The Great Gray Dolphin [ss], Ben Schumacher

... Are whales and dolphins like human Homers before the invention of writing, telling of great deeds done in years gone by in the depths and far reaches of the sea? Is there a kind of Moby Dick in reverse - a tragedy, from the point of view of a whale, of a compulsive and implacable enemy, of unprovoked attacks by strange wooden and metal beasts plying the sea and laden with humans? CARL SAGAN, The Cosmic Connection

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES

This is the first complete translation of any work of Cetacean literature; therefore, we feel that in these notes certain liberties and conventions need to be explained. Dolphin language, as shown by Dr. Richard Carter in the pioneer paper on Cetacean translation nearly four years ago, differs widely from English, or any other human language (possible exceptions include the curious whistling languages of the Mazataco Indians of Mexico, the inhabitants of Silbo-Gomero in the Canary Islands, and the natives of Kuskoy, Turkey). For one thing, Cetacean has a far greater rate of information than any human language; also, it is highly tonal. Therefore, it was necessary to make extensive use of computer facilities in preparing this translation.

The actual epic (for such it is) in Cetacean lasts perhaps twenty minutes; unfortunately, only about sixty percent was able to be translated. Thus, this is a very "loose" translation. One particular difficulty we encountered was that of translating names. We could not, of course, leave them in their original forms, for Cetacean cannot be written in the Roman alphabet - or, if it could, the names would surely be unpronounceable. Instead, we have invented substitutes for the names of the characters, and attempted to identify Cetacean place names with their human equivalents.

The original epic is divided into sections, and the translation has preserved them in their original positions. Later, extensive computer studies revealed a rhythm pattern previously unsuspected (which, we found to our amusement, the dolphins had informed us of months before - we stupid humans just didn't get the message), which we represent here as the division of the epic Into lines.

The value of the computer as a translating tool for use in Cetacean dialects (i.e., Dolphin, Sperm Whale, and the various Baleen speeches, as well as Killer Whale) cannot be overstated. Without the ample computer facilities of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the present translation would have been literally impossible. The original "cracking" of Cetacean by Dr. Carter would never have occurred in the first place without computer sound analysis.

In closing, I would like to thank a number of people for their help, encouragement, and guidance in the preparation of this epic. I would certainly be ungrateful if I did not thank Dr. Tom Harrison and Mr. Oscar Evans at M.I. T. for their aid in the programming of the Cetacean language on the IBM 420a computer there. Also, I would like to thank Dr. and Mrs. Richard Carter, for their untiring work with the dolphins. But most of all, I would like to thank Hector and Daisy, the dolphin pair whose self-sacrifice and hard work (harder than ours, I assure you) made this possible.

Dr. Robert Gerard

Boston, Massachusetts

August 24, 1991

THE GREAT GRAY DOLPHIN

1

Bright sparkled the Pacific waves beneath The shining sun of old upon that day; A perfect day indeed. Fish were plentiful, and the sky cloudless, And the sperm whale herd swam among the white waves. Playfully they swam, leaping, chattering. Life was good for the herd of Pindar, Existence held no ill for them, And death seemed remote as the stars.1

1. It has long been known that dolphins and whales are able to see the stars, but this Is the first evidence that they have ever bothered to look.

The herd was small, but a dozen strong: Three young, four calves, and five cows, All led by the great bull Pindar, of note As much for his wisdom as for his strength and size.

And, as his father, the young Odontus Promised wisdom as the years would pass and he should lead the herd. But this Was many years in the future, and the whales, Knowing well that what shall be shall be, Wisely live for the day, leaving tomorrow for Tomorrow's children.

Little did the herd suspect that in that day's foreboding Future lay not just death but slaughter complete, And nameless obscenity and unutterable horror.

For, far away, moving silently The black-hulled horror slid ever closer to the herd. Behind it lay more ships of men, more black messengers, And all came ever closer to the herd of Pindar.

The ships were heard2 some distance off, But the ships of men were nothing new, and such Had passed before, and boded no ill.

2. Whales and dolphins use acoustic means (i.e., SONAR) for long-range detection.

So Pindar directed to ignore the vessels And let them pass unmolested.

