She saw, for the first time, she was good at something.

While Blum’s expression was pleased, the other men’s were not.

* * *

Once Kat was carried back and slid off the stretcher into the lagoon, the four dolphins shot together to the other side, getting as far from humans as they could. There they twined around one another, taking solace, rubbing against each other, quieting slowly, until tuckered out from emotion, they fell asleep there, their beaks holding tight to each other’s flipper or tail.

The big male, Bernie, did not eat for the rest of that day. Each time he surfaced and exhaled, Cora could hear the combination of his responsibility and helplessness.

FOURTEEN
July 14, 1965

The next morning when Cora walked onto the property, heading down toward the lagoon, she came upon Blum sitting cross-legged on the grass, his hands palm upward on his knees, his eyes closed. A bony birdlike man. She watched for a second.

His breath was slow and deliberate. He blew air loudly out his mouth, almost as if he were snorkeling on dry land.

When she started to tiptoe past him, heading down toward the lagoon, his eyes opened.—Do you want to try?

She asked—Try what?

—Meditating.

—Medi-what?

—Meditating. It’s a practice from the Orient. Conscious breathing. It clears the mind of the details of life.

Her eyes moved from left to right. She’d always thought the details of life were the point.

He said—Sit down. Try it out.

She sat down on the grass, making sure to leave a good 6 feet between her and him.

He said—Inhale slowly, through the nostrils. Concentrate on the breath. Fill your lungs.

She imitated the speed of his breath, tried to make her inhale as loud as his. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to pay attention to in terms of her breath. Aside from being slow, it seemed to be going fine.

He said—Exhale now, out the mouth. Push out all the air inside of you. Focus on your breath. Still your mind. What happens when your mind is freed of all its frittering?

You fall asleep, she thought.

She asked—Is this connected with the experiment you want to do with the bathtub?

He looked at her confused.

She jerked her chin at the oversized tub on the lawn nearby, the one with the lid. The wood frame around it was complete. It looked ready to be used.

Ah, the isolation tank.—He stopped breathing deeply, straightened his legs out in front of him and began to stretch, attempting to touch his toes with his legs straight. It was clear he did not stretch a lot.—Yes. I’m going to float in it, try out sensory deprivation, observe what happens in my mind.

She imagined floating in warm water in the dark. It made her want to pee.

He added—Man has explored the planet and space and the body. Our remaining frontier is the mind.

He bent forward into his stretch again.—A few months ago I met this Harvard researcher studying the mind, its powers and capabilities. The implications are fascinating. In a few weeks, he’ll come here and be my guide for a trip.