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"How did you pry it open if it was that big?"

"I didn’t have to, Beloved The old whale touched the shell with her fin, and the oyster opened itself for us"

"How very peculiar," Zelana said

"The old whale told me that the oyster wanted me to have the pearl, so I took it I did thank the oyster, but I’m not sure it could understand me It was a little hard to swim and hold my pearl at the same time, but the old whale offered to carry me back home"

"Carry?"

"Well, not exactly I rode on her back That is so lows pink, Beloved? It’s even prettier than the ceiling of our grotto" She nestled her pearl, which was about the size of an apple, against her cheek "I love it!" she declared

"Did you eat today?" Zelana asked

"I had plenty earlier today, Beloved My friends and I found a school of herring and ate our fill"

"Did the whale have a name, by any chance?"

"The dolphins just called her ‘mother’ She isn’t really their mother, of course I think it’s more like a way to let her know that they love her"

"She speaks the sae as the dolphins?"

"Sort of Her voice isn’t as squeaky, though" Eleria crossed to her bed ofdown onto her bed "It was a long swim out to the islet, and h she slowed down, I had trouble keeping up with her"

"Why don’t you go to sleep, then, Eleria? I’"

"That sounds like a terribly good idea, Beloved," Eleria said "I’ lowing pink pearl cradled to her heart