"Speaking of elbows between gear, here comes Blaine's boat," spits Lockjaw. All heads turn as another longline boat cruises out from the far side of the Rustbucket and heads toward the Shaggy Lady. It is a steel boat with a high bow and a drooping sway back middle. Lines are thrown, tied off, and greetings ring into the clear air. Grinning fishermen vault over the rail to Mad Jack's boat. "Beer to ya!" bellows a tall skinny animated man that steps out from his own wheel house hoisting a beer of his own. "Ahoy, there Blaine Scoffield, you sorry old fart of a sea dog!," blares Mad Jack.

"Sorry you say! Sorry," yells Blaine in mock pride, "who's sorry, I'm not sorry, I'm a fisherman and I have a pocket full of money!" "Well, from one pocket to another, I say happy days!" blares Mad Jack. "C'mon over, pard, and let me buy your sorry ass a drink!" "If you can buy it, I can drink it!" and he clambers over the side along with his own crew of five. More beers are passed around.

"I just offed half a load of black cod to that leaking frigate. I hope the extra thousand pounds doesn't sink her. "I was just there,

and I didn't see you!"

"Naw, I don't go to the Rust Bucket--that guy Tom pisses me off. I went over to the other tin can, you know, that other processor down the bay. Ah, I only had half a load, lousy fishing. How'd you do?" "We didn't do that bad. Where were you?" "Out north of Unmak. Ah, I got hit by whales. I was haulin' in the string and they showed up out of nowhere, all of a sudden four of 'em come tearing up right to the boat. Big goddamned fins, tall as a man, looked like four bulls, they charge on up to the boat and dive. There wasn't a single fish that come up whole after that. Just lips. Just heads. They bit them off clean. Every fucking one of them. The only ones they didn't touch where the ones where there was a snarl in the line." "That's bum luck," Mad Jack nods sagely. "Sorry to hear that, Blaine, damn, that's tough. Hard to make up a loss like that when things are so slim. Just a sitting duck. You couldn't cut the line and come back later?

"Naw, I blew it, just thought I'd try to pull it up fast. Bastards had a great time. I'm surprised they didn't kiss me after they were done." Other stories are swapped about killer whales. This year does seem to be the worst. Just then a motorboat goes zooming by with several people in it. "Hey, isn't that your girlfriend?" Toasty asks of Hallie. Everybody glances at the boat. A stocky blonde woman is next to the driver and another making