He said—I’ve been dreaming about them. The dolphins. In the dream, I think at first they are swimming through black water. Then I realize they are in outer space.

She was confused.—Outer space?

He nodded.—The two male dolphins.

—Bernie and Junior?

He nodded.—They are swimming around in space. They move quickly, flying from star to star, so happy. I know in the dream this is where they come from.

He looked at Junior, who was watching them from the deep end. Junior did not like Blum. He did not like these daily conversations between Cora and Blum. Junior opened his jaws to show Blum his sharp teeth while nodding his head vigorously. She had seen the dolphins make this motion, showing their teeth, before fighting with one another.

In response, Blum smiled and nodded back at Junior.—See? They urge me to follow them. I struggle to keep up. I know they are leading me toward wisdom. They are advanced spirits.

She asked—Advanced what?

Spirits—he said.

He said—I’ve had the dream for a while now. The dolphins are leading me into the stars.

She interrupted, spoke clearly and with import. She needed him back on Earth.—Tibbet is not feeding Mother and Kat enough. He is not giving them enough food.

Blum did not respond to this. Instead he continued his parallel monologue.—I think the dolphins might be my spirit guides.

She said, enunciating every word, trying to break through—Tibbet is starving them.

How would we know—he asked—if the species were extraterrestrial in nature?

She continued—They will die.

He said—Open your imagination.

Instead she opened her eyes. She saw his hair was greasy and a little long. He was skinnier than before, his eyes still locked on Junior. She did not know what his eyes saw, only that it was different from what she saw.

She would not get help from him.

* * *

The CBS film crew was scheduled to arrive that afternoon.

So that morning she stepped into the building, the men working at their desks. She told them she would not ask Junior to talk while the CBS crew was here unless Mother and Kat were set free this morning, released into the sea.

Tibbet turned to her, his mouth open. Without Mother and Kat, he would not be able to finish his experiment. Months of his work would be wasted.

She said to Blum—Release them today or the only CBS footage will be of Junior squeaking like a dolphin. He will not say one word.

Tibbet started yelling, all sorts of things, so loud and fast, she could not follow them. She did not try to. He was yelling at Blum, not her.

She said to Blum—You don’t need Mother and Kat.

Blum was watching Tibbet. In this moment she could almost see the pressure between the two men, the tension shimmering and electric. She wondered if this was like how the dolphins saw.

Blum did not care about Mother and Kat. He could always capture new dolphins. It was Junior who was the golden animal now. It was Junior in his dreams.