Cedric stared down into the white whale’s eye, and he saw himself staring right back. This beast held much wisdom, and as the distorted shapes started to take form and make sense to Cedric, the lighthouse light caught her eye and blinded her for a moment from white to black.
Cedric scowled and looked over his shoulder, to see his fox friend looking down at him from the tower. He had seen this fox behaviour before, when he last got drunk on whisky and power.
“He did this last time! He tried to trick me and take charge, but that was the the last time! he stamped, “as you’ve shown me my heart” he softened, and smiled at the whale. The whale replied with the biggest smile ever seen, and Cedric felt warm, even in the dark gaps in between.
“No harm will come to you” Cedric said to the whale. “Your oil, flesh, and bones are safe with me! You’ve shown me my depths, and I’ll do nothing but help, you fulfil any whale dream you dream.”
The whale sank for a moment, so Cedric looked back up at the lighthouse to see the fox dancing to himself under the moon. The fox caught the sailor’s eye, so he held his drink high and then called down “I’ll go get the harpoon!”
Cedric panicked and looked back down into the water, to see something rising up of gargantuan form. The whale spat out a fish! To show Cedric his wish, to sail together to a new sea that’s warm.
“I know where these fishes roam, I’ve seen them on my way home, so you can show me more secrets when we head south!” he declared as he jumped back onto his small ship, but then it started to sink, so the whale scooped him up into her warm mouth.
The fox reappeared, harpoon in hand, ready to aim at his two targets. He’d deal with the whale, and take over the boat, and sail it right back into market. But all had turned white, no sailor in sight, no whale, just snow that finely glistened. The fox looked up at the moon “Oh how I’ve been a buffoon! If only I’d stay open and listened!” He swooned at his tomfoolery and trudged back inside with his proud tail between his legs.
The whale swam to Cedric’s destiny, into warmer seas where they could exist together for a while, or perhaps for the rest of their days. Soon the water had changed, but their love stayed the same, and the whale opened her mouth and then smiled. Cedric emerged into a new sea, where he fished and swam free, alongside his white whale of wisdom. He’d forgotten the fox, and he’d found some new docks, and he dove deeper, until he reached the bottom.
Fin.