But still the sleek ships approached, And their presence started a discussion among the young:

"Is it wise," asked one young cow, "To allow a ship of man to approach so closely?"

"Yes," said another. "The ships of man bode no good. Have not we heard tales - ?"

But Pindar, hearing this conversation, said:

"Are we not curious of man, and do we not follow him Upon occasion? Therefore, let us allow man to pursue His own curiosity about us." And thus it was, Until Pindar, seeing that the vessels drew closer still, And thinking of the danger of collision, Ordered a berth to be given to the vessels.

But the ships closed the distance quickly and with purpose, And soon were in the very midst of the herd.

Then, a cry came from a cow; A cry of agony and of pain as the sharp spear pierced her.

And, a moment later, another cry, As still another received her wound.

And then, in less time than it takes to tell, Mighty Pindar himself felt the scratch of a harpoon.

"Flee! Get away!" he commanded, But the herd was confused, and two calves had been speared.

Odontus's mother, with him close beside, Swam forth, but not even she Was to escape the touch of death.

One ship lay between her and the open sea, So she dived, and as she did so, The flying harpoon lashed out and stabbed her, Burying itself deep within her body.

She cried in pain, and then, Warning her calf, cried out:

"Go! Swim away! I shall rejoin you later to the south!"3

3. This is, at best, a guess. Dolphins and sperm whales use a complex system of direction based upon wind and water direction, not to mention the acoustic properties otthe water (which. In turn, refers to thermal layers, etc.) and possibly the phase of the moon. Extensive computer studies have yet to yield a definite answer, and Cetacean navigation remains fust as mysterious as it ever was.

And Odontus, stricken with terror, swam Away to the south as his mother dived Toward the deep.

He reached a kelp-bed, a place of safety, and stopped, Listening for the call of his mother.

But no whale-call broke the rhythm of the waves, And no sweet voice interrupted his fears.

He cautiously swam back, And the sight he saw wrenched the heart and soul4 from him:

The three young, his brothers and sisters; The three-calves, just born this season; All five cows - Odontus's mother, too; Yes, and the great bull Pindar - all lay lashed Against the sides of the ships, Being cut with hooks and blades and spears By the tiny vermin that swarmed over the surface-monsters.

4. This Is at least an Inadequate translation, perhaps erroneous. Translation of dolphin and whale intangibles is a difficult problem, and should be regarded skeptically.

Odontus cried, leaping into the air with rage, "One ship for Pindar shall I destroy, And another for the herd; And three ships for my mother's revenge shall I consign To the ocean's darkest depths. This I vow."

2

Even as Odontus spoke these words, The jackals of the deep converged to join the kill; From the deepest depths' of the Pacific came The Old One, the great squid of the deep, Whale-food turned whale-killer, The last of his giant kind, survivor from the ocean primeval, Centuries old and larger than a bull Blue whale.

Then, too, from all sides came the sharks, Maddened by the bloodshed there, Striking even at each other, so maddened were they; The great whites would eat the smaller ones upon occasion, And the tiny remoras would gobble up the scraps.

Hundreds, thousands of insane sharks, Circling, striking in the waters, now clouded with blood.

But the cries of the whales had not gone unheeded, For even as their carcasses were sliced and cut, The noble dolphin school of Dominius was drawing nigh.

But Odontus knew not of these things, For his grief had quite overcome his senses.

He lay still in the water, wailing in fear and anger, Gazing only at the dismembered bodies tied to the ships.

But the crazed sharks, lashing about from hunger, Spied the defenseless calf, and swiftly closed upon him.

Too late Odontus realized that safety lay in flight alone, And he found himself in the midst of the seething cloud Of sharks, without a means of escape.

He thrashed around for a moment, trying to find escape, And the sharks, thinking he was injured, attacked.

A great white bit his tail, but he shook him off, Leaving a ragged, bleeding wound Which enraged the rest of the sharks by the scent.

A few of the boldest tried to strike, But each time, Odontus struck them in the nose Or in the belly with his tail, And thus kept them at a distance.

