Dolphin Island by Arthur C. Clarke Page B

they could see only the tiny oval of a flashlight beam and could imagine anything
     in the remaining darkness. Johnny must have felt scared, as everyone did for the first
     time, but he had conquered his fears.
    Soon he would be ready to leave these safe and sheltered pools and to do some
real
diving off the edge of the reef, in the ever-changing, unpredictable waters of the
     open sea.

Chapter 12
    It was two weeks before anyone on the island saw the first of the Professor’s ideas
     in action. There were, of course, many rumors, for as soon as the details of the dolphins’
     request were released, everyone had his own theories about what should be done.
    The scientists of the research station were, as might be expected, actively pro-dolphin.
     Dr. Keith summed up their views when he remarked, “Even if killer whales do turn out
     to be the more intelligent of the two, I’ll back the dolphins. They’re much nicer
     people, and you don’t choose your friends for their brains.” When Johnny heard this,
     he was quite surprised, as he still did not care for Dr. Keith’s patronizing attitude
     and regarded him as a cold fish with few human emotions. However, he must have
some
good qualities for Professor Kazan to have made him his assistant; by this time,
     anything that the Professor did was, as far as Johnny was concerned, beyond criticism.
    The fishermen were divided. They, too, liked dolphins, but recognized them as competitors,
     for they knew at first hand the arguments that Dr. Hirsch had put forward. There were
     times when dolphins had torn holes in their nets, stolen most of their catch, and
     made them say things about his friends that Professor Kazan would have been very unhappy
     to hear. If killer whales kept the dolphin population from getting too large, then
     good luck to them.
    Johnny listened to these discussions with interest, but he had already made up his
     mind; no mere facts were going to make him change it. When someone has saved your
     life, that settles the matter; nothing that anyone else can say will turn you against
     him.
    By this time, Johnny had become quite a skillful diver, though he knew that he would
     never be as good as Mick. He had mastered the use of flippers, face mask, and snorkel,
     and could now stay underwater for periods that would have astonished him only a few
     weeks ago. Though the healthy, open-air life was making him bigger and stronger, this
     was only part of the story. The first times he had dived he had been nervous, but
     now he felt as much at home undersea as on the land. He had learned to move smoothly
     and effortlessly through the water, and so could make a single lungful of air last
     much longer than when he had started his lessons. Whenever he felt like it, he could
     stay underwater for a full minute without straining himself.
    He was doing all this for fun, and because diving was a skill worth acquiring for
     its own sake. Not until Professor Kazan called for him one afternoon did he learn
     how quickly his hobby would be of use.
    The Professor looked tired but cheerful, as if he had been working night and day on
     some project that was going well. “Johnny,” he said, “I’ve a job for you, which I’m
     sure you’ll enjoy. Take a look at this.”
    The piece of apparatus he pushed across his desk was something like a very small adding
     machine, with twenty-five buttons arranged in five rows of five each. It was only
     about three inches square, with a curved, sponge-rubber base, and was fitted with
     straps and buckles. Obviously, it was intended to be worn on the forearm, like an
     overgrown wrist watch.
    Some studs were blank, but most of them carried a single word engraved in large, clear
     letters. As he ran his eye across the face of the little keyboard, Johnny began to
     understand the purpose of the device.
    The words he read were: NO, YES, UP, DOWN, FRIEND, RIGHT, LEFT, FAST, SLOW, STOP,
     GO, FOLLOW, COME, DANGER! and HELP! They were