14 in the chute, baby

“What have you to report from the land of dreams this morn, oh fair Gryphon?” Lilly smiled as she poured juice.

“Nothing exciting this time. I seem to have gone back in time a little, because now instead of being sacrificed, I’m carving tables.”

Lilly laughed. “What kind of tables? TV tables? Round tables? Mead-drinking tables?”

“Tables for a princess.”

Lilly’s eyes widened briefly, impressed. “You must be some carpenter. The princess. Nice work!” At least he’s not waking up in a cold sweat this time, she thought to herself. “So, going off with your little bookstore employee today?”

“Why do you call her that?”

“No reason, I guess. When are we going to meet her?”

“She’s pretty shy. I don’t know. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“It’s just good to see you smiling this much again. It’s been a while. Really smiling.”



He picked Andie up after breakfast, and they set out for the museum. As they wandered through, Gryphon explained an awful lot of things to her. “Do you have a room here or something?” she asked. He smiled.

“I’m actually … I have a degree in marine biology.”

She stopped and stared at him. “What are you doing delivering books?”

He smiled abashedly. “I … kind of punched my boss. In the jaw. Kind of got fired.”

She was staring at him. “You punched your boss.”

“Hey, you barely know me.”

“Wow. Why?”

“Because we just met.”

“You’re funny. Why’d you sock him?”

“There was this dolphin we were rehabilitating. He wanted to set her free way too soon. I spent 10 hours a day with this animal, and she was anything but ready to go back into the wild when he wanted. But Joe, he had contacted TV stations, newspapers, magazines. Usually there’s not that much attention given to these things; marine mammals are released back into their habitats fairly regularly, but the media don’t flock to see it. It’s been done, you know?”

“Why this time?”

“The dolphin had bonded with a deaf girl. Made Nightline.”

“Sounds like the kind of animal some people wouldn’t want released into the wild at all.”

“We had had a strict policy of keeping the public away from the animals completely, except for what they could see from the underwater viewing area or the arena behind the fence. No tricks, though. The only training these guys got was in how to live in the wild again. We were strictly rehab. Then Joe came in as the new administrator and thought it would be good PR. We run for the most part on donations. He fired three people within a month, all who fought him on giving the public such close and involved access to the animals. Such a stupid, stupid thing he’s doing. Or was doing. He’s been replaced since I left. You can’t teach animals to fend for themselves, to not rely on humans for survival, if you’re letting people swim with them, squealing and petting them and clapping when they jump and nuzzle. They won’t leave humans, or will get hurt or worse when they trust the wrong ones. They’ll still be dependent on them, and then they’ll die out in the ocean.”

“How could someone like that, who had such a different attitude toward what you were doing there, get to be in charge of it?”

“Politics, I think. The board of directors was getting concerned about cash flow. This rich guy in Boca had a son-in-law who had worked at one of those swim-with-the-dolphin places, had a degree in zoology and stuff. Joe. He replaced the previous woman, who was just great and left to work in Australia for a while. They wanted donations from the father-in-law. They thought the rest of us would be able to balance him out. But they gave him too much rein.”

“But he’s not still there?”

“No, some petition from some marine mammals fund or somewhere finally got him booted.”

“Could you go back?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think that would look too good, hiring back the guy who punched out his boss. They’re still way too into the PR thing. But maybe someday. I’ve kind of had to cool my heels for a while, stay out of it so people don’t remember me as a hothead. Which I’m really not, honest,” he smiled appealingly.

“I never thought so,” she smiled back.

They drove back to her house. “Would I be going too far, asking for too much time, if I asked you to dinner tonight?”

She was thrilled at the idea of seeing him more today. “Of course not. I’d love to.”

“Another place without crayons on the table. There have to be at least two in this town.”



There were crayons, but only at the register. After dinner they strolled along the boardwalk. They stopped to lean against the railing and watch the waves roll under the darkening sky. Gryphon watched Andie as she looked out over the ocean; he reached out and brushed back some hair the wind was blowing into her face. A shiver ran down her arms and back, and she looked at him then. As he let his arm fall down around her waist, he leaned in and gently kissed her cheek, right beside the corner of her mouth.

The weight of his arm around her waist felt so good, so safe and reassuring. She blushed at his kiss; he turned to the ocean too, and she moved in close at the same time that he pulled her close against his side. A moment later she slid her arm around his waist. He turned to her and, again brushing the hair from her sunburned face, took her into his arms in an embrace that felt like the end of time.