But more sharks were coming, and all were growing bolder, And the scent of blood was strong in the waters; Odontus could not hold them off forever, Nor could he take all on in battle at one time.

Thus, his fate seemed sealed.

But the dolphins, hearing the cries of Odontus as he Bravely battled the sharks, came swiftly, And fought desperately to save the calf By fighting and poking and jabbing the sharks with Their snouts, and slapping them with their tails.

And the noble dolphins prevailed in short order (For are not dolphins the fittest fighters in the sea?) And surrounded the sperm whale calf to protect him, And started to confer among themselves.

Odontus, having learned something of the dolphin tongue From his father Pindar, interrupted.

"Friend dolphins," said he, "I am Odontus, the son of Pindar. The whales you see being butchered were once my herd.I am grateful to you for saving my life, But without my herd to protect me, my life is forfeit. Thank you again, even if your efforts are wasted."

The school of dolphins was amazed.

"Is it but a calf who speaks thus?" asked one.

"Listen, a sperm calf who speaks our own tongue!" said another.

"Truly," still another said, "He is the seed of Pindar, the dolphin's-friend. He has inherited his father's wisdom and intelligence."

And old Dominius, the leader of the school, concurred, saying:

"Indeed, here is a sperm calf whose wisdom Puts mine own to shame! If such wisdom be his lot as a calf, Would that he be grown. Has it ever been the dolphin's way to have no compassion? No! Let us adopt Odontus, the son of noble Pindar, Into our own school, our families. Though we, Who are small and weak compared thus, Can offer no milk for this calf, Perhaps we can raise him still as our own. Shall we?"

And the school cried, "We shall!"

Odontus's knowledge of dolphin tongue was limited, And thus much of these words had passed him by; And, being a calf, he had no mind for such:

"What is happening?" he demanded.

Dominius replied, "Years ago, your father and the dolphins Were close companions. Now, we are repaying that friendship By adopting you as a member of our school."

Odontus was bewildered:

"You have been too kind to me Already, and I have no mind to accept more. Leave me be, And let me mourn my herd's destruction in peace."

But the dolphins' leader, Dominius, said to him, "Having accepted one kindness, do not begrudge another. That is our law, and we shall hold you to it. You have accepted the kindness of our giving you life, Therefore, do not begrudge us the pleasure of preserving it."

And Odontus, seeing that he had no choice, consented, And swam with them away from the evil place.

3

If ever an orphaned whale can be at peace, Then Odontus was from that day forward.

He swam with the dolphins, He fished and ate with the dolphins, And with the years grew strong and large.

The seed of Pindar grew mightier than the entire school, And, true to the words of Dominius, Was great indeed among the dolphins.

They called him "The Great Gray Dolphin," And he bore the title with pride.

But a dark and gloomy cloud forever hung, And restrained him from his peace complete.

For he knew that someday he would have to kill Man, For a whale's vow is a sacred5 trust, No matter how impassioned it may be, And he had vowed to kill Man.

5. "Sacred" Is of questionable usage in this case, although quite close to the meaning Intended, (see note #4)

Thus it had to be.

"You are no whale," said Dominius. "Revenge is not yours. You are a dolphin now. Though large and powerful, your spirit6 is one of us, And the place of the dolphin is not to kill. But always to preserve the life of Man. This is our ancient, sacred trust."

6. It should be recognized that "spirit," while approximating the dolphin Idiom, Is not quite correct In connotation, (see note #4)

Odontus replied. "More sacred than a whale's trust?"

Dominius said, "More sacred than any other, This is the trust which you must keep."

And Odontus said, "So long as I am dolphin, That is how long I keep dolphin trust."

Dominius, hearing this, cried out, "By the Others! Was there ever one whose wisdom passed this? For you are dolphin until your debt of life is paid; Forget not that you exist because of the school of Dominius, Which saved your life when it was forfeit."

"Your words are true," spoke Odontus. "I cannot Betray your trust until my life-debt is paid."

And so Odontus grew among the dolphins, Learning much that he had not heard before, Excelling in wisdom and loyalty.

He listened well to the old dolphins as they told The lore of the ages, passed down from generations past.

