The Day of the Dolphin Page #2

That's what, the third time this week, huh?

Getting jealous?

Don't be a wise guy,

I'll bite your other leg.

Go on Jake,

go ahead. I'll be alright.

He's growing up Jake.

- Yeah.

I think maybe his,

"Ma and Pa" aren't enough for him anymore.

Listen, I want you guys to put an intercom

between here and my house, okay? Sure.

You all eaten?

Go ahead I'll stay.

There's some terrible calking down

in tank three. That must be cracking...

Pa-a-a-a.

Well, Fa.

You've had quite a day

haven't you. Pa-a-a-a.

You seem to have some very impressive

credentials here Mr. Mahoney. Yes I seem to.

I don't quite understand what it is

you want of me?

I want to visit Jacob Terrell's

marine biology center. Why?

I'm interested in the work he's doing.

As you see I am a writer ...

I'm thinking of doing a series of articles

on marine research.

For whom? Oh, that's not established.

There are a number markets.

Why don't you contact Dr. Terrell himself?

You know that I already have.

What do you mean?

And that he said "no" ...

...and that it's taken me several weeks

to push my way into your office

... so that you can do me this very

small favor.

The fact is Dr. Terrell does not want visitors,

strangers, at the center.

Why? Is he hiding something?

No, of course not.

He is scared someone's going to run off

with that good looking little girl he's married to.

I don't think that's a particularly

nice thing to say Mr. Mahoney.

Forgive me please.

I have a terrible habit of making thoughtless

statements. I'm dangerously unrefined.

Dangerous eh?

Look, let's leave it at this...

I'll take these,

and I'll leave this with you.

It's sort of a first draft of an article

I was considering. You'll find it interesting.

It's about the Franklin Foundation.

I'd really prefer doing something along the lines

we were discussing, but you read it and see what you think.

Are you a blackmailer Mr. Mahoney?

Good lord no. I'm just an average guy...

... With an above average curiosity. Of course

I makes friends easily.

Yes, I see that.

That's why I have access to a lot of files,

information, public, and private, all

kinds of sources.

Listen, when we get to know each other better I tell

you some things about yourself that will simply astound you.

No, Fa...

- Good boy, come on.

- What. - No, no, no, no. ha-a-a, ha-a-a.

- Come on Fa. - Good.

- No, not good.

- Fish, Fa want fish? - Yes.

- Well, Pa give fish. Fa say Hand. Arahhhh!

Alfa, I'm deeply disappointed in you this morning.

You really a pain in the ass.

Ass!

Jake!

Jake, can you hear me?

Maggie?

That's right. How's it going?

I'm thinking of selling him

and getting myself a parrot.

Jake we have a visitor.

I'll be right down.

Pa-a-a?

No! You can't say a simple word like hand.

Hand ...

Beautiful, simply beautiful.

Its like being in another world.

- What's the problem Harry? You can't accept

the possibility that I just wanted to drop in?

Drop in?

See how you were getting along? No.

You know Jake ...

the foundation subsidizes, fully and partially, an extraordinarily

eclectic group of...

... scientists, artists, writers, 2 medical research centers,

a library, a yearly international students conference...

Am I boring you?

Oh I'm sorry. It just the beer.

The point is Jake we're sincerely interested in

the work of all these people.

We like to think it's a

co-operative venture.

Yeah?

It's not a charity!

Of course not. Basically, it one

gigantic tax write off.

That's a little joke

Harold, don't take it seriously.

The Board of Directors of the

Franklin Foundation ...

... is considering withdrawing its support

for the Terrell Marine Center.

They are what ... ?

Let's take a little walk.

What are you doing in there?

In where?

The figures taken from your monthly report seem to indicate

that you put about $200,000 dollars into that building!

It's all itemized under the care and feeding of one,

count them, one male dolphin,

... Alpha, age 4.

- 200,000?

- What does he eat, caviar?

Jake I can't justify that kind

of expenses to the board...

... because I don't know myself

what you're doing in there.

David ...

Would you like to sit down Harold?

What do you know about,

linguistics, semantics, phonetics?

Very little.

Here goes lesson number one.

The first month, first year.

Alfa speaks, in his own language.

The sounds are coming from his spiracle,

not from his mouth.

The second month, second year.

from the squeaks, and the whistles and the groans.

The seventh month, second year.

Our first phoneme "a".

Ninth month, second year.

More phonemes

the atoms of speech.

The second month, third year.

Fourth month, third year.

From vowels to consonants.

Sixth month, third year.

Tenth month, third year.

He's learning faster now.

second month, fourth year.

Here comes our first morpheme.

Phoneme "P", plus phoneme "A",

equals, "PA"

This one is ah, sort of a collection, made in the

past few months.

We call it our

"Top 50".

Ball... Swim... "Eat now" ...

... "Man."

Coat..., Car... Friend..., Girl...

"Love" ... "One" ... "Two" ...

... "Three" ... "Four" ...

... "Five" ...

... "Six" ... "Seven" ...

... "Eight" ...

... "Nine" ... "Ten."

Alpha has been regressing a little in the past few weeks,

so we're going to give him a companion, of his own species of course.

... Beta. Let's go.

- Where does Beta come from?

Oh, we caught her off the Florida keys

a couple months ago, "watch her tail".

What are we gonna call her for short, Jake, Ta?

Fa, Ta, Ma and Pa, terrific.

I think we better try "Bee". Bee for Beta.

Ok Bee... and here we go.

- What exactly do you think will happen?

- We hope they will find each other sexually attractive.

And if they do? Then Alpha will

happier, and if he's happier he'll learn faster.

In other words your offering him a bribe in the form of sex.

Beats the hell out of Butter fish.

Harold, would you like to watch

through the window with Maggie.

Is the hydrophone on?

ah yeah.

Start the tape.

Okay.

Wait till she breathes.

Now!

Two PM ...

Alpha and Beta

say hello.

- Now I understand. Well I don't want any of this getting out.

That's the important thing.

All I've got so far is a dolphin

imitating human speech sounds and...

... responding to certain verbal signals,

but if it gets out...

It's bound to be misinterpreted.

They're gonna say it's...

Terrell's down here carrying on conversations with a bunch

of fish, and the whole thing is going to turn into a circus.

My report will be completely confidential.

I'll back you up all the way. Thanks.

There is one favor you could do for me. Sure...

There's a man I know, an old friend of mine,

his name is Curtis Mahoney.

What do you want..., Fa?

Fish? say it, ... fish.

Fa wants fish now?

He's not going to say anything. Yeah.

It's been what, two weeks?

- Fifteen days.

- Why?

Well Honey if I knew that, then I'd

know what the hell to do about it wouldn't I.

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