“Thank you. But I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you.”

  His words sparked a warmth in her belly, and it spread throughout her body. “You are so sweet.”

  “Hey, Jewels!”

  She jerked to attention. One of the others looked her direction. The man slung his flippers over his shoulder.

  “You’re not sick, are you?” he said.

  “No!” she stood even straighter. Sweat formed on her palms and she fought the urge to glance at Clarence.

  The man stared at her a moment before nodding and retreating to the ship’s cabin. Blowing her stray bangs away, Jewels leaned over the railing.

  “Thank you for protecting me, but I don’t want anyone to see you.”

  Clarence nodded, a tricked she’d taught him. “I’ll stay below the surface and accompany you until the boat reaches the shore. I’d like to see the place that commands so much of your time and enthusiasm.”

  “Okay, be careful. I’ll see you tomorrow in the cove.”

  She reached down, stretching to her limit, but her fingers touched air. Clarence dipped his head and surged forward. His snout brushing her tips. She giggled with delight. He tried so hard for her.

  “Let’s head home!” Raymond said, striding towards the cabin. “Everyone to your station.”

  Grabbing her flippers, Jewels stowed her gear and prepared for the return ride to the aquarium. While the others congregated in the stern, she hung out at the bow, watching the waves as the ship ploughed across the ocean. On more than one occasion, a fin broke the surface not far ahead of them.

  I wish everyone was as dedicated as you, Clarence.

  The craft slowed and came to a halt. Concerned, Jewels retreated to the stern.

  “Why have we stopped?” someone asked.

  Raymond slid down the steps from the controls, landing with a pronounced thud on the deck. “Remains of a fishing net in the water,” he said, snagging a long hook off the wall.

  Jewels grabbed a second hook and followed her superior to the starboard side. Leaning over the railing, she caught sight of the discarded net bobbing below her.

  “Damned fishermen who don’t retrieve their nets,” Raymond said, thrusting his hook at the tangled mess floating on the surface.

  She followed suit. Her hook caught the trailing edge of the net, and she pulled it to the boat. The moment the thick rope reached the top of the railing, two sets of hands grabbed it and began to pull.

  “Careful!” Raymond said, hauling his part of the net. “We don’t know what’s caught in it. Could be dead or alive.”

  Untwining the hook, Jewels grabbed a piece of net and heaved. A dead tuna came to the surface, wrapped tight in the deadly coils. Ignoring the lifeless fish, she continued to haul the net with caution.

  “Halt!” Raymond said, holding up his fist. “We have a live one.”

  A thrashing caudal fin appeared not four metres from the ship. Jewels ceased her efforts and waited for further instructions. Poor creature.

  “Jewels!”

  She released the net. “Clarence?” she whispered.

  The fish in the net continued to struggle. “Please help me. I’m caught!”

  “Clarence!” she said, louder this time. Jewels grasped the railing and leaned over.

  “Who’s Clarence?” the man beside her said.

  “Hang on, we have a shark!” Raymond announced.

  The shark’s nose broke the surface, netting covering his head. “Jewels, I can’t get free! It’s me. I am Clarence!” he said, attempting to give their signal.

  Clarence!

  She snapped into action. Jewels raced into the cabin and yanked on the drawer storing the tools. She shoved items aside until she found what she needed— a large pocket knife. Seizing the device, she spun and hurried to the deck. Pausing long enough to locate Clarence and the edge of the net, she hoisted herself to the railing and jumped. A shout of protest cut short when she plunged underwater.

  As she came to the surface, Raymond’s frantic voice met her ears. Confirming the knife still resided in her palm, she swam to Clarence. She approached and called to him.

  “Clarence, I’m here! Hold still so I can cut you free.”

  The thrashing stopped. “It’s hard to breathe.”

  “I know, hang on.”

  Ignoring the calls from the boat, she placed herself in front of him. Clarence raised his head and terror filled his dark eyes.

