Secrets of the Deep by Gordon R. Dickson

Author:Gordon R. Dickson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Start Science Fiction
Published: 2014-01-24T05:00:00+00:00

The Time Is Near

Mr. Lillibulero’s plans, it soon began to appear, had to do with getting as close to the open sea as possible. Robby, under the little man’s directions, kept Cerberus at work towing them forward between the floes in the open water, and out toward the edge of the permanent pack ice—that ice that did not melt loose even in the Antarctic summer.

Cerberus obeyed without any sign of resentment. He was,in fact, surprisingly docile for such a naturally independent creature. Secretly, Robby began to think that perhaps it was more than just that he had gotten into the habit of obeying humans. Robby was starting to fear that the clumsy and punishing discipline Waub had used through the Control Cap had affected the big seal’s mind—that, in effect, Cerberus’s spirit had been broken, as they used to say of animals who had been tamed by methods that were too harsh.

If this was so, Cerberus might be little use to them except to tow them through the water. He might, thought Robby,have no courage left and desert them just when they needed him most because he sensed the nearness of a killer whale or some savage bull seal of his own kind.

However, Robby kept this fear to himself. It was not only that he did not want to alarm Mr. Lillibulero before he was sure about Cerberus. It was also that Cerberus had come and put his head on Robby’s feet when Robby had felt at his worst and there had seemed ho hope left. He did not want to betray any weakness or cowardliness in the big seal even if it was true, unless it became absolutely necessary to do so.

They had actually become fast friends, the seal and Robby, in that locked room; and Robby stood by his friends.

Meanwhile, Robby expected that Cerberus by his actions would at least give warning if any carnivore larger than himself was in their neighborhood. Consequently, he felt fairly safe as Cerberus towed them out beyond the ice crack until they seemed to be traveling through a sea filled with icebergs about the size of buildings.

Eventually, they came without any trouble to an area where these floating chunks of ice were widely spread out. Beyond this they approached what looked like a solid barrier of frozen pack ice, but which Robby suspected was merely a floating mass too large to see around.

They searched until they found a sloping edge where Cerberus could climb out of the water, and then hauled themselves up onto this final stretch of ice. Cerberus rolled half-over in the bright Antarctic sunlight, almost as if he were going to take a sun bath. Mr. Lillibulero sat down on the ice and opened his helmet slightly. He signaled to Robby, who did the same.

“How are y’now, Robertson?” he inquired through the opening. “Y’ave not had it easy since I took y’aboard the flyer to carry you to McMurdo.”

“Oh, I’m all right,” answered Robby. “They gave me a room to sleep in and some sandwiches and milk.

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