THE MIND OF THE DOLPHINS BY JEFF PAGES THE MIND OF THE DOLPHINS Copyright © JEFF PAGES 2008 First published by Zeus Publications 2008 http://www.zeus-publications.com P.O. Box 2554 Burleigh M.D.C. QLD. 4220 Australia. The National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Pages, Jeff, 1954- . The mind of the dolphins. ISBN 978-1-921240-76-8 (pbk.). I. Title. A823.4 All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photocopying or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The author asserts his moral rights. By the same Author Barefoot Times and Call of the Delphinidae Acknowledgements First and foremost, a big ‘thank you’ to my blind friend Ray Foret Jr, who’s literally been a sounding board throughout the writing of this book and a source of inspiration when I needed it most. Thanks also to my other friends for not only buying my first two books without too much arm-twisting, but for putting up with my constant babble about the progress on this one. Of special note are two friends who share the name Tim Mills. To one, thanks for your support in promoting my work within the amateur radio community; and to the other, a sufferer from cerebral palsy and keen barefooter, you were the inspiration for my character Pip, the undoubted hero of this book. A special ‘thank you’ to my mother, too, for enduring even more reams of printout to pore through in search of my blunders, grammatical and otherwise. All the hugs in this story are for you. And finally to you, my readers, many thanks for coming with me on this journey, and I hope you find it as uplifting and fulfilling as I have. Author Biography Jeff Pages was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1954 and from a very early age was fascinated by science and technology. After finishing high school he attended the University of Sydney from where he ultimately obtained a doctorate in Electrical Engineering. In 1989 his work took him to Tamworth in north-western New South Wales. There he joined the Tamworth Bushwalking and Canoe Club and spent many weekends bushwalking in the nearby parks and forests. In 1995 he moved back to the Sydney region and now lives at Umina Beach on the northern shore of Broken Bay, where he can frequently be found body-surfing or just walking along the beach. He has always enjoyed going barefoot as much as possible and has been a member of the Society for Barefoot Living, an Internet-based discussion group, since 1996. His first novel, Barefoot Times, was published in 2004, followed by Call of the Delphinidae, the second in the series, in 2006. The Mind of the Dolphins now makes it a trilogy. Further background information can be found on the series’ website: www.barefoottimes.net Dedication For Allan and Caitlin. Contents Part One The Haunting of Christopher ........................................ 3 Gregory the Dolphin Slayer........................................................ 5 If Wishes were Fishes............................................................... 17 The War of the Barefooters ...................................................... 33 The Inquisition.......................................................................... 55 Delphinidae Justice................................................................... 70 Part Two The City of Towers ...................................................... 91 Waking the Dead ...................................................................... 92 Huntress .................................................................................. 104 Politics .................................................................................... 119 Seekers of Truth...................................................................... 134 Relics ...................................................................................... 149 Beyond Redemption ............................................................... 165 Part Three Absolute Power ....................................................... 184 In the Dead of Night ............................................................... 185 Discontent ............................................................................... 202 Unrest...................................................................................... 215 Annexation.............................................................................. 231 Into Darkness .......................................................................... 245 Part Four The Path to the Truth................................................ 257 A Hope in Hades..................................................................... 258 The Lost Barefooters .............................................................. 274 Fishing for Answers................................................................ 288 For Death or Glory.................................................................. 302 Reparations ............................................................................. 323 New Beginnings...................................................................... 336 Part Five The Mind of the Dolphins.......................................... 345 The Pasha................................................................................ 346 Years of Sorrow...................................................................... 364 Assassin .................................................................................. 376 The Old People ....................................................................... 388 The Dimming of the Stars....................................................... 403 The Black Dolphin.................................................................. 425 Epilogue.................................................................................. 437 1 2 Part One The Haunting of Christopher 3 4 Gregory the Dolphin Slayer “Sheol, they called it in some of the stories I’d read, the limbo between Heaven and Earth, a place for lost souls trapped in an eternity of loneliness and sorrow.” “We are the Shepherds of Sheol.” “They say that’s why Sheol is dark. If you could see what’s really there you’d go totally insane, totally insane.” “It’s said many of the original Barefooters simply couldn’t stand the boredom of such long lives and passed through the portals into Sheol to lose themselves and find their own oblivion in that dark and timeless place.” “Sheol has no right to exist at all. No right.” “Go now, my friends, and do not return to this realm. Sheol is no place for the living, no place for the living.” “I saw them too, I saw them too, I saw them too …” “Christopher, wake up!” Chris opened his eyes, only to see his teacher leaning over and glaring at him. He wished he could close them again. “You might be a relative of the High Priestess, but in my class that counts for naught. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another pathetic little first year acolyte, no more and no less. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, sir.” 5 “Good, so perhaps you could tell us the answer.” “Um, could you repeat the question please, sir?” “Certainly. Which governor of Bluehaven was known as Gregory the Dolphin-slayer?” “I don’t know, sir.” “I don’t know, sir. You will write me a ten page essay on the life and times of Governor Gregory Harrington, and you will have it on my desk by nine o’clock tomorrow morning.” “Yes, sir.” “The rest of you might care to read Frank Halliday’s wonderful paper on the Dark Years, which you’ll find on my website, and we’ll be discussing some of his more controversial claims in tomorrow’s class.” “Old Tibbits has really got it in for you,” Sandra said to Chris as they made their way from the classroom. “It certainly looks that way.” “You should report him to the High Priestess. I’m sure if you did she’d give him the boot.” “I should, even though he’s supposed to be this great Delphinidae historian from the university on Cornipus. It wouldn’t be right, though, using my friendship with Lorina in that way. The trouble is she probably would give him the chop, and she’s been having such a hard time attracting staff as it is.” “Yeah, I’ve noticed your grandmother and Father Simmons are doing quite a bit of the teaching.” “Gran was only supposed to be helping out in the library. Apparently someone’s been spreading pretty bad rumours about the college, and Earth in general, and no-one from Bluehaven or Meridian will come near us.” “What are they saying, do you know?” “Well, um, when my grandmother first came here she had the misfortune of crossing the path of a serial rapist and was almost killed, and the rumours are saying all Earthlings are like that.” “But that’s ridiculous.” 6 “Of course it is, but it creates fear, and no-one’s going to pack up their belongings and go halfway across the universe if there’s a chance they’ll be raped before they even set foot in the college.” “I see. So what are they doing about it?” “Mark’s trying to recruit people from here to study at the Temple on Bluehaven and then ultimately come back as teachers, but so far he hasn’t had much luck with that either.” “Why don’t you go?” “Me? I, but, I couldn’t, no, I just couldn’t.” “Your uncle’s the Bluehaven Head of State, isn’t he? You could live with him.” “Uncle Kevin? No way.” “What’s wrong with him?” “I don’t know, I guess he’s like a politician