Inside, Nathaniel felt the difference almost immediately. The whale’s tongue relaxed. Its mouth opened slightly wider. Water streamed past him, carrying fish toward the opening. Nathaniel looked at the light ahead. For the first time, he could move without the whale pressing him back.
The animal began rising. Pressure eased around Nathaniel’s mask as the light became brighter. He moved one arm forward. Nothing stopped him. Then he pushed with his legs. His body slid several inches toward the baleen. “All right,” he whispered. “I’m going.”