Treading water, her wet, dark hair slicked back, Dar held out a mask with a mild grin. “Here, this works better.”
“Thanks.” Kerry adjusted the mask, having a bit of difficulty treading water at the same time, then put her face back down, peering into the depths with interest. A school of tiny fish swam by under her, looking for all the world like a flock of birds, even to their splitting and rejoining to some mysterious pattern. Kerry lifted her head up. “Wow, it must be so interesting down there.”
Dar grinned from her spot where she hung onto the anchor line. “We’re pretty shallow right now, only about thirty feet,” she explained. “There’s a coral ridge that goes up and down the coastline here. So, if we were down there, we’d be seeing all kinds of fish.”
With efficient strokes, Kerry swam over to her and grabbed the line as well. “You’re making me jealous. Now I know I have to get certified. I tried coaxing some of the guys at Associated into doing it, but they were all scared.
I bet I can get at least one or two people at the office join in, though.”
Dar studied her in silence for a long moment, then gave a slight nod.
“Wait here.” She reached up and grabbed the gunwale, pulling herself upright out of the water and pressing her body up and over the railing.
Kerry blinked. “Wow, I couldn’t do that even when I was doing gymnastics six times a week,” she murmured, impressed. “Heck, I don’t think the guys who did rings could do that.”
Dar came back and unhitched a section of the railing, pulling it back and seating herself on it. “Okay, we can do a really quick, really easy short dive with just the stuff I have here.” She handed Kerry a vest-like garment. “Put that on.”
Tropical Storm 143
Kerry did, buckling it around her chest and tightening the straps so it fit snugly. “Okay.” She felt a thrill of excitement. “What’s next?”
Dar handed her a pair of booties. “Now these.” She waited. “Okay, now slip these on over the booties and tighten them around your heels.” She gave Kerry a pair of swim fins.
“That’s a little…oh, okay, I got it.” Kerry bit her lip a little as she concentrated. The vest provided some buoyancy, fortunately, and after a moment she looked up. “Okay.” She waved her feet, feeling the powerful surge against the water, and grinned. “Oh, that feels neat.”
Dar handed her down a snorkel. “Put that through the loop in the mask.
Yeah, that’s right. Now turn around, and hold onto that anchor line.”
Kerry did so, facing out towards the horizon. She felt the splash as Dar entered the water behind her, then experienced a moment of jostling as something was attached to her back. She felt the weight difference immediately. “Oh, is that the tank?”
“Yep.” Dar’s hand suddenly appeared beside her ear, holding a round object with a mouthpiece. “Okay, this is how this works.”
Her voice was right up next to Kerry’s ear, and it took a moment for the words to register. “Um. Okay, that’s a regulator,” she repeated.
“Right,” Dar agreed. “See this button?” She pointed to a round spot on top of the piece of gear. “That’s a forced expel.” She put the mouthpiece under water. “Water can’t get in, but if you press this…” She did so, and a stream of bubbles erupted. “Got it? You put that in your mouth, and just breath in normally.”
Kerry fit the mouthpiece between her teeth and sucked in, mildly surprised when air happened. “Fowfh.”
Dar patted her. “Okay, I’m not going to go into the dive computer or anything, because we’re just going down a few feet today. Hang on while I get my gear.”
“Owflk.” Kerry nodded, looking around and getting used to having the regulator in her mouth. What seemed like moments later, Dar was back with similar equipment. She put her flippers on, then swam closer, and Kerry felt a touch at her waist as Dar’s arms circled her.
She stopped breathing. “Uf…”
“Weight belt,” Dar said matter-of-factly. “You need it to compensate for the air in here.” She patted the vest and smiled.
“Owf.” Kerry nodded in understanding as her lungs started working again.
Dar put her own belt on, adjusting it a little and scowling, then she set her mask in place. “Okay, just do what I do. You’re going to let go, and let yourself sink. Just breath normally.”
It was the oddest sensation, Kerry decided, as she obeyed and let herself start to fall through the water. The regulator’s bubbles kept a steady stream of sound around her, but she looked around as she went deeper, seeing the sun’s rays bend and lose their color.
Not far, as Dar had said, and in fact, if she looked up, Kerry could see the solid bottom of the boat just above her. But down here… She leveled out and floated just above the bottom, which was covered with a thick coral formation.
144 Melissa Good Her eyes widened as a school of small, brightly painted yellow and blue fish went right past her, their fins brushing her skin lightly, like butterflies. Past them swam larger, more solitary fish, their bodies undulating back and forth as they surveyed the reef in regal splendor. A tiny, darting red fish zigzagged past her and fled, followed by a larger, flat, black fish with an eye on each side of its body. She glanced down and pointed. A lobster was making its way across the bottom, its spiny shell flexing as it moved.
Just watching her, Dar nodded. The older woman was floating, her arms folded over her stomach and her legs half bent. She lifted one hand and made an okay sign with her fingers, then raised an eyebrow in question. Kerry nodded vigorously, almost unseating her regulator. Dar nodded back, then moved off very slowly, motioning her to follow.
They stayed down for about twenty minutes, while Dar gave her a little tour and pointed out things not to touch. The reef, for one; every touch on the coral was a death sentence to it. Fire coral for another, which could sting human skin badly. Puffer fish, which had spikes; eels, which she wouldn’t have come within a hundred yards of anyway; and other various creatures.
Then Dar gently led her up to the surface, swimming up the anchor line until they both broke through the waves, and removed their regulators.
“Oh my god, that was amazing!” Kerry blurted immediately. “Did you see those silver fish? They were making faces at me!” She pulled her mask off, and pushed her wet hair back. “And those purple things. What were those purple things? There were these little translucent squiddy things, too. What were they?”
Laughing, Dar held up a hand. “Whoa, take it easy. Let’s get back on the boat and we can talk about it, okay?” She had Kerry hand her the gear, and she put it onto the deck, then lifted herself up and extended hand to the smaller woman. “Here, grab on.”
Kerry felt herself being pulled up and she grabbed the railing, getting onto the deck far more easily than she had anticipated. “Wow.” She smiled at Dar in delight. “Thank you! I really, really mean that.”
Dar smiled back. “Always like to see another convert.” She chuckled, ducking into the cabin and coming back out with two towels. “ Let’s get dried off, and I bet you’re hungry.”
Kerry felt her stomach growl. “Okay, I give. How did you know that?”
Dar’s tanned fingers waved dismissively. “Diving does it. I am too.”
They sat in the sun, drying off and sharing lunch as Kerry peppered her companion with questions about sea life. Dar stretched out on one of the cushioned benches, putting her hands behind her head and closing her eyes as she answered. Kerry eventually ran out of queries and took the other bench, relaxing against its slightly rough surface with a contented sigh. “Ill wind blows nobody whatever, huh?” she commented wryly.
“Mmm.” Dar turned her head slightly and regarded the younger woman.