A cougar roaring, sped up to sound like a cricket.

Kat was the first to approach, gliding forward, the incisions visible on her head.

Cora was surprised Kat would get near her the day after the surgery, would get near any human ever again. Kat paused just above her, staring. The eyes of a dolphin aren’t on the front of the face like a human, but on the sides of the head. Because of this, most of the time the dolphins could look at an object from only one eye at a time. However from above, as Kat was now, both eyes could look together. Probably the focus was better. Kat hovered there, examining Cora for a long moment.

Cora had no idea what Kat understood of the surgery. Perhaps she’d simply noticed that once Cora entered the room, the men had stopped hurting her and she’d been returned to the lagoon.

Kat curved down and gently took it. Holding it in her mouth, she swirled away, her flipper brushing Cora’s hand.

Junior, the adolescent dolphin, was the next one to take a fish from Cora’s hand, then Mother. Finally even Bernie did. His sides raked with old wounds, his fin clipped, his brown eyes. He took the fish so gently, like a breeze lifting it away.

Knowing now that she could reward each of the dolphins individually, she swam to the bucket of fish on the dock. Standing up, she toweled off her head and put on her hearing glasses to start the training.

She needed them to mimic speech above the water so she would know which dolphin made which sound, so she could reward the right one. She stood there, waiting until one of them, Junior, stuck his head out of the water.

Holding a butterfish in her hand, she said—Talk.

* * *

Midmorning, she thought all the men had gone into town. She was leaving the bathroom, when Eh stepped into the hall from his bedroom. His hair slicked back, his checkered shorts.

As she started to step to the left, around him, he began to roll his arm through the air toward her. It was the start of a big motion, a coordinated sweep of his right arm as though he was returning a powerful serve.

Attempting to grab her.

Time slowed. Five inches taller, he must weigh 50 pounds more.

Through the door to his room, she could see his bed. She knew where this was going.

So she ducked. His large swing meant his arm was committed, continuing its powerful sweep just above her, while she bolted out the door. She sprinted down the stairs and dove into the lagoon. Among the dolphins, she was safe.

Surfacing, he was nowhere in sight. She exhaled. Holding up her hands, she could see her fingers trembling.

Treading water, she knew her speed of response would work only once. If Eh tried a second time, he would be more prepared, have both arms out, move forward slower, be ready to grab.