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> >SIMON WAS WINDED WHEN HE FLEW THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR >AND DIDN'T NOTICE HIS FATHER SITTING AT THE HEAD OF >THE TABLE, >LOOKING AT HIM. THE SMELLS OF HIS MOTHER'S COOKING >PERMEATED EVERY CORNER OF THE HOUSE AND SIMON WAS >HUNGRY. "WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU >SIMON", HIS FATHER STATED IN A SEMI SERIOUS TONE. > >"OH. HI DAD! SORRY I'M LATE. I WAS TALKING TO GUS. >GUESS I LOST TRACK OF THE TIME. DID I HOLD UP >DINNER?" SIMON HAD LEARNED THAT YOU COULD SET YOUR >WATCH BY THE 6:45PM SERVING OF SUPPER IN HIS FATHER'S >HOME. >"NO SIMON, IT'S ALMOST READY. HOW IS OLE GUS? STILL >SWAPPING FISH STORIES WITH THAT OLD SEA DOG?" >SIMON NOTICED SOMETHING ABOUT HIS FATHER'S DEMEANOR. >SOMETHING WAS UP. HE COULDN'T PUT HIS FINGER ON IT. > "YEAH. GUS IS COOL. HE'S GOT A WAY OF MAKIN' YA >THINK, YA KNOW?" >SIMON'S FATHER KNEW. HE KNEW MORE THAN SIMON DID. > "WELL SIMON...YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THAT OLD MAN. >HE'S BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THE >SHORTCUTS." SIMON'S DAD LIKED TO SPEAK IN METAPHORS. >TONIGHT HE SEEMED DIFFERENT THOUGH. HE WAS RELAXED, >YET EXCITED. HE SEEMED TO BE HIDING SOMETHING. HE HAD >AN ODD LOOK ON HIS FACE. LIKE HE WAS THE CAT WHO'D >JUST SWALLOWED THE CANARY. >"I KNOW DAD. GUS IS SMART...AND HE REALLY KNOWS HIS >FISH. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I LOST THAT FISH >YESTERDAY. YOU SHOULDA SEEN IT DAD. IT WAS HUGE. LIKE >A..." >"DREAM?", HIS FATHER ASKED. A WRY SMILE CROSSED HIS >FACE >AS SIMON'S DAD REACHED UNDER HIS CHAIR AND PULLED OUT >A SMALL BOX WRAPPED IN BROWN PAPER. >"WHAT'S THAT?" ASKED SIMON. >"THE STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF SON. HOPE YOU LIKE IT" >SIMON'S FATHER SAT BACK AND WATCHED HIS BOY'S FACE >LIGHT UP, THEN EXPLODE AS HE OPENED THE GIFT. >"OH GOD! THANKS DAD!!" SIMON STARED IN DISBELIEF AT >THE OBJECT IN HIS HANDS. >"THIS IS PERFECT! IT'S PERFECT!!" THERE, IN THE BOX >GLIMMERED A HIGHLY POLISHED, SUPER SHARP, STAINLESS >STEEL SLIP-TIP WITH A BLACK LANYARD. >"TIME FOR DINNER SON. C'MON...WE'LL EAT, THEN MOUNT >THIS SPEARHEAD ON YOUR SHAFT USING THE VISE CLAMPS AND >SOME TEFLON TAPE GOT AT AT THE HARDWARE STORE TODAY." >SIMON CONTINUED TO STARE AT THE SPEARHEAD. IT LOOKED >MEDIEVAL. >"UH HUH", SIMON RESPONDED. WITH THIS, HE THOUGHT, >NOTHING COULD GET AWAY. >SIMON'S FATHER WAS EAGER TO FINISH DINNER SO HE COULD >TOOL AROUND IN THE GARAGE WITH HIS SON. HE HAD WANTED >FOR A LONG TIME TO BE CLOSER TO HIS BOY. AT AGE 15, IT >WAS NOW OR NEVER. AS THEY WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THE >SPEARHEAD MOUNTED JUST RIGHT, SIMON'S FATHER WISHED HE >COULD HOLD ONTO THIS >MOMENT FOREVER. TONIGHT THEY WEREN'T JUST FATHER AND >SON...TONIGHT THEY WERE BUDDIES. SIMON'S