“But it would have been nice to be told about it first and formally asked to attend. And the whole no-food thing? Well, that’s just stupid.”
She continued to look down at the root.“Yes, the lack of meals, that is the aspect lacking intelligence, not the pointless slaughter of some of the most amazing creatures in the sea.”
“Whatever, Greenpeace.”She looked up, and I could tell she was getting ready to ask what Greenpeace was.“Never mind, Lelas. I’m just in a mood. You know how I can get.”
She had the grace to not comment. I was pretty sure I saw a nod, but it may have been the current moving her hair.
“Tell me we at least get to eat as we move around this time.”
She nodded, the motion of her hair looking suspiciously like it had a moment before.“Yes, we need to keep our strength up for the journey.”
“Oh yes, by all means, let’s keep our strength up for moving. That’s much harder to do than fighting crazed sharks.”A small school of bluefish swam in front of my face, blocking her from my view. I swished them away.
Another grimace.“You came back a hero. I would venture that you managed quite well without nourishment.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d say hero or not.”
She grinned up at me.“I imagine you would. It would not be an ill-used term, as you saved Wrell’s life. Even Syleen treats you differently since your return.”
She wasn’t wrong. Syleen wasn’t fawning over me or anything like that, but she didn’t seem determined to get me banished from the tribe at the moment either.“How is Wrell? I haven’t seen him since we got back.”
“He is well. It is due to his recovery that Syleen feels we are now able to migrate to a place that can sustain us without sacrifice upon its inhabitants.”
“I’m glad. He’s a strange guy, but he seems nice.”I glanced away from her.“Not to mention gorgeous.”
I looked back over out of the corner of my eye, and she didn’t give any reaction.“You should go to him. I am certain you would be welcome. You saved his life.”
“You’re the only one that says it like that.”
“Says what?”
“That I saved his life.”
“You did save his life.”This time, she didn’t meet my gaze.“Why would I say otherwise?”
“Look at you being coy. I didn’t know you had it in you. You know what I mean.”
She didn’t reply for a bit, only continued to scoop and redistribute the soil at the base of the kelp. Whether she was simply playing in the sand to occupy her fingers or if she was aerating the ground somehow, I couldn’t tell.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around her tail as she curved it up to her chest, the loose sand drifting from her fingers to dust across her scales.“Because I give reference to your actions saving Wrell instead of attributing them to Moheetla?”
I nodded.
She stared down at her fins, flickering in a waving motion over the sand. Still, she was evasive.“The possibility is there that I would see things differently had I been witness to the methods you used to help Wrell. Perhaps I would have seen Moheetla working through your fire—through your hands.”
That sounded a whole lot like me questioning the teachings of the church, and I was surprised such thoughts would come from Lelas. If she were human, I would have placed a heavy bet that she’d be a Sunday school teacher, or at least a preacher’s wife. I was trying to figure out the least offensive wording to ask if she didn’t have the same faith as the rest of her tribe, when she interrupted my train of thought.
“You should go see him.”
“Hmm?”
“Wrell. I think it would be a good thing for you to see him. Possibly for both of you.”
“Oh, Wrell, of course. I will.”
“I will take you to him.”
I cocked my head at her.“Why do you want me to see him now?”
