Guy--Part Thirty-Seven

Splog # 153

Thirty-Seven

   Guy was now lying on nothing but water and he began to feel short, abrupt movements beneath him. He wasn't quite sure how to bring himself to a standing position and his first effort of movement merely rolled him over so that now he was face-down and he could see the many seahorses moving around below him. Both the elongated fronts of their faces (which he thought of as their snouts) and the ends of their tails (if those were tails) seemed to have a glow emanating from them. Along with the light coming from his eyes, these many spots of light constantly moving about gave the whole scene an aura that was somehow unearthly. He noticed that the object in which he'd been imprisoned was no longer in sight and he wondered if he'd floated away from it or if it had maybe sunk under the sand or disappeared in some other unorthodox manner.

   He found that by kicking his feet and waving his hands he could maneuver himself around and, in this manner, he enjoyed a few moments of free-floating gymnastics. He managed a couple of somersaults and then threw himself into a backward one. He swam along like a porpoise and twirled around like a dervish. Relaxing, he settled on to the ocean floor and watched the seahorses cavorting around him. What fun it would be if they were of a size to ride upon! He looked in all directions to see if there was anything towards which he and Bugs might start heading. On finding no apparent goal in sight, he wondered how his companion would choose to start.

   "Excuse me, but are you ready to go?"

   "Oh, yes. Just tell me where..."

   "Excuse me one final time but I would like to say that I'm well aware of the fact that my manners may not have been all that is of the best. And on one or two occasions I may have spoken a word or two that was more than the situation required. I hope that these minor faults have not in any way discouraged you from wishing me to accompany you in your current enterprise?"

   Bugs ended on an interrogative note that Guy could tell required a response. Guy found Bugs highly entertaining and was very glad to have him for a companion. But he was unsure how to put his feelings into words.

   "Bugs?" he began slowly.

   "Yes, Guy."

   "I think we can have a lot of fun together, don't you?"

   "Oh, yes."

   "Bugs?"

   "Yes, Guy."

   "Everything you did was ok. I've had a good time since you saved me from drowning. It was a little cold for awhile but I'm all set now. And sometimes if you don't talk for a while, I wonder if you're still here. But I guess you must be or I wouldn't be breathimg underwater...so I guess everything's fine. Why don't we just go?"

   "Well put. Well put. Why don't we just go? No sooner said than done. Why don't we just go? I couldn't have said it better myself. Guy, you're a man after my own heart and I just know we're fated to accomplish great things together. Guy and Bugs. Why, the world will be a better place because we've been in it. Guy and Bugs. Starting off together. Why - don't - we - just - go?"

   Therer was silence for a short time and Guy watched the glowing seahorses as they skimmed around above him.

   "Bugs?"

   "Yes, Guy."

   "Do you know where we're going?"

   "Excuse me? Do I know where we're going? Well, in a manner of speaking, I do. Then again, in another manner of speaking, I might not exactly. But! Don't let that discourage you or worry you in the least little bit. For I know how we are to commence our journey into the unknown."

    There were another few moments of silence while Guy waited to learn how they were to commence.

   "Don't you want to ask me how?"

   Even though he was only seven years old, Guy had a flash of insight informing him that Bugs, with all his lengthy conversations and the extraordinary things that he could do, was in many ways even younger than himself.

   "Excuse me, Bugs," Guy imitated, "but do tell me how we are to commence our journey into the unknown."

   "I'll do better than that," Bugs replied. "I'll show you."

   And the next moment, Guy found himself emitting a series of short whistles on different pitches. As if in immediate response, the seahorses around him began to move into formation on all sides of him. On the awareness that they were all facing a different direction from himself, slightly behind him and to his right, Guy assumed that the best thing to do would be to join them. As soon as he was in line with them, the ones in front of him began to move and, taking the hint, he moved with them, walking forward at an easy pace. Once proceeding, he found that the seahorses didn't remain in any of the ranks that they had formulated at first. They continued heading in one direction but floated all around him, sometimes zipping past and at others simply floating stationary as he caught up and walked by.

   "The Ling-Lings will keep us on track for a good part of our journey. They have a wonderful sense of direction and can find anything they seek when they know where it lies."