Johnny Coma spoke low, in the bed, telling Dulce a story.
“Once upon a time in the place of the whales.
“Once, before the Zodiacs.
“Once upon a time, a little girl rode across a great river on a small ferry. It was cold, and they were going to a magic place. The summer was in full green on the other side of the river. They had been driving all day, you see, from the old historic Quebec City, all built on a hill where they once defended the city, and all hilly down to the great river. The St. Lawrence River. The little girl loved the water; she had been to the magic place before. She was full of energy even after the long drive up the shoreline of the river. She wanted to see the whales.”
Dulce eased down in the bed, easing the way you do with a story. He had that low storytelling voic