He heard of times when men and dolphin were closer, And of places on the Earth where men and dolphin were close Even unto this late day, And he heard when they spoke of disasters, and typhoons, And eruptions of volcanoes both in the sea and upon the land, And he heard of knowledge lost, and knowledge gained, And of dolphin-wizards and the Golden Millennia of yore, And he heard of the Plague, and the Seven Famines.

But most of all, he learned of the Others.

He learned of those sky-dwellers, and of their coming When men were uncivilized, but noble still, Not killing but for food, not harming but for need.

And Odontus learned well the Covenant, which charged The fate of Man to the dolphin race, and promised to return To the Earth again one day.

All this and more Odontus heard, But always he remained aloof when games were played Around the ships of men, not because of his lack of nimbleness, But because he feared them still.

A summer passed, then two, then three.

And Odontus grew mightier still, And the seed of great and wise Pindar Grew ever more like his father as the years passed.

4

Fifteen years passed since the day That Odontus had become a dolphin.

The sea was bright with the springtime sun, And fish were plentiful within the Antarctic seas.

The dolphin school frolicked as did that herd of years ago: Leaping, leaving cares to those unhappy, Laughing, loving, swimming in pure delight of living.

All except Odontus joined in, He, as always, remained aloof, Propelling his vast bulk beside the frolicking herd.

The years had been kind to the school of Dominius, And the old Dominius still led them on.

The years had been no less generous to Odontus,

For he was as long as ten dolphins, And more massive than the entire herd of Dominius; Powerful in his flukes and in his massive head; He was indeed no less a credit to his species than Pindar. And on this wonderful springtime day, He brooded about his future.

As a whale, he held the sacredness of his vow; As a dolphin, by adoption, the Covenant was his vow.

Honor could not be satisfied, for the two excluded each other.

So Odontus must have wrestled with his choice: To be a dolphin, or to be a whale.

And as these thoughts around him swirled, The jackals of the deep were gathering for the kill again.

A pack of killer whales, Dolphin cousins gone mad a million years ago,7 Prowled unobtrusively, paralleling the school of Dominius.

7. This line may be a figure of speech, or dolphins may be aware of their evolutionary heritage - In the latter case, how they are aware is a subject for further study.

Even Odontus, in his brooding, did not notice.

But the sea became hushed as the battle lines were drawn, And the Old One came from its deep-darkest lair.

Up from the bottoms, as on that day five and ten years by For purposes unknowable, as if only to watch.

For many minutes the killer pack stalked their prey, And, at last, closed in upon them.

The dolphins, blind to the danger for so long, Heard the sleek forms slice the water as they attacked, And, seeing that the only hope was in flight alone, Turned and swam as fast as they could away. Odontus, seeing and hearing this, Became enraged as only a sperm whale can.

He cried, "Killers of dolphins, swim off!" But the killers, unknowing and uncomprehending, Did not heed these words, and began to overtake the school.

Odontus did not wait a moment longer.

He hurled his massive, fighting bulk into the pack's midst, And thrashed and fought like no other creature could.

He was as long as three killers, And more powerful than ten, And the pack, confused and bewildered, routed Under this new and unprecedented assault.

Odontus, his rage spent, ceased his slaughter.

Around him floated four killers, dead; Five more swam away unwhole.

The Old One, having watched from afar, Returned to his cold depths, apparently satisfied.

The dolphin school, the school of Dominius, Swam back in mystification, for Never before had a killer pack been beaten off.

They touched the carcasses fearfully, silently, And soon sounded such a cheer of praise for Odontus That the likes of it had never been heard before.

But Odontus, his mighty voice roaring, bid them to silence.

Then Dominius spoke, saying, "The deed we see today is a mighty one indeed, One that will endure in song for a hundred generations. And the name of the Great Gray Dolphin shall too survive, Until the Others come once more."

But Odontus would have none of this.

"I am lauded for saving the lives of many of you," he said.

"This deed I have done is noble, that is sure, But no more noble than the deed you did fifteen springs ago. You saved my life, now I have saved yours. My blood debt is paid, I owe you no more."

