, and out to sea.
  Samak stopped. “Listen, brother,” floating silently. In the distance they could hear the sound of dolphins. “Always so talkative. Always so righteous.”
  “Always using big words when little ones will do,” Iasc chided. Looking straight at one another they paused. “Let’s go!” and they turned their tails and went.
  Within moments, Samak and Iasc descended on the group, scattering them squealing in all directions.
  “Nothing so clever to say now but ‘Run!’” Iasc said.
  “The only clever thing they said was our name,” Samak added. “And loudly!”
They chased the stragglers they could find but it was difficult for the swordfish to keep up as the dolphins were smarter and faster than them.
  “There!” cried Iasc.
  An adolescent was off to the side making work for himself swimming in clockwise circles. It was apparent to the swords that this one was blind in one eye as he doubled backed to keep sight of what was going on around him.
  “Touchdown!” cried Samak.
  They moved in on the dolphin. It swam in increasing circles trying to keep his good eye on them but was tiring quickly.
Iasc circled around the opposite side, grabbed the dolphin’s tail as Samak tweaked the nose. It cried out. Iasc shot forward, piercing its skin, raising the dolphin from the water.
  “Go long,” Samak said. Iasc swam rapidly along the surface. He could see the shape of the dolphin in the sky above. He rose from the water at the right moment and caught it with the end of his nose.
  “Bravo!” Samak said. “What a star!”
  Iasc spun the dolphin around and threw it back to his brother who caught it with his sword. Samak could taste the blood as it ran down the dolphin’s nose and into Samak’s mouth.
  He faded back. “Down-and-in, brother! Down-and-in!”
  Iasc swam fast then turned, coming out of the water. The dolphin was there and he caught it.
  “If our brothers could see us now!” exalted Samak. “We’re just like them.”
  Iasc looked at the dolphin hanging on his sword. Its eye was close to lifeless, closing slowly and opening again.
  “I think this one has had it, Samak,” Iasc gave the dolphin a shake.
  “Looks like it’s time for the field goal, brother.”
  “Alrighty,” he cracked.
  Iasc made a large circle, kicking his tail and gaining speed. A line of bubbles trailed from the dolphin’s mouth. Iasc burst through the surface and flung the young dolphin as far as he could toward shore.
  “Goal!” cried Samak, laughing.
  The little whale turned end over end, arching towards the beach, an insignificant splash marking the landing a few hundred yards from the sand, unseen by fishermen or sailor.
  “Three points,” said Iasc.
  They laughed and carried on across the channel searching for more dolphins.