The Sound of Whales Read Free Page B

message written on this shell in very small writing. Fraser refused to pander to Dunny’s nonsense by reading it. He took the scallop shell in both hands, snapped it in half, then tossed both bits down the sand towards the breaking waves.
    â€˜So what kind of whale is it?’ he asked.
    â€˜It’s a pilot whale,’ Ben said. ‘You can tell from the dark skin, its round head and this triangular dorsal fin. We need to measure it first.’
    Ben pulled a tape measure out of the backpack. With Fraser holding it at the head of the whale, he pulled the tape slowly to the tail.
    â€˜Three point two metres,’ he said, scribbling in his notebook. ‘It’s a juvenile, only half the length it would have reached in maturity.’
    He dropped to his knees and placed both hands on the carcass. ‘Help me push it over.’
    The animal was cold to the touch and dry, covered in a sprinkling of sand. Together they pushed on the body and Ben examined the underside.
    â€˜It’s almost impossible to tell the sex of a whale when they’re swimming,’ he said, ‘but this close there are some clues.’
    He pointed to a thin slit on the belly towards the tail. ‘This is the genital slit. If it was female, there would be two corresponding mammary slits. There are none, so it’s a male.’
    They let the carcass fall back on to the sand and Ben noted this information in the notebook. Fraser was on his knees, stroking the rough skin. It was an amazing thing to touch a whale. And such a shame it could only be done when it lay dead on the beach.
    Ben said, ‘Your brother’s back.’
    Fraser’s heart sank at the sight of Dunny standing on the grass at the top of the beach, watching. And then something funny happened in Fraser’s stomach as he noticed the pretty blonde girl striding towards them from the same direction.
    â€˜Hi,’ she said as she arrived. ‘What you doing?’
    Fraser had yet to meet the American visitors but the girl’s accent gave her away.
    She stared curiously at the whale then asked, ‘Is it dead?’
    â€˜I’m afraid so,’ Ben replied.
    The girl looked into the eye of the animal. ‘What kind of whale is it?’
    â€˜It’s a pilot whale. They’re quite common in these waters. This is a young male.’
    She took two steps towards the tail. ‘How do you know all this?’
    â€˜I’m a scientist, I study whales. This part of the world has recently become a whale hotspot. I’m Ben.’
    The girl gave a quick smile but didn’t offer her name.
    â€˜You’re American?’ Ben asked.
    â€˜That’s right.’
    â€˜Are you here on holiday?’
    â€˜Not really. Kind of. My mom is over here researching some book she’s writing.’
    â€˜Interesting. What’s the book about?’
    The girl shrugged. ‘No idea. Scotland, I suppose.’
    â€˜Then I guess you’ve come to the right place.’
    The girl said, ‘This is never the right place.’
    â€˜Have you met Fraser and Dunny?’ Ben pointed to the brothers in turn.
    Dunny’s eyes were fixed on the whale. Fraser noticed that his fists were clenched and his back stiff, as if the whale was his and they were messing with it without permission.
    â€˜I’ve met Dunny, yes,’ the girl said. ‘Last night.’
    â€˜This is Fraser, Dunny’s older brother. Fraser’s helping me with my whale research.’
    There was a twinkle in Ben’s eye that Fraser didn’t like, as if he was trying his hand at matchmaking.
    Reluctantly, it seemed, the girl said, ‘Hello.’
    Both she and Ben looked at Fraser and he realized that it was his turn to say something. His mind went blank. His experience of making conversation with pretty girls was just about zero. In the silence that followed Fraser heard the breaking of the waves and the pounding of his heart.
    â€˜And