  “Let me get this off your head first.”

  “Please hurry.”

  The trailing edge of the net floated nearby. A single layer appeared wrapped over his head. Taking a chance, she grabbed the net and lifted it out of the water, tracing it back to Clarence.

  “I think I can pull this over your head.”

  The screaming from the vessel intensified. Focusing on the net, she lifted it over his head. It hung up on the other side.

  “Hold real still,” she said, kicking harder to keep them afloat. She extracted the net from where it dug into his gills. Jewels grimaced on her final tug when blood drifted into the water. But it no longer encased his head.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right.” Clarence moved his head. “That’s better, but my tail is still caught.”

  Holding on to Clarence, she slid down his body. Her bare feet kicked net and she hesitated. It floated around him and a clump enveloped his caudal fin. If not careful, Jewels would find herself equally entangled.

  “I’m going to require assistance getting it off your tail. There are others on the boat who can help,” she said, returning to his head.

  “I won’t hurt them.”

  She patted his hide. “I know you won’t. We have to convince them, though.”

  Jewels pivoted towards the ship. Her shipmates continued to yell, gesturing her forward. Raymond’s deep voice rang over the rest and she focused on her supervisor. He urged her to get out of the water and slapped the net against the boat. The net! He still held it.

  “Raymond!” she called, a wave garbling the final syllable. “This is Clarence, the shark I told you about.”

  “What?”

  “This is Clarence, my shark.”

  His mouth hung open a moment before he shook his head and slapped the railing. “You told me he was a baby shark, not a great white!”

  “He’s a baby great white,” she said, cradling his head. “Please, the net is wrapped around his tail. I need help freeing him.”

  “Jewels, no one is getting in the ocean with him and you must get out right this minute.”

  Panic gripped her chest. “I’m not getting out without freeing him!”

  Raymond smacked the side of the ship and turned away. Jewels continued to kick hard, holding them afloat.

  “I’m sorry,” Clarence said.

  “No worries.” She patted his head. “I’ll try to cut you free by myself.”

  She shuffled down his length. The net threatened to engulf her feet, twisting in the current like a serpent. Kicking harder, she reached his tail and seized the knot holding him prisoner. She struggled with the knife, and it snapped open. Determined, she sawed at the thick netting.

  “Jewels.”

  She ignored Raymond’s call and continued cutting.

  “Jewels!”

  The increase in volume, coupled with a heavy dose of authority, prompted her to look at the boat.

  “Jewels,” Raymond said, pointing at the sling over the ship’s transportation container. “If we can get him on board, we’ll have a better chance of cutting him free.”

  She weighed the possibility. The tank’s jet system would provide air for Clarence. Could they get him on the cruiser without further damaging his tail?

  “You’ll have to bring him closer,” Raymond called.

  He snapped his fingers, gesturing towards the sling. Two men responded, one taking hold of the sling while the other stepped up to the controls. The sling swung out over the water and Jewels swallowed hard.

  Please don’t hurt Clarence.

  She sheathed the blade and returned to Clarence’s head. He turned one dark eye her direction.

  “They want to put me on the boat?”

  “Yes.” She held his head in comfort. “Remember, I told you there’s a tank on board with jets. You’ll be able to breath while we cut the net off your tail.”

  Clarence inched his snout farther out of the water. “I trust you. How do I get on the boat?”

  “In that sling,” she said, pointing at the white canvas now lying in the water. “You need to swim into it.”

  “All right.”

  Patting his rough hide, she steered him towards the sling. She glanced back, afraid the netting would pull on his already damaged tail. It continued to drift behind him while the rest trailed past them to the ship.

  “Keep hold of the net!”

  Jewels snapped her head about. Raymond pulled on the netting while gesturing for the others to follow suit. Grasping the net, they moved towards the holding chamber, dragging the net along. It took the pressure off Clarence’s caudal fin.

