Widderkin V. O. E. - 9. Chapter 9

WIDDERKIN VOE.

Chapter 9.

"Wake up, Kieran!"

Kieran blinked at the five faces leaning so close.

"What happened?"

Five faces stared till Rhys laughed.

"That’s our question. You held on to Michael while White Power covered you and made a bridge to the orcas. Then it all disappeared and you flaked out."

"Did Tan go Oracle and start it all?"

"Not this time, Kieran. I remember everything from the moment when you faced the orcas and held your Opal. You started the acknowledgement but after you called the White Power you went into a zap sleep."

"I didn't call it, Tan. That’s why I thought it must have been you. It was so powerful it smashed Ranevargar away like a leaf in a tornado and overwhelmed me. Gods! I hope he’s all right."

"What about you? Are you all right? You were out of it for a few minutes and Rhys's hands didn't have any effect."

Kieran made a very quick self-assessment.

"I’m wrecked, Mr B, but that’s from helping with all the healing and keeping the connection with Ranevargar going. Hang on while I check with Maurice ... Ranevargar’s not conscious but he’s okay."

"Check the orcas too. The white power went to them and they’ve hardly moved. We all thought they were waiting for you to wake up."

Kieran reinstituted nineteen direct orca links and smiled.

"Yes, they were definitely waiting, despite hunger pleas from the juvenile. I just gave them a go-ahead message to restore their hunting imperative."

Massive bodies went into action.

"You were right about the waiting, Mr B, but now they’re after those fish."

Can we stay with them, Michael? We should monitor our patient for a while yet."

"As long as you like, and as long as they don't disappear on us."

Kieran didn't answer. He’d cut his direct links to leave the orcas to their own devices, and was starting a perfunctory check for their establishment in his Opal network.

"Oh my God! ... There are thousands!"

The launch slowed again when Kieran flopped onto the nearest seat with the strangest look yet. Rhys reacted the fastest, kneeling beside him and making the gesture for the hand totem pole of group contact.

Kieran waved it off as unnecessary, then changed his mind and joined in.

"There’s no danger, Rhys. It’s more orcas."

"Orcas? Thousands? What do you mean?"

His eyes left Kieran and scanned all round as if expecting new orcas to appear.

"Not here ... everywhere. The White Power has put them in my network ... I think it’s all of them."

The need to answer the puzzled looks helped quash Kieran's own disbelief as he turned to Michael.

"Have you got orca numbers in your animal dictionary mind, Michael?"

"Ah! ... Some. Nineteen is a good size pod but they have bigger groups called communities with numbers like ninety or a hundred. Different eco-types vary though, and location affects the numbers too."

"I meant total population."

"All over the world? There isn't enough research but they think it’s about 50,000."

There was a pause while Kieran examined his network.

"Well, I can see more than that."

Mr B expressed the group's amazement.

"Every orca on the planet? Are you sure, Kieran, and what’s happened to your Opal? I mean, is there room left for anything else? Those are big numbers."

"Hey, yeah! What if they’ve taken over so much you can't do any new connecting?"

This was an unsettling idea and Kieran made yet another assessment before answering.

"As far as I can tell the numbers don't matter. Ranevargar's network set up seems to adjust to whatever it needs."

"Of course it would, Kieran. Ranevargar is connected to his whole Realms and 60,000 creatures is a mini number compared to that."

Everyone except Michael nodded with hindsight agreement.

"Who’s this Ranevargar? He sounds important and you’ve said his name a few times now."

"Sorry, Michael! Some of this is bewildering to us even, so you’re doing a terrific job of coping. Ranevargar is a very special friend who teaches me how to link with animals and other things."

"Linking? Is that what you did for the orca platform and the healing?"

"Yes, except it was a lot more complicated than that ... I think you’re ready so if you’d like to get an idea of how my links work join in with our totem pole."

Mr B smiled at Michael.

"Totem pole is our jargon for this group contact. Just put one hand on top of Tan’s."

Michael did that.

