Eye of the Whale (20 page)

E
LIZABETH WAS FEELING QUEASY
again as she got into the car. Connie had decided to stay with the whale and coordinate the protesters, who still held signs demanding an end to Japanese “scientific” whaling and to sonar testing.

It was highly unlikely that the crop dusting could have caused her to feel ill so quickly, particularly as it was not affecting the rest of the crowd in the same way. Still, she thought it best to minimize the stress on the whale, whether from pesticides or the noise of the airplane. She would talk to Lieutenant James about the no-fly zone, but she decided to try the number Connie had given her.

Out of her bag she pulled her old silver cell phone and flipped it open. She dialed the number. As it rang, she drove out of the field where her car and now several hundred others were parked.

“Valley Chamber of Commerce. Can I help you?” The receptionist’s warm voice allowed Elizabeth’s shoulders to relax.

“George Conley, please.”

“Who may I tell him is calling?”

“My name is Elizabeth McKay.”

“Will he know what this is about?”

“I’m one of the researchers working with the whale trapped in the slough.”

After a short delay, a man with a deep voice said, “This is George
Conley. And you must be the whale whisperer? I just saw you on top of the whale.”

“You did?”

“I’ve been watching everything on the webcam—it’s not every day we have a whale visiting the Valley.”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling. I’d like your help getting the farms near the slough to stop spraying until the whale leaves.”

“Spraying crops is a highly time-sensitive operation.”

“It might just be a week or two.”

“I wish I could help you, Ms. McKay, but those fields around the slough are owned by G&G Foods, one of the largest agribusinesses in the world. If they don’t spray now, they could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to pests, and then the farmworkers won’t have crops to pick. Do you want me to ask them to put people out of work? How would those workers feed their children?”

The guy sure had a way of making a request sound heartless and unreasonable.

“The whale might be sick and—”

“Businesses can’t stop because a whale decided to pay us a visit.”

“We think the water in the slough might—”

“Ms. McKay, our members are good businesses. That agribusiness grows food for families to eat. The oil refinery makes gasoline for families to drive their cars. The chemical factory makes plastics for products like baby bottles. These businesses give people what they need.”

“I have no doubt, Mr. Conley. We’re just concerned about controlling any chemical exposure that the whale might be experiencing.”

“Ms. McKay, all of the companies in our area obey strict federal and state regulations. Scientific research has shown time and time again that the pesticides the agribusinesses use are safe—unless, of
course, you’re a pest. So please, if you know what’s good for you and everyone else…don’t start being a pest.”

There was something strangely defensive and even threatening in his rant, but Elizabeth had to get off the phone as a wave of nausea rolled through her body. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Conley.” At a stop sign, she took several deep breaths to prevent herself from vomiting. She jumped at the foghorn blast of an eighteen-wheeler waiting impatiently behind her, and looked up to see its big steel grille and shiny glass headlights in her rearview mirror. She accelerated quickly. Elizabeth was out in the middle of miles of agricultural land, and the winter sun had already fallen below the horizon. Perhaps the tone of the phone call had shaken her more than she realized.

H
E SWALLOWED
another antacid. More heartburn.

“ESC.”

“It’s George Conley. I need to speak with Ms. Hanson right away.”

“One moment, please.”

“George, so good to hear from you.” Amanda Hanson spoke in a voice that was so smooth and calm that it always made him nervous. He imagined her holding the receiver with her perfectly manicured red nails. Perhaps it was just that he knew her reputation from the business and philanthropy circles in which they traveled, but she made him think of a black widow spider. From what he had heard, she wove her intrigues as if she had eight legs, and she was apparently not unwilling to eat her mates—or anyone else who got in her way.

“I’m very sorry to bother you, Ms. Hanson, but I thought you might want to know that Elizabeth McKay, that whale whisperer,
just called me. She’s poking around the slough and talking to the media. We could have a problem with that whale.”

