Oceans are never as calm as they seem. Even as the waves are rhythmic and the sky is clear, there is always something lurking beneath. When the surface is hot, the sun at its peak, and the afternoon storms have yet to roll in, the ocean lets the light filter leagues down. In these conditions, the creatures below can see close to the top. Red Stripe could see up to the sky with his fine eyesight, though he sometimes confused the large clouds with the long boats that crossed the water.
Along the floor, his little eye could see the movement of other creatures. None were as large or as powerful as him. Though he ate many of them, he found he had a certain affection for those lower creatures. As the largest and most powerful among the sea life, he was beholden to be their protector. When large
