Page 115 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

Dr. Thames eyed the council. “If you have any questions, I’d be happy to share what I know.”

“I think that’s more than enough, Dr. Thames,” Mayor Ashbridge said.

Dr. Thames squeezed Echo’s shoulder again. She nodded at Mael and returned to the audience.

Loud murmurs swept through those behind Echo.

“Quiet,” the mayor said into microphone. As the meeting house quieted, Mayor Ashbridge eyed the other council members, looking as if he didn’t know how to proceed. Finally, he turned to Echo and Mael.

“I suppose we stand corrected on the reproductive aspect, but that doesn’t negate the fact that you brought a murderous orca into our town. You have both broken our treaty. You have both jeopardized the safety of this pod.”

“I get so tired of repeating this. The treaty makes no mention of the land, only the water,” Mael said. “I have combed over that document. It lists the geographic locations of the waterline, explaining which is which, and that we are not to cross that line. I come over on the ferry, north of Dolphin Bay, and I drive to Echo’s home. I haven’t swam in your waters. Echo has not swam in ours without permission.”

Echo fought a smile. Mael squeezed his hand.

The mayor lifted a small black item and pressed a button. On the large screen to the left of the council table, dark images appeared that looked like they were from the harbor.

The harbor. Oh fuck!

His boat came into view, careening around and crashing into his slip. Echo watched as he jumped from the boat. Luckily it was dark and the quality not the best, so his nudity wasn’t clear.

Then the dorsal fin came into view and the crowd roared around them.

Echo turned to Mael, his jawline tight as he glared at the mayor.

“Are you going to tell me that’s not you chasing Echo into the harbor, Mr. Marino? Our harbormaster submitted this to us a couple of weeks ago. He worried for the safety of our pod after seeing that dorsal fin in our harbor.”

“I crossed the line,” Echo said. “I’m the one at fault. Not Maelstrom.”

“No,”Mael snapped, his head whipping to Echo. He turned back to the mayor. “No, no, no. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

“I was searching for something I found in my grandfather’s journals in orca waters.”

“Stop,”Mael said, turning to face Echo.

“I was the one who crossed the line. And when I did, I was attacked by two great whites. If it hadn’t been for Mael, I’d be dead. He saved my life… and then escorted me home that night. I was going fast because I was afraid of the sharks. Mael killed one, but the other got away. I thought it was after me.” He turned to eye Maelstrom. “He was my hero that night.”

“Echo… your admission opens you to penalties or exile,” Mael whispered, his hand covering the mic. He lifted his hand. “Echo is mistaken. He was there with my permission.”

Mael’s mother’s voice rung out at the back of the hall. “Only the matriarch can give her permission for a dolphin to enter her waters.”

“Fuck me,”Mael murmured under his breath before they both turned.

Amiria Marino appeared livid as she marched up the central aisle. She sidled up beside Echo and glared at him. She turned to the Mayor. “Echo was there that night under my invitation.”

Echo’s eyes widened. His jaw went slack.

“He presented me with pages from his grandfather’s journal that claimed there to be a treasure under our seas that held artifacts of dolphinkind. He asked permission to explore, and I granted it. I sent my sons with him for assistance and protection as well as to oversee what occurred in our waters. Not only did he find an underwater vault holding dolphinkind treasures, but orca treasures as well. From the time soon after our two pods traveled from the South Pacific together and found a new home here. Long ago, when we worked and lived side by side in harmony.” She turned to Echo. “As we hopefully will again.”

Echo felt the sting of tears and worked to hold them back.

“I realize this is a meeting being held to determine if my son and your pod member broke our treaty, but I say they have not. We have no reason to persecute these two and create conflict between our pods. We’ve had enough of that, haven’t we?”

The council members eyed one another, but did not respond.

“Unless you’reinterestedin a war with the orca?” Mael’s mother asked, lifting a brow.

“No, no… of course not,” Mayor Ashbridge said into the microphone. “I believe we can call this matter closed.”

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