“Did you see something?” Elena shouted. A crewman pointed. “I thought I saw yellow!” Everyone rushed toward the rail. The whale disappeared again before anyone could be sure. “Nathan!” Elena shouted across the water. “If you can hear us, hold on!”
Nathaniel could not hear the words clearly, only distant engine noise. But he knew the boats were nearby. “You’re protecting me, aren’t you?” he whispered to the whale. It sounded ridiculous, yet every new movement made the idea harder to dismiss.