  They reached the sling. She pulled the thick fabric down further into the water. “Okay, ease forward into it.”

  Wiggling, Clarence moved forward, and she pushed him from below. When his forward progress ceased, a third of him still hung free. Jewels kicked hard and swam to the other end. She launched herself into the sling.

  “I have to pull you in,” she said, rising her knees.

  The lapping waves kept her off balance, but she fought to remain upright. Lunging forward, she grabbed Clarence behind his head. Fighting the shifting material, Jewels forced her body upright until she stood on unsteady legs. She reached farther and grasped behind his fins. Calling upon strength she felt she lacked, Jewels pulled. Clarence’s head slid between her legs, pulling most of his bulk into the sling. Only his tangled tail hung out.

  “Okay!” she called, hoping her tired voice carried to those on the ship.

  Shouts echoed across the water. For a moment, her ragged breath beat inside her eardrums while blocking out all sound. Time suspended. She clung to Clarence. His rough skin provided comfort.

  The sides of the sling began to rise. Within seconds, they enveloped them. The fabric tightened under her feet. Releasing Clarence, she clutched at the top edge of the sling and hung on.

  “They’re hoisting us into the air and onto the boat,” she said, her attention focused on the shark below her. “Hang on. It’ll be okay.”

  “It feels strange,” Clarence said.

  “I know.” She leaned closer. “You’ll be in water in a moment. Please don’t panic.”

  “I trust you.”

  She smiled. And I will always trust you.

  The sound of mechanism reeling them in filled her ears. She glanced over the edge of the sling. Now high above the ocean, the crane began moving them sideways. She grasped the edges tighter and her equilibrium shifted. Below them, the deck and waiting tank came into view.

  “We’re almost there!”

  Commands from Raymond kept the sling moving. It positioned over the reservoir and she caught her breath when they swayed freely for a moment. Then the whirl of the pulley commenced and the tank drew closer.

  “Jewels?”

  Clarence and Raymond’s voices sounded in the same instance. “A couple more seconds,” she hissed at Clarence before glancing over the side. Raymond’s wide eyes greeted her.

  “Are you all right?” he said, his hands guiding the sling into the chamber.

  “Yes, just please hurry.”

  Raymond glanced to his right. “Watch that netting!”

  Water filled the bottom of the sling. Within seconds, it covered her legs up to her knees. Bubbles rushed past her, providing life-saving oxygen to her friend. She released the canvas and knelt.

  “No worries,” she said, patting his hide. The sling remained taut and Clarence wiggled his body.

  “Get that trailing net cut off!” Raymond said, prompting two of the men to kneel at the foot of the container with cutters.

  “I can breathe!” Clarence said, excitement and surprise in his tone.

  “I told you it’d be okay.”

  A firm grip on her arm startled Jewels. She glanced up.

  “He’s safe,” Raymond said, his voice hushed. “I need you out of the tank this instant.”

  But I’m safer with Clarence than anywhere else on Earth.

  Aware her shipmates knew nothing of their connection, Jewels grabbed Raymond’s hand and allowed him to help her out of the tank. The moment her feet touched the deck, her boss’s angry face filled her vision.

  “That was foolhardy!” he said. “I don’t care if this is the shark you’ve been swimming with, he’s still a dangerous predator.”

  “Clarence wouldn’t hurt me,” she said, pulling her fists to her chest.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Yes, I do!” Jewels ducked her head and glanced at the others. Everyone appeared occupied at the moment. “I can’t explain how I know. You wouldn’t believe me anyway. But I know I can trust him. He’s special.”

  “He’s a great white shark. All he understands is swimming and eating.”

  “Then how did I get him into the sling?”

  Raymond pressed his lips together and Jewels caught her breath. Had she pushed too far?

  Her boss leaned away and crossed his arms. “I don’t know how you got him to cooperate. But I don’t want any of my charges taking risks like that. Got it?”

  Her fists uncurled and she flattened her palms against her suit. “Yes, sir.”