Dominius could well see where Odontus's thoughts led.

He said, "Now we all are equals, you a dolphin and we, And no debt is owed and no scores are to be settled, So abide with us longer, as an equal among equals."

But Odontus, disagreeing, spoke:

"You well know that that is not my mind. 'An equal among equals' is a noble dream, Of the noblest of that noble race, the dolphins. But I am not a dolphin, nor can I ever truly be, For behold, my body is that of a whale, and My heritage lies with the whale-kind; A whale will I ever be. Therefore, say no more that I am dolphin; For I am now what I always was, a whale. Thus I bid you, my friends, farewell."

Odontus swam away into the cold, bright waters, And the school of Dominius swam its way also.

5

In previous chapters, we have, while not translating every line of the epic, translated enough to convey a skeleton of the idea of the chapter. In this chapter, this is not the case. At no point in chapter 5 is there more than three lines in a row that may be translated in human terms. It would seem that the message and concepts conveyed in this chapter are purely Cetacean in nature, and no amount of analysis by computer has shed any light about its meaning.

The frequent use of the signals previously translated as "soul", "spirit", and the modulated pulse-chain for the "Others" indicates that perhaps this deals with some sort of internal conflict on Odontus's part, a struggle between dolphinness and whaleness. This hypothesis is confirmed by the inflections of the lines, which are the sort termed "Introspective" by Dr. Carter in his paper on Cetacean grammar and syntax.

Hector and Daisy, while distressed to a certain extent by our lack of understanding, seem unable to reword this section in translatable terms. However, they do not see any reason why this section cannot be omitted for the human reader, for it does not advance the plot in any substantial manner.

Perhaps some day, when man and dolphin understand one another better, this chapter will be rendered in human tongue. But until then, we must skip it and go on.

Robert Gerard

6

Through the crystal waters plied A dark-hulled ship of Man.

Slim and sleek, with sails billowing above the water, It ran downwind at a great speed.

Odontus heard the ship that sped Above him, and wondered.

Then, deciding to wait no longer for his fate, He shot upwards from the depths toward the unsuspecting craft.

His mighty head rammed it from beneath, And cracked its keel and broke the hull.8

8. This and several other references tend to indicate that dolphins and whales possess a detailed knowledge of ships and their structure, an Inference borne out by conversations with Hector and Daisy.

It slowed to a near stop from the impact, And Odontus rammed it again from the side.

Again and again he smashed into the wooden hull, Splintering it in all directions, And grabbed the planks and flotsam In his powerful jaws, and broke them to bits.

The men squirmed and floundered in the turbulent waters, Victims of a rage that knew no bounds.

And Odontus, in his madness, closed his jaws upon one; The crunch of bones and the taste of Man-blood was sweet Upon his jaws, to him as he battled.

The men cried out, but it was all in vain for them, For Odontus's insanity was sustained.

Six more men died from his terrible teeth, And the others clung to the small boat and the pieces Of the ship that floated, sinking slowly.

But Odontus showed no mercy on them either, For he methodically smashed each boat and piece of wreckage Until the last of the men were drowned.

Then he bellowed out his triumph:

"I am Odontus, Pindar's son, Son of he who was slaughtered, yet still I live. I live to avenge the death of my herd, To kill the killers who roam the surface of the sea, And for this I live, and for this I shall die. Five ships I vowed, and the first is sunk, And I have eaten my prey in accordance with whale-law. Four more ships shall I commit to the endless deeps before In triumph I shall die."

But Odontus's waiting nearly cost him his life,For the ropes9 of the dying ship Upon their journey to the bottom of the sea Contrived to become entangled in Odontus's flukes, And thus to impair his swimming.

9. This Is our translation oi the dolphin idiom which, literally translated, means "kelp-strands."

Far away, gazing cryptically through the murky depths, The Old One lay quietly in waiting.

Never had it encountered a whale of such power.

Not in its centuries of existence had it seen one That presented such a challenge.

And the whale-food squid grown excessive, That hypertrophied mollusk, Meant to have Odontus one day.