FATHER WISHED >HIS OWN DAD HAD DONE THINGS LIKE THIS WITH HIM WHEN HE >WAS A BOY. OH WELL, HE WOULDN'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE. NOT >WITH SIMON. > > >THE ALARM WENT OFF TEN MINUTES AFTER SIMON HAD CRAWLED >OUT OF BED. HE WAS EAGER TO GET BACK TO CATALINA >ISLAND. THEIR PLAN WAS TO LEAVE DANA POINT HARBOR AT >4AM IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE ISLAND BEFORE FIRST >LIGHT. WHITE SEABASS LOVED THE GRAY. THAT PERIOD >BEFORE THE SUN'S FIRST CRIMSON >FINGERS PIERCED THE MORNING SKY. IT WAS THEN THAT THE >HUGE IVORY BASS CRUISED THE DEEP WATER KELP IN SEARCH >OF FOOD. SIMON WOULD BE IN THE WATER WHILE IT WAS >STILL DARK, HE LIKED TO GET IN EARLY, SO HIS BODY >COULD ADAPT TO THE WATER AND HE COULD RID HIS WETSUIT >OF ANY AIR BUBBLES. ONE BUBBLE, >RELEASED AT THE WRONG MOMENT COULD SPOOK AN ENTIRE >SCHOOL AND MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LANDING A >TROPHY FISH OR NEVER SEEING ONE. SIMON BARELY TASTED >HIS TOAST AND CEREAL AS HE RACED TO FINISH BREAKFAST. >THOUGHTS OF GIANT BASS FILLED HIS IMAGINATION AND >STIRRED SOMETHING PRIMAL IN HIS STOMACH. HE FELT DRAWN >TO THE SEA. OBSESSED. HER SEDUCTION WAS COMPLETE AND >HE HURRIED TO HER. HE ANSWERED HER CALL WITH >SURRENDER. ALLOWING HER MYSTIC DEPTHS TO COMPLETELY >ENVELOPE HIM. HE GAVE HIMSELF TO HER. IN THE WATER >SIMON WAS AT ONE WITH NATURE. HE FOUND SOLACE IN THE >QUIET. HE LOST HIMSELF IN THE MOTION OF THE SEA. HE >BECAME A PART OF IT. UNDERWATER HE WAS AS FLUID AS THE >SEA, CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING IN IT. BUT HERE HE WAS >NOT AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN. HERE HE WAS BOTH >PREDATOR AND PREY. HERE, FEAR SUCCUMBED TO INSTINCT >AND LIKE A STALKING SHARK, HIS BODY MOVED THROUGH THE >KELP WITH THE SILENT STEALTH OF A GREAT HUNTER. >YES...HE GAVE HIMSELF TO THE SEA. IN RETURN THE SEA >GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS. HE COULD >ANSWER THE ANCIENT CALL WITHIN HIM. A COMPULSION TO >JOIN THE WILD AND ENTER THE CYCLE OF LIFE. TO HUNT, >PERHAPS TO BE HUNTED, >AND TO EMERGE WITH A WORTHY FISH. A FISH THAT WOULD >DRAW STARES OF DISBELIEF FROM THOSE ON THE BEACH. A >FISH THAT COMMANDED RESPECT. THE SUDDEN BLAST OF A >HORN SHOOK SIMON FROM HIS DAYDREAMING. HIS RIDE >AWAITED HIM. ONCE AT THE MARINA, BOTH BOYS QUIETLY >PERFORMED THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTIES, CHECKING THE OIL, >GAS TANK, DRAIN PLUG, GEAR AND ELECTRONICS. THE LAUNCH >RAMP WAS EMPTY. TOGETHER, BILLY AND SIMON LOADED THE >BOAT, A STURDY 20 FOOT SKIPJACK, QUICKLY IN THE >DARKNESS. >"NO ONE'S EVEN HERE!" BILLY SAID WITH ENTHUSIASTIC >DISBELIEF. >"YEAH", MUTTERED SIMON. "THE FISHERMEN WON'T SHOW FOR >ANOTHER HOUR. NOT UNTIL THE BAIT BARGE IS ABOUT TO >OPEN." > >continued on next page...

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