  His expression softened and he nodded. Swinging about, he called to the others to prepare for departure.

  Jewels slipped over to the reservoir. One of the other interns stared in at Clarence, his hands pressed against the edge of the enclosure. He glanced up when she took position opposite him.

  “I can’t believe you got in the water with him. He’s close to two metres.”

  “I’ve been swimming with him for months now.”

  “That’s still crazy. How did you even know it was him?”

  I knew because he talked to me. Yeah, that sounds crazy! “By his markings. I’d seen him circling the boat before he got caught in the net.”

  The young man guffawed. “You’re braver than I am.”

  He pushed off and moved to the stern. Jewels glanced about, confirming their solitude. Smiling, she leaned closer to the water. “If he only knew. How are you doing, Clarence?”

  “Much better. Tail hurts, though.”

  She glanced down the length of his frame. The bulk of the net now cut off and laying on the deck, part of it still lay wrapped in tangles on his caudal fin.

  “I’ll cut the rest of the net on the way back to the aquarium.”

  She looked around, hoping her knife made it onto the ship.

  “Jewels?”

  Her attention returned to the tank. Clarence lifted his nose out of the water. “Thank you for saving me.”

  Her cheeks swelled into a grin. “That’s what friends do.”

  * * *

  Their return caused a bit of a stir. At least twenty people gathered at the dock when they transferred Clarence from the boat into a portable tank. Pulled by a large, heavy-duty cart, it slowly made its way up the path and into the aquarium where even more people joined the procession. Sharks always drew attention, but the prospect of a great white tripled that interest.

  Jewels stood at the rear of the cart, clinging to the container and keeping an eye on Clarence. He’d accepted the transfer calmly and didn’t seem to mind the extra jostling of the ride swirling the waters. With an abundance of people about, she dared not speak to him. He appeared to know this and kept silent, too.

  They don’t hear you. Just me. Talking to a shark like you were a person. Which you are! But in a different form. Yeah, it still looks crazy.

  By the time they reached one of the holding tanks, several of their admirers returned to their duties. They were replaced by workers in the vicinity of the temporary housing who came to assist with the next transfer. Off the clock and on her own time, Jewels stayed with Clarence for the entire process. When the sling released him into the vat, the tension between her shoulders eased at last.

  “We made it,” she breathed.

  Fin out of the water, Clarence circled the ten metre wide round pool. Though only two metres deep, the holding tank gave him plenty of room to swim. Cement steps led to an underwater viewing area and Jewels trotted down to catch a glimpse of him. She waited but a moment before he came into view. Laughing in relief, she placed her palms on the glass. In response, he dipped lower and swam right past her.

  “It’s certainly bigger than the tidal pool.”

  She patted the glass. “It’s a temporary holding. Just you and few fish while you heal.”

  Several people joined her in the viewing pit, silencing Jewels again. Everyone’s curious. We’ll have time to talk later.

  News of the shark and her jump into the ocean with him travelled fast. Everyone posed questions and she found herself repeating her answers over and over again. She retreated to the surface and knelt by the edge of the tank. People continued to flock around her as if she and Clarence were celebrities. Jewels was torn between annoyance and enjoyment of the moment.

  “Did you really get in the water with him?” someone asked yet again.

  “Yes, I did,” she said with pride, holding her hand out over the water. Almost on cue, Clarence passed under her, slowing to allow her to pat his back. The three people behind her uttered a collective gasp. One of them approached and crouched beside her.

  “That’s not normal shark behaviour,” he said, peering into the water.

  Jewels recognised him as the manager of the holding area and she sat up straighter. “Clarence isn’t a normal shark. He’s special. I’ve been swimming with him for a while.”

  The man shook his head. “Nurse sharks are calm and not as hazardous, but this is a great white, one of the most aggressive and dangerous breeds out there. Touching him, let alone swimming with him, should be out of the question.”

 

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