“Something hit that whale!” Elena shouted. Foam erupted on the surface. A gray shape moved away. The captain lifted his binoculars. “The shark.” Another whale immediately moved beside the first. “They’re surrounding it,” one crew member said. “They’re protecting the one carrying Nathan.”
Inside, Nathaniel felt the pressure ease again after the attack passed. He understood now. The whale was adjusting its hold to stop him being thrown against the mouth during sudden turns and impacts. He was not being swallowed. He was being carried.