Comments on 'Check Mate'As the dolphin swam away, I felt another "ping"—this one much larger, swimming up to my left. This ping was familiar, from Willy's memories. "Ro'shalla," I murmured. Willy's mate.
"Willy?" she asked. (Actually, she used his whalespeak name, but "Willy" is how I "heard" it in English.) "What is wrong? You swim oddly."
"I'm…not Willy," I told her. "I'm a land-dweller. Willy ate me—but I ended up in his mind."
Her body language showed anger. "Give him back!" she squawked. "Give my mate back to me!"
I felt a pang of sympathy, but anger drowned it out. "I wouldn't if I could. He tricked me! He _ate_ me!."
Ro'shalla turned headlong, and hit me with a blast of sound. Suddenly, she was inside my head along with Willy. _GET OUT!_ she blasted me. I pushed back, and she was out of my head again.
"So," she sang coldly. "You have taken my mate. Very well. But I know where to find yours." She kicked her fluke and swam away.
For a moment I didn't understand. Then it hit me: she was going after my wife.2007-12-16T20:11:39Zhttp://ficlets.com/feed/story/13563Comment on Check Mate<p>It’s “ping” as in “sonar ping.” What it is, not what it sounds like.</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/13563?basename=285672007-12-16T20:11:39ZThroat Wolfhttp://ficlets.com/authors/throatwolfComment on Check Mate<p>...and not to be annoying (just trying to be helpful) but doesn’t it sound more like clicks than pings?</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/13563?basename=227322007-11-12T06:09:38ZTad Winslowhttp://ficlets.com/authors/tjdComment on Check Mate<p>It’s difficult to create a more original story and that’s a major plus. I’d go back through it and explain the ‘pings’ better. I think I get it though—echo location, right? very cool story.</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/13563?basename=227312007-11-12T06:05:21ZTad Winslowhttp://ficlets.com/authors/tjd