“To the west, what have you found?” Elder Darma asked formally.
“They have little or no information about changes and they are undertaking no research to obtain more. The changes have had little effect on them as yet. I do not recommend further information gathering will yield anything in the west,” Elder Nafula responded.
Attention turned to Elder Indah.
“To the north?”
Elder Indah hesitated, but her response was sad. “The changes are greatest in the north, but are not regarded with much concern above the surface. The humans are focused on politics and immigration on the water’s surface, not the changes deep below it. I fear the northern humans will not devote their attention to their world beneath the waves until it is too late.”
Elder Darma turned her eyes on me before she spoke. “And to the east?”
I lifted my head to voice our best hope. “The Australian humans are also concerned about the politics in the north, but the changes to their coastal waters have come to their attention. They have observed the warming temperatures, the changes to fish numbers and storm patterns, but they do not presently look for the underlying causes of their observed changes. They appear to be willing to look at this in detail, however, but it will take some time before this occurs, or the factors are associated. I think the east offers the most promise for information in the future…”
“So we are to conclude that the humans are woefully unaware of the changes taking place in the world around them?” Elder Cantrella interrupted. “Changes which may mean the end of their survival?”
“So it seems, yes,” I replied mildly. “It does not necessarily follow that the end of their survival will mean the end of ours. The ocean’s gift will ensure our survival, even if the oceans reclaim the land from the humans.”
“We cannot long outlive them. We are dependent on them for our children, and their demise will result in ours. We still require them to conceive our young. Without offspring, we will not survive.” Elder Sunitha sounded frightened.
Elder Darma’s voice delivered my conclusions. “So we are left with one course of action. We must maintain contact with the humans, observe their research and attempt to guide it, so that at least some of them may survive and so shall we. We must also make contact with other communities in other oceans, to see if other sisters of the ocean’s gift are better informed than we. And we must plan for contingencies, to preserve human technologies even if the humans themselves are lost, so that our people may still survive. Elder Sirena, whom do you suggest we assign to these tasks?”
I drew a cool, salty breath and said, “For technology, I would assign such a task to Maria. She has greater knowledge and experience with human technologies than most. She has lived successfully among them, too. For contact with other oceans, I recommend caution, for their societies are very different to ours. I trust you will send diplomatic elders for such a delicate task. Liaison with humans will be my responsibility, once more.”
“This task is urgent. How can you undertake it, carrying a child? You cannot leave her until she is weaned, and then you cannot leave her without a teacher. You must remain with the child, and choose another to go in your place.” Elder Darma sounded worried.
I attempted to reassure her. “The humans will not make great advances for some years yet. I will go once the child is weaned.”
Elder Cantrella spoke up, as I knew she would. “Our people must be hidden at all costs. You may need to live on land among humans for a considerable time.”
I hid my smile. “I have managed on several occasions to live among them. Even the human man who conceived this child does not know of her or of us. I will do whatever is necessary to protect my people.”
Elder Darma was disappointed, but she knew it was fruitless to oppose me. “Then needs must. You will proceed as outlined. Remember the survival of our people rests with you, and possibly the survival of the humans, too.”
I imbued my words with power. “I will not forget.”