“Crazy!” Austin said, summing up his reaction. “Hell, those whales never hurt anyone. You know that. You've sailed the sound since you were a kid. You ever hear of anything like that happening?”

“Nope,” Kurt said. “Orcas seem to like being around humans, which has always puzzled me.”

Austin replied with a loud guffaw. “That's no mystery. They're smart, and they know that we're badass predators just like them.”

“The only difference is that they kill mainly for food.”

“Good point,” Austin said. He went to pour another shot, which Kurt waved off. He knew better than to try keeping up with his father.

“You know everyone in Seattle. Ever come across a bald guy with a spider tattoo on his head? Probably in his thirties. Dresses like a Hell's Angel, in black leather.”

“The only one who meets that description is Spiderman Barrett.”

“Didn't know you were into the comics, Pop.”

Austin's face crinkled in laughter. “Barrett's a whiz kid computer geek who made it big out here. Sort of a minor-league Bill Gates. Only worth three billion bucks, maybe. He's got a big house overlooking the sound.”

“I feel for him. Do you know him personally?”

“Only by sight. He was a fixture on the local nightclub circuit. Then he dropped out of circulation.”

“What's with the head art?”

“Story I heard is that when he was a kid, he was a big Spiderman fan. Cut his hair, had his scalp tattooed and let his hair grow back; As he got older and started to go bald, the tattoo showed, so he shaved his head. Hell, with the kind of money Barrett has he could decorate his body with the Sunday funnies and nobody would blink an eye.”

“Eccentric or not, he saved me from becoming whale bait. I'd like to thank him, and apologize for commandeering his boat.”

Austin was about to tell his father about the metal structure on Barrett's boat, but a crewman came into the cabin and announced, “Someone from Fish and Wildlife is here.”

A moment later, a petite, young, dark-haired woman dressed in the green uniform of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered the cabin. She was in her mid-twenties, although her black-rimmed glasses and serious expression made her look more mature. She identified herself as Sheila Rowland, and said she wanted to ask Kurt about his whale encounter.

“Sorry to barge in on you,” she said in apology. “We've closed off further kayak expeditions in Puget Sound until we can get to the bottom of this incident. Whale watching is a big part of the local economy, so we've put the investigation on the fast track. The vendors are starting to scream about the ban, but we can't take chances.”

Austin told her to take a seat, and Kurt went through his story for a second time.

“That's so strange,” she said with a shake of her head. “I've never known orcas to hurt anyone.”