"What’s going to happen?"

Woorawa piped up.

"Yes, we’re all wondering that, Kieran. You said we didn't need this and then you changed your mind."

He turned to Michael.

"This usually means a scary moment, Michael, but this time it’s not."

"It’s not scary with danger, Woorawa, but it’s scary with possibilities. Close your eyes, Michael, because you’re going to see things."

Even though they were used to receiving alternate vision, the four friends followed Kieran's suggestion.

"Okay, everyone. I’ve chosen the first link with an orca in Antarctica because it’s so spectacular."

"Antarctica???"

Kieran let the sweeping wall of ice, with water cascading to the ocean through an upper cleft, speak for itself, then switched to serene blue waters with a view of coconut palms crowning a sandy shore, a night-time site of an ocean liner lit up with a myriad of lights, a wild ocean surface boiling with a tumult of wind, waves and rain, and finally an underwater glide past coral bommies and a panicked school of tropical fish.

Kieran broke the hand contact and cut the vision feed.

"Whoo! Sorry everyone. I shouldn't have done that. We’ll have a proper look when I’ve recovered. I’ll see you in about an hour. I need a sleep."

He moved to one of the launch seats, flopped, and closed his eyes.

"Are you all right? That was too sudden."

"The healing’s caught up with me, Rhys. Ranevargar warned me but I was so excited I didn't realise. Make me comfy and tell Michael to stay with the orcas when they finish feeding."

"Will an hour be enough? It wasn't with Krol."

"It’s the deep sleep Ranevargar taught me-"

"Sheba! He’s out like a light. Is there a pillow and something we can use for shade?"

"Would a couple of old towels do? There are some I use to cushion the binoculars."

"You’re a lifesaver, Michael. Kieran said to follow the orcas then stay with them when they finish feeding."

"It might be better to head back to Phillip Island in case he needs first-aid."

"Kieran? Why?"

"Look at him, Rhys. That’s not sleep. It’s more like he’s unconscious or in a coma even."

Woorawa came to the rescue with a reassuring arm across Michael shoulder.

"We’re not worried because we’ve seen him do this before. He’s probably put himself in a super recovery mode ... Did he say anything, Rhys?"

"Yes, Ranevargar warned him but he got excited about the orca links and didn't look after himself. Did you get the orca visions, Michael?"

"Orca visions? I saw icebergs and a storm and then coral, but I thought they must be suggestions Kieran was putting in my mind. Are you saying they came from orcas?"

After an exchange of looks Woorawa came to the rescue again.

"There are too many strange things happening to keep up with, Michael, but those places were real and we were seeing them through orcas’ actual eyes. That’s what Kieran means by his links."

Michael turned to Tan. He said later it was because Tan’s voice in the Oracle incident had given him confidence.

"Is that true?"

Tan nodded seriously.

"As far as I can tell it is. When I’m by myself I sometimes wonder if I am dreaming, but things like the orca healing are too real to be a dream. Kieran is very special, Michael, and I trust everything he says ... Except when he’s messing with Rhys and it gets crazy."

"Hey, I might be a goose but I’m not crazy."

"See what I mean? Anyone who thinks they can lay eggs must be a bit crazy. Catch up with the orcas and ignore him. The rest of us will tell you what we can while we wait for Kieran to wake up."

***

Kieran opened his eyes to a blur of diffused light, worked out that it was a cloth resting over his face, and sat up to see Rhys and Mr B next to him, and the others looking at something. His exclamation immediately changed that to a circle of attention.

"You covered my face?"

Rhys was grinning instantly.

"Michael said it was so ugly we’d all get sick."

"Yay! Back at last! Are you any better?"

"I’ll know in a moment."

Michael shook his head as if disgusted.

"Lay another egg, Rhys. You were the one who organised that."

"What did you do with Michael? He’s all relaxed and happy."

"Yep! We worked our group charm on him and he’s excited to be involved."

Kieran wondered what Rhys meant by involved but didn't ask because everyone else was looking at him with a mixture of anticipation and satisfaction.

