Eighth Circle

He switched his attention to the base of the cliffs. There were port facilities and some were still in use. A small harbour caught his eye. It was circular and surrounded by arcaded buildings that reminded him of ancient Greece. A huge bronze statue of a naked man with a trident added to the charm. As the boat approached, the bronze man raised the trident in a very lifelike manner.

Tom was impressed. The people who built the city had gone to immense trouble to create an environment that was elegant and tasteful. He sat back as the orcas towed the boat towards the harbour. He guessed it was where valued guests were received and the orcas had been ordered to take him there.

The statue stepped forward and raised its trident. It looked like the sort of salute that would be given to distinguished visitors. Tom's spirits rose. After a bad start things had taken a turn for the better. With any luck he would soon be in warm surroundings amongst people who knew how to attend to the needs of guests who had made the arduous journey from one realm to another.

Then the trident jabbed down, in a less than welcoming manner, and pointed off to the side. The orcas turned and the statue turned. Tom was left with the uncomfortable feeling that they had been ordered off and the statue was watching to make sure they did as they were told.

The trident pointed towards a row of jagged rocks. Tom expected the orcas to track off to the side. It was inconceivable that such a well-disciplined team would attempt to squeeze between them. Individual orcas might succeed but six orcas, towing a boat, didn't stand a chance.

To his dismay they kept going. He braced himself for a trip into the brine and wondered what the orcas would do if they found him in the water with them. The boat rocked violently. Spray engulfed the boat. He shut his eyes and, when he opened them, he found that they had successfully made the crossing and were on the other side.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that they were now in a worse place than before. Towering cliffs hemmed them in on one side and jagged rocks trapped them on the other. He looked for a landing spot and there wasn't one. Waves pounded the cliff in front and thundered through the rocks behind.

The orcas seemed to be marking time. Then a huge wave picked up the boat and carried it forward. It was a bit like surfing but in a boat and with six killer whales for company. They kept the boat on an even keel as it raced along