“Really? With the whale?” Her voice was cool and unflustered, as usual.

“That scientist is worried about crop dusting hurting the whale, but she could find out that there are greater dangers out there than a few fields of tomatoes.”

“Thank you for calling, George. We will certainly look into the problem.”

THIRTY-NINE

5:30
P.M.

A
S SOON AS
C
ONNIE SAW
the caller ID on her cell phone, her heart started pounding. She needed privacy and hurried some distance away from the protesters.

“Tano’s nervous.” The Internet call from Japan was clipped, forcing Connie to press the phone closer to her ear. She looked at her watch—it was 10:30
A.M.
Tokyo time. Jake and Tano were no doubt making final preparations.

“Of course he’s nervous. It’s dangerous,” Connie whispered forcefully into the phone. “All actions are dangerous, especially one like this.” She could tell there was something else behind Jake’s call.

Tano was the nicest person Connie had ever met: sincere and earnest and polite. He was not like so many of the activists, who were angry at the world, wounded by people, and seeking refuge in their love of animals. Tano was the future of the anti-whaling movement in Japan. He had gone out on a whale watch with his biology class at university, fallen in love with the whales, and now wanted to save them. He also happened to have fallen in love with Connie. She knew it would never work and that love was only a distraction from the war they were fighting. It had already complicated her relationship with Jake.

“I am worried about Tano,” Jake said.

“Do you think he can be trusted tonight?”

“I think so. He’s committed, just nervous. We both are.” Jake was fishing. “You should be here with us.”

“I am there with you.”

“I don’t understand why you need a Ph.D. You already know everything you need to lead this organization.”

“If we are ever going to make a real difference, I need to know the science.” It was true, but she had also come back to help her parents, who had been farmers in the Valley and were now dying from respiratory illnesses.

“Whatever you say,
Dr.
Kato…Are you worried about us?”

“Of course I’m worried about you.”

“Then it’s not over.”

Why the hell do I have to deal with my troops falling for me? “It’s
over, Jake.”

“You’ve met someone?”

“No.”

“It’s not over until you sleep with someone else. Not until you’ve got the smell of someone else on your skin,” Jake said. Connie regretted her recent night with Skilling. She remembered how she had showered for an hour in scalding-hot water to try to get his scent off her body. She knew Jake would go ballistic if he knew that another man had slept with his girlfriend—even his ex-girlfriend. She had wanted to tell Elizabeth but was embarrassed and hadn’t yet worked up the courage.

“Stay focused, Jake. Where’s Tano?”

“He just walked in.”

“Let me speak to him.”

“He can hear you.”

“Do me proud, Tano. Do your father proud.”

Tano’s father, Koji Ito, worked for the whaling industry. They had not spoken since Tano abandoned his plans to work for the whaling fleet.

“You sure tonight is a good idea, Connie?”

“The timing is perfect—right before the vote on commercial whaling and with people worrying about Apollo. It has to be now.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jake said, trying to encourage his comrade in arms. “Tell your friend Elizabeth that she’s a big hero over here. She’s really pissed off the Japanese Cetology Research Center.”

“How do you know?”

“Remember the back door that Yoshi hacked into their intranet? Well, he’s been reading their e-mail. Seems she’s a real publicity nightmare for them.”

“Their nightmare is just starting. You got the files I sent?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful.”

“Tell Tano and me you love us,” Jake said with nervous laughter. “Give us something to live for.”

“Love is not the only thing to live for,” Connie snapped. Then she was sorry she’d said it. Why was it so much easier for her to hate than to love? “Be safe tonight,” she added quickly.

FORTY

5:45
P.M.
Davis

E
LIZABETH PUSHED
through the glass doors of Haring Hall. Her nausea had subsided. She wanted to hear—and at the same time did not want to hear—whether her committee had started reading, although she doubted it. Skilling often left early and would be long gone. The thought was a source of relief as she opened the wooden door to the department. She could focus on the recordings and hopefully come up with something that might help Lieutenant James save Apollo.

