Chapter 3: Inhibitions Off

“Got it. So you are at some remote point in the universe.”

“Why would you assume it’s the same universe?”

I suspect that’s a rhetorical question and a response isn’t expected. My inability to conceive of more than one universe leaves me speechless and unable to respond to the question, rhetorical or not.

“I’m imagining the taste, texture, and cold of chocolate ice cream. Can you grasp the concept?”

“It’s difficult since I have never before tasted anything.”

“That’s a fib. You tasted Squeak along with me, or so you claimed.”

“Who?”

“Squeak.”

“Oh, you were referring to Squeak.”

“That’s what I said.”

“No, not exactly. You called her Squeak and her name is more like Squeak. Can’t you hear the difference in pronunciation?”

No, there’s no detectable difference but I refuse to admit my hearing is less than acute. This alien creature already looks down its nose at me, if it has a nose.

“I prefer to call my little friend by an endearment. I’ll call her Pip Squeak. Endearments are a sign of affection and assigning endearments is a custom among my kind. Where is Pip Squeak?”

“Very nearby. She has taken refuge in the center of your craft, in the pool outlined by and between your hulls.”

“Why would she take refuge?”

“Why not ask her?”

“We can’t communicate with each other.”

“You can now. I connected you telepathically via another conch shell. I suggest you retrieve it before someone else does.”

“I’ll fetch it for you, Adorable.”

“Is that you speaking, Pip Squeak?”

“Are you referring to me as Pip Squeak? It means a little one who is cute and adorable.”

“Precisely what it means and it fits you perfectly. Do you like it?”

“It makes me feel playful and amorous. I have our conch and I’m on the way back. Where shall I meet you?”

“A hatch in the bottom of the port hull is now open for you to enter. The compartment is not entirely flooded but has several inches of water covering the deck. Be careful coming in. Don’t scratch yourself on the hatch coaming. I’ll soon join you in there.”

“Are you feeling amorous too? I hope we will play our game again.”

“You are irresistibly desirable. I’m going to eat you up, baby girl.”

“Not literally, I hope. Speaking of eating, I’m starved.”

“What would you like to eat?”

“I’m not completely weened. My mom died and I don’t know how to hunt yet or forage for myself. Do you have any thick cream? Mom’s milk was creamy and thick. I miss her so much!”

“Let me do a quick Internet search about dolphin milk. Okay. High-fat content. As thick as toothpaste and mom squirts it in the baby’s mouth. Would you like to try a stick of butter? Butter is condensed milk fat. I also have some whipping cream. I can offer you that too.”

“If you think I might like it, I trust you.”

“Can you eat frozen shrimp if I thaw them? I only have a few.”

“I’m hungry enough to eat a horse, except I don’t know what a horse is. It was something you were momentarily thinking.”

“I won’t feed you horse meat. I have eaten horse and it’s quite good, but not for you.”

“Here I am and here is our conch. Where is the promised food?”

“Right here, baby. Do you want to dine by romantic candlelight?”

“Food first, then fun. Eating is a serious business. Play can wait.”

Pip Squeak gulped down her food without bothering to chew. She ate most of what I offered her. Two pounds of butter, a dozen peeled shrimp, and a quart of heavy whipping cream. I whipped the cream so she could eat it without spilling. She only rejected peanut butter.

“Yuck, what is that, shit?”

“I wouldn’t feed you anything nasty, sweetheart.”

“Are there any more of those shrimp left?”

“Sorry, no more shrimp remain. You finished all I have. Could you even taste them swallowing them so fast?”

“Taste? I don’t understand what you mean by taste. However, I experienced an energy surge almost immediately after I swallowed those shrimp. Those were good!”

A fast search turns up dolphins have no sense of smell at all, and no taste buds except for detecting saltiness. Freshwater is hazardous to the health of sea-going dolphins, so detecting salt is important. If you don’t chew, the difference in flavors is a moot point.