But Odontus was struggling with the ropes at present, And his available fighting-strength decreased accordingly; And the Old One saw his chance, and took it.

It rocketed forward, riding its jet of water, And shot out its two tentacles and enmeshed Odontus With its eight mighty arms.

It was longer than even Odontus himself, Having grown without limit in its centuries, And Odontus was helpless to stop it.

But Odontus's mighty flukes were not arrested in full, And they still could move and delay the ghoulish squid From its gruesome objective.

At last, seeing that salvation lay in mighty effort alone, Odontus arched his huge gray body, Snapping the ropes as if they were mere seaweed.

For another titantic half-hour10 the battle raged, The tenacious tentacles of the squid Against the sheer power of the whale.

10. Literally, one-fiftieth of a 24-hour period. All short periods of time are treated In this manner.

So evenly matched were they, That the half-hour's passage saw neither the victor.

The Old One, having lost three arms, Saw that victory, if possible, would be dearly bought.

So he retreated, leaving the sucker-scarred Odontus Breathless in the sparkling light of the waves.

Odontus bellowed out a promise To meet the Old One again one day in combat, But the enigmatically sentient squid, Possessing the intellect11 but not the voice, Said nothing, though none could mistake The message behind the great, gleaming eyes.

11. Apparently, dolphins and whales believe that giant squid in general (or, at least, this particular one) possess intelligence of a high order.

Thus they parted, each to prepare For that final contest that both know must come.

7

In the next five summers, three more ships of Man Together with their crews were sunk, Victims of Odontus's vow for revenge.

And upon each occasion, Lurking in the dark depths that were his home, Lay the Old One, looking for the mistake That would cost Odontus his life.

But much had been learned by Odontus in the years, And he had grown in length and power as well.

He never forgot the lesson that the ropes taught him: Never become too entangled in revenge upon Man To ignore a threat from the sea.

Odontus was truly a great whale, of renown, Quite as large as the Blue whales he met occasionally, And the oceans told of his strength.

He plowed through the glistening waves, His wet, gray skin sparkling as the sun touched it, Swimming in search of the last of his quarry, So that he might rest from his quest.

Twice in the years he had heard the distant cries Of some baleen12 herd, being slaughtered.

12. Most whales are baleen whales, which, in contrast to the sperm whale, killer whale, and dolphin, are toothless herbivores.

But always he had arrived too late To save any member of the herds, Or wreak revenge upon the murderers.

Once, his path and that of the school of Dominius, Though independent, with all the sea to swim in, crossed.

Old Dominius had died soon after Odontus had left, So grieved was he at the departure of Odontus.

Pollux, his younger brother, led the herd now With much the same wisdom his brother had possessed.

The dolphins, recognizing Odontus, cried: "Hail, O great Gray Dolphin! Greetings from your brothers in the school of your adoption!"

But Odontus merely replied, "I am no dolphin, noble ones, But only a whale, and a killer of men."

Pollux, in his wisdom, replied thus:

"No whale speaks thus, Or addresses the dolphin in the dolphin-speech. No, Odontus, your words betray you. A calf becomes the total of all those whom he meets, For each of the People of the Sea will live in your memory, And influence your thoughts. You spent most of your life among this school As one of us, our brother. The years have left their mark in you, too, For, though you appear to be a whale, Deep within you still bear the soul of a dolphin. Remember this as you carry out your mission, And wreak revenge upon Man, upon those who slew your parents. Deep within you, your dolphin self must be reckoned with, And you alone can do that, O Great Gray Dolphin."

To this Odontus made no reply, But he was obviously affected by the speech.

He swam with the dolphins for a while in silence, and said:

"Your words are true, Pollux Dominius's brother; I am, deep inside me, dolphin even as you are. Yet my whale heritage beckons, And my whale honor must be satisfied. If I had been born in a dolphin body, No honor would surpass the Covenant. But I am not, so let this be, I am a whale, so whale I must remain forever."

With this, he left them behind.

8

Then one fateful autumn day, When the winds blew fierce upon the waters, The final dance in the life of Odontus began.