She turned on the lights and wondered if she had stepped into the wrong office. Her desktop computer and sound equipment were missing. The modular desk where she worked was empty—even her papers and coffee cup were gone.

“I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to tell you myself.”

She spun around and was facing Skilling. “What happened to my computer…and my data?”

“The committee reviewed your dissertation all morning and announced their decision at the department meeting this afternoon.”

“Already? What was your decision?”

“I’m afraid the committee thought your conclusions were unsubstantiated, and they decided not to approve your dissertation.”

“So you want me to revise it?”

“The department voted to terminate your candidacy, Elizabeth, effective immediately.”

“You’re kicking me out?”

“Not me. The department.”

“Is this personal? Because I challenged you at the slough?”

“Elizabeth, this has nothing to do with me. I have always had your best interests at heart.”

“I don’t get it. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll revise it. I just need a few more days.”

“The committee felt that six years was more than enough time. It may take a few weeks for the dean’s office to notify you of the decision, but I didn’t want you to have to hear it from them.”

“But, Dr. Skilling, you’re the head of the committee. Didn’t you support me?”

“I did the best I could, Elizabeth.”

“You voted for me, didn’t you?”

Skilling looked down.

Elizabeth felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her. “I thought you were on my side. You’re my adviser.”

“I told you not to throw away your career on worthless research. Neither you nor I nor anyone else is going to be able to understand what this whale or any other is saying, because whales aren’t ‘saying’ anything.”

Elizabeth was sweating but persisted. “But the social sounds in the song—”

“Prove nothing.”

Elizabeth began to feel dizzy, and her mouth was dry. She tried to swallow. She looked away from Skilling’s eyes, focusing instead on his pressed white shirt.

Skilling put his hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder and stared at her.
“Animals just respond instinctively. Killing. Mating…” His hand rested a little too long on her shoulder as he tilted his head to the side and gazed into her eyes. “I know this has been a hard time for you, Elizabeth, but I’m here for you.” A whiff of Skilling’s musky cologne triggered her gag reflex. As she opened her mouth to speak, the bile rose up in her throat.

FORTY-ONE

8:00
P.M.

“A
ND THEN
I threw up all over him,” Elizabeth said. She propped herself up in bed as Connie sat by her side, cackling a sinister, delighted laugh.

Elizabeth couldn’t help chuckling, despite the fact that she felt sick and depressed. “Maybe Skilling’s right. What if I
have
wasted my career?”

“How can you say that? You are about to make one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our generation.”

“Thanks, Connie, for trying to cheer me up.”

“Don’t ‘Thanks, Connie’ me. I’m not trying to cheer you up. Don’t you realize what your work means?”

Elizabeth looked down.

“You don’t, do you? Well, let me tell you.” Connie stood up, clearly moved by what she was about to say. “For thousands of years we’ve separated ourselves from all other animals and denied their intelligence—using and destroying them as we see fit. If you’re right, it means that we were wrong. It means maybe, if we start listening to them, we can finally find our way back to living in harmony with the rest of life. That’s what it means.”

“You’re a good friend, Connie.”

“No, I’m not,” Connie said, looking at her watch. She sat back down on the bed next to Elizabeth. “I’ve been a good enemy, but never really a good friend.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a great friend.”

“Jake and Tano are risking their lives tonight. I should be with them. I should have—”

Before Connie could finish, there was a knock at the door, and Teo walked in carrying a tray of food. “Some fish broth. Make you healthy and strong.”

“Thanks, Teo, and thanks for helping me last night,” Elizabeth said.

Teo smiled and then turned quietly to go. At the door, he said, “Liza, if is all right with you, I might stay a few more days, just for keep an eye on things.”

“I’ll be fine, Teo.”

“Elizabeth, you don’t need to do it all by yourself,” Connie said. “Until Frank comes back, it isn’t a bad idea for Teo to stick around.”