The Gift From Poseidon: When Gods Walked Among Us (Volume 2) Read Free Page B

appeared relaxed and now floated closer.  Diedrika reached out with a single hand and touched with each fingertip the matriarch’s nose.  The whale coming even closer, Diedrika began to massage this nose and continued to speak kind words to her.
    Under a full moon and its bright light eager to see greatness assert itself, an enchanted friendship began.  Diedrika now swam alongside the matriarch and rubbed wherever her skin rose above the water’s surface.  As the night wore on, she even allowed Diedrika to lie on her glacier white stomach as she floated on her back.  As they frolicked together long past midnight, the sky appeared to celebrate as the greenish glow of an aurora danced overhead.
    Finally, the two parted company and Diedrika made her way back to Penelope.  They met at the same rocky outpost where Diedrika had entered the sea.
    “I don’t believe it,” Penelope blurted.  “I mean, I saw it – was bewildered and amazed the whole time by it – but I still can’t believe my eyes.”
    A raging fire fueled by boundless confidence burned inside Diedrika, but on the outside she felt as calm as the gentle early morning breeze now tickling her face .
    It was one thing to think there was nothing you could not do, it was quite another to know it.  Implicitly, beyond any doubt.
    Diedrika peered into Penelope’s eyes and, as would a teacher to her student, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  The lecture came next:
    “The failure of your heart to believe what your eyes and mind tell you; this is why Penelope writes of Diedrika and not the other way around.  Nevertheless, take comfort in your treasured role and the stylus you wield.  For behold, my sweet Penelope, great historian, greater friend … our kind is on the precipice of a golden age those before us have only dreamed of.”
    *****
    For over a month, they had trained tirelessly together.  Every day after dinner, through the night, until the wee hours of the morning – it was time to ‘report’ on their progress.  Diedrika peeked above the gently rolling waves and took a gander at the six bodies wandering aimlessly along the sandy shores; sure enough, Penelope had brought them all.  With two pats of her left hand, they dove to the bottom of the sea and swung around in the direction of the shoreline.  A rub, then three pats with her right hand ––
    Tearing through the deep water, they rushed passed the submerged others awaiting Diedrika’s signal.  The signal given, these monochrome others then joined in behind.  Repeated clicks bouncing all about, full speed gained, the dark depths becoming shimmering light, they made their grand entrance.
    With Diedrika on her back, the Orca matriarch exploded out of the water.  As they soared through the air, she caught looks of shock and awe sprout on each face; even Penelope had yet to see this.  The matriarch landed nose first in a thunderous, yet graceful, manner and, with Diedrika still riding her, disappeared beneath the waves.  They then resurfaced, and the matriarch now barreled straight for the beach.  With a slight bump, the spectacular whale rose fully from the sea and, where foaming water became white sands, came to a gentle halt.  Diedrika unhitched herself from her makeshift saddle and slid off the Orca’s left side.
    “Powerful, magnificent – they learn with little effort and anticipate without fail!” Diedrika said breathlessly as she glided toward the six stunned statues of blue and gold gawking at her.  “This one is the matriarch.  I named her Cheslakees.”
    Diedrika turned to the sea; the other whales now swam twenty pike lengths at most from the shore.  Cheslakees thrashed from side to side – moving backward as she did so – and soon slipped back into the water to join the rest of the pod.  The eight whales appeared at ease so close to the shoreline and the massive bull – ‘Kwagu’ kept popping into Diedrika’s head, but she wasn’t sure if this