A mighty ship of Man, some say the same That killed noble Pindar twenty years before, Fought its way among the swollen waves, Plying the seas toward shelter, For the storm worsened by the hour.

Many miles away, Odontus swam, Rising now and then for air, Being torn each time by the turmoil of the surface-waters.

But he could see that the storm was starting to pass, So doggedly he moved on.

Then, without warning, from the darkest black deeps Of the storm-twisted ocean, The Old One came one last time.

Five years had passed since their last meeting, And Odontus had grown much larger.

But the Old One, too, was far more powerful than before; He judged now that he could win against Odontus, And he meant to try it now.

Odontus, his ears useless in the noise of the storm, And his eyes blocked in the murky waters, Did not hear the Old One until flight was impossible.

Thus he embroiled in a titanic battle, A battle for his very life.

The eight arms, three regrown in the five years past, Wrapped themselves around the struggling whale.

Odontus fought desperately against their strength.

The great squid pulled and wounded with his arms, And pierced Odontus's side with his bony beak.

Odontus lashed about with his mighty flukes, And gnawed upon the tentacles that he could reach With his crunching teeth.

The battle raged on for what seemed forever, But neither was the victor yet.

Odontus, however, was weakening with fatigue, While the Old One was as tenacious as ever.

Odontus knew that he would have to outwit the monster If ever he was to see another day.

With a final burst of strength, he arched himself, Pulling backward with a powerful thrust, And the head of the squid was thrown forward.

Odontus, quicker than it takes in the telling, Snapped his mighty jaws once upon the head, and severed it.

The body of the Old One went limp upon him, And, one by one, the arms slid from around him.

Too exhausted even to utter a victory cry, Odontus observed the whale-law, and devoured the squid.

After which, the spent whale swam upward, For he was weak with the battle and the many wounds.

Torn, marked with the suckers, bleeding from the beak-wounds, He lay still on the calming surface as the storm passed, Resting from his heroic struggle, Not knowing that a greater one lay ahead.

The ship, now out of the storm, Saw only an injured sperm, resting on the surface, And thought only of the prize such a whale would be.

They changed course, and made for it, And plunged a harpoon into Odontus's side.

Odontus's first impulse was for flight, And he dived downward, dragging the line attached to him, But he soon realized that this was in vain.

The ship still had him, no matter where he fled.

So he rocketed upward, toward the other side of the ship, And leaped out of the water above it.

It is no small leap, for the greatest of sperms, To leap entirely out of the water; And its termination is greater still.

Odontus hung for a moment in the clearing sky, And crashed down then upon the helpless ship, Raising water to the clouds, And smashing the ship to flinders.

The mast pierced him, and splintered, And the rigging bound him firmly.

With this destruction, he was at last spent, And could do nothing but float in the water and bleed.

But before he succumbed to the many wounds and exhaustion, He gave voice to one last cry:

"I am Odontus, the seed of Pindar. My herd's murder is now avenged, And thus with peace I now meet my death."

Saying this, he gave a last quiver and was still.

And still about that spot the dolphins say:

"Here died Odontus, the Great Gray Dolphin; The wise, yet foolish, the strong, yet weak. Here he met his end, after slaying the Old One, And wrecking the ship of Man that tried to murder him.

Here lies he forever, the Great Gray Dolphin; Dishonored, yet noble above all."

AFTERWORD

The success of the translation of this particular work of Cetacean literature has encouraged Bob Gerard and his team to tackle longer, more ancient songs. Currently, preliminary recording is underway to translate that most ancient of all the dolphin works, Sons of the Others. I hope to be as much a part of this and future projects as I have been in the past.

Working with the dolphins is a rare privilege; for the Gray Poets, as they call themselves in their more somber moods, are truly a delightful people, full of wit, learning, and wisdom. The fact of the matter is, in every case whatsoever, when dolphins and humans come in contact, the dolphins have shown more kindness, intelligence, and wisdom than their human counterparts. There is much we can learn from our distant cousins in the sea; the only question is, will we?

Richard Carter

Woods Hole, Massachusetts

September, 1991

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:

Dr. Richard Carter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Biological Sciences in 1989 for his pioneering work on Cetacean language.