"Something’s in the air! I can tell, so what’ve you all been up to? Is the young orca okay?"

The glances said that Woorawa was the spokesperson. Interesting. It was usually Mr B or Rhys.

"We’ve had a planning session, Kieran, and we’ve worked out what’s happening for the next couple of days. It depends on how well you’ve recovered but we all think you’ll agree unless you know something we don't."

"Okay! Tell me then, because at the moment I feel like I’m the one who doesn't know anything."

Heads nodded.

"We’re not sure which one we helped but the pod has been with us for ten or fifteen minutes and we reckon everything’s good because they seem to be happy and curious.

Michael really made us think though, because his theory says that all the gunk that pissed out was pesticides and micro plastics, and the other orcas all still have them. Tell Kieran your theory, Michael."

"You told Rhys and then the rest of us that something bad was being cleaned out of his body and that matches with research that says tiny plastic particles and PCBs are building up in king predators all around the world."

"PCBs?"

"They’re some kind of pesticide that gets passed up the food chain. Woorawa and Tan are going to look them up when we get back to the island."

Mr B nodded his agreement.

"I’ve heard that they’re so dangerous their use is banned in most countries."

"And we’re going to heal them?"

Woorawa gave Kieran a deep look.

"Rhys wants to, and we all think it’s important to look after your new Guardians."

Kieran laughed at the pressure of five intense looks.

"I don't need persuading, Woorawa, but I’m not going to try any more healing today."

"Not today. We’re only here because you told us to wait and we’re going back as soon as we can for food and sleep. Michael says we’ve got two more days like this before a weather system brings waves and wind, and if that’s not enough we could meet the orcas on the sheltered side of the island."

"You’re evil, Woorawa. You shouldn’t have mentioned food. Is there anything left in the lunchbox?"

Rhys unclipped the top of the conveniently ready lunchbox.

"Tan was saving his second roll for an afternoon snack but that’s all. It’s better than nothing though."

Despite the food craving that was growing as he came fully awake, Kieran looked for Tan’s okay.

Tan gave a dismissive flick of his hand.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kieran. I haven't been healing seals and orcas, but I do remember how crazy hungry it makes you."

After the roll, still nice and fresh from the cool packs in the bottom of the insulated container, had disappeared in very short order, Kieran took stock of himself and then the orca pod.

"That roll was yum, Tan, but now I’m thinking of two or three giant steaks or a whole tub of roast vegetables."

"Tub? Like a bath tub?"

"I was thinking of a soup tub or a big saucepan, Tan, and there’d have to be extra potatoes in case of spud-nickers ... The young orca is lazy after gobbling down stacks of fish. Could you see the rest of the pod rounding up the school for him?"

"Sort of. We thought that was what they might have been doing."

"What’s the rest of the big plan?"

"Michael’s staying with us tonight for a Woorawa ceremony and watching one of our practices if you’re not too tired, and then he’s taking three days off to help with the orcas and show us the best surf beaches or any other good things we think of."

Kieran lifted the lid of the cool box and found nothing.

"Let’s go! If I have another sleep on the way in I won't be looking everywhere for food and I might be able to stay awake for a practice. What about the launch? Can Michael use it out of work time?"

"Michael knows a guy from one of the hire places and Mr B used his cell phone to organise it."

"I see, and what else haven't you told me."

Rhys grinned. "Nothing much, unless you want to know about the middens and the trip to the mutton bird colony and giving Michael shields like the rest of us."

"Unreal, Rhys! You sure have got Michael involved."

"We dodged talking about the Realms till you think he’s ready. Mr B reckons Tan’s dolphin speaker thing means he’s part of something big and the more he’s involved the better. Did Ranevargar say anything about dolphin speaking before he got yanked away?"

"He was baffled ... What’s with the mutton birds?"

"It’s Michael's idea. There’s a million of them and it’s their breeding season. Go to sleep, Kieran. The next few days are going to be great and you’re not allowed to be wrecked."

***