Sharkbait Ch. 76: Conclusion

Todd held my hand any time he could, and I'm sure the social media posts with us leaving the event together would be out before we got into our van. He let go as soon as the door closed. "Sorry, Mercedes asked me to make our date look real," he said.

"I didn't mind, and the date is real to me," I replied. Todd was a nice guy, but since he wasn't of age, there was no way of telling if he was my mate. I could do worse, and I had. "It cut down on the date requests and marriage proposals. Only three of those today," I said as I rolled my eyes.

I asked him about his surfing, and he talked to me about my reality show. "Producing the show yourself is a ballsy move," he said. "High risk, high reward, like that big wave that will score high or put you through the washing machine."

"It's become so much more than I anticipated, and now with the Sea Scout, there's so much more I can do," I said.

"I don't know how you can dive with big sharks! They scare the crap out of me when they show up while I'm surfing," he said.

"Maybe I need to take you shark diving to make up for you teaching me to surf." Maybe I could; I'd have to check with Ocean, because on our off day tomorrow, we were using her boat. I sent her a quick text to ask.

We rolled up with three vehicles to Todd's home in the hills overlooking the North Shore town of Haleiwa. As always, our guards got out first, and Carly froze as soon as she stood up. "He's here," she sent to us. "MATE IS HERE."

"You CANNOT shift, Carly, he must be human. Fiona, stay with her." I waited for Fiona to give the all-clear, then we all got out and followed them to the back yard of the small house. Guests packed the yard, and a long table was filling with native Hawaiian dishes. To say it smelled fantastic was an understatement; I wanted Todd as my mate just for his Momma's cooking alone.

Todd walked us around, introducing us to his extended family. It turned out that Carly's mate was Michael, Todd's older brother, who worked for a construction company in Waikiki. "You're off duty until after we get back from the shark tour tomorrow," I sent to her. We could always use more divers with cameras, but the show wasn't as important as meeting your mate.

I watched her talking with Michael as Todd sat me at the table. "Try a little of everything, we may have gone slightly overboard," Malia told us.

Dinner was a lively affair, family members trading places with each other, so the four of us could spend time with them all. The food was amazingly flavorful, using tropical fruits and sauces. I begged a few recipes out of Todd's mother and aunts, and I had a little Sharkbaby belly by the time we loaded up to go surf.

We went to a beach with a gentler surf, our group joined by Todd's father, younger sister, and cousin. Carly learned to surf in the cold waters of Oregon, so she went to a different beach with Michael.

I'm sure Linda got plenty of blooper footage out of our learning time. I was a strong swimmer, but I was better under than on top of the water. Todd was patient, helping me until I was able to pop up and ride a wave. "WOOOHOOOO," I yelled as I rode it into shallow water.

"Great job," he said as he swam in. I jumped on him, pulling him close and kissing him in my excitement.

I liked it a lot, and so did he.

The kiss turned into a make-out session in the knee-deep surf, caught on film by the ever-present crew.

We watched the sunset from the beach before he lit a fire. He invited a bunch of his friends to join us, and soon we were dancing and having fun well into the night. When it was time to go, I didn't want to leave. After a lingering goodbye kiss, I got back into the car for the ride to our hotel.

"You look like you had fun," Amy said as she nudged me out of my fog.

"I did," I said. "Todd's going to meet us at the dock in the morning. Ocean said he could join us."

I got as much sleep as I could; tomorrow was a Bodyglove off day, but Amy and I were joining Ocean Ramsey and her team for the day. We brought our free-diving gear, while Fiona brought the big underwater camera and smaller ones to attach to our masks. Ocean's husband volunteered to film with another camera, so we were set.

I had to hold Todd's hand as Ocean did the dive briefing for the spot she had chosen. The area was perfect for free diving. It wasn't too deep twenty to forty feet, clear water, and a sand and coral bottom. "This is one of my favorite spots for big tiger sharks," she said, making Todd grip my hand tighter. She spent a lot of time talking about their behavior keys and what to do if they started getting aggressive. "I'll dive with Vicki and Jane with Amy. Each camera operator will be with a safety diver. Once Todd is comfortable, he can take Amy's place."

Amy agreed; as much as she loved diving, her limited field of vision was a liability in a dive with multiple big tiger sharks. We anchored at the area, and the camera operators got in the water first, followed by Ocean and me.

I was in my element, and it was a great spot. There were a half-dozen tiger sharks around, ranging from eight to thirteen feet long. We alternated our descents, one pair diving down for a few minutes, then resting while the other dove. The big tigers weren't aggressive, which gave us some great footage. I even got Todd to dive down close enough to swim next to one. I promised to watch Todd at one of his upcoming competitions, and we shared a long kiss before I left him at his house.

It had been a dream day, but Linda was banging her head against the headrest as we drove back to the hotel. "What's wrong," I asked.

"I can't do both, and there is SO much more footage to go through than I anticipated," she said. "There's not enough time between shoots to be both director and editor of a reality show. I'm going to need help." After discussing it for a while, Linda decided to hire an editor to travel with us. While we were filming, she would be setting up the rough cut of the previous day. Watching the dailies before going to bed would become a habit for us.

The next morning, we were off to the airport to travel to Tahiti, followed by Fiji, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.

And that was before Thanksgiving.

Ch. 83

I was relaxing after diving with Tiger Sharks in Fiji when I saw the message from the Japanese Prime Minister. We had talked over videoconference when I returned the Honjo sword to the Japanese Embassy; at the time, I asked for a chance to testify before his Parliament about shark conservation. A bill requiring shark fins to be attached to complete carcasses when sold wholesale or for export was coming up in committee, and he needed my help with it. Powerful interests were organizing against it.

Why would that be such a controversial issue? Japan was a big player in the world fishing market; its fleets went everywhere, floating processing facilities where nets and long lines caught thousands of sharks a day. The demand for shark fins in the Asian market had led to the practice of "finning," where shark fins were cut off with the animal still alive, the rest of the body tossed overboard to drown. The barbaric practice persisted because fins were more valuable than shark meat. The proposed change would reduce the number of shark fins that could be stored and returned, reducing profitability.

The change was not a total ban, which wasn't realistic given the demand. Only fifteen years ago, fishing harvested one hundred million sharks a year. That number was down to seventy million a year now, but only part of that was due to conservation efforts. The majority of the drop was due to overfishing, and dozens of shark species were threatened or extinct.

It wasn't too late, so I called him back. His assistant put me in touch with him. "Minister Hirotashi, it is an honor to speak with you again," I said with a bow of my head.

"Miss Vicki, thank you for returning my call. I apologize for the short notice, but the hearing just got scheduled."

"I would like to testify, should my schedule work out. Right now, I'm on tour." It sucked because there were no days off for us, with the reality show filling the off days.

"Perhaps this will help convince you to visit Japan," he said. "Princess Aiko invites you to go scuba diving with her in the southern Chiba prefecture. She and the Environmental Minister want to appear on your show. The Princess believes the way to reduce shark fin consumption is by changing the minds of the young."

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Princess Aiko was the Emperor's only child, a beautiful and intelligent 32-year-old woman. If not for the paternalistic succession laws for the monarchy, she could be Empress. She was very popular in Japan, and rarely made appearances outside official events. "It would be an honor to dive with Her Imperial Highness. I will speak to my team and make the necessary arrangements."

"I look forward to hearing from you," he said.

I was screaming as I ran out of my hotel room, banging on Mercedes' door as I called for everyone else to join me. The girls gathered the mermaids on the way, and we all ended up in Mercedes' suite. I laid out what the Japanese Prime Minister had told me. "We can't turn this opportunity down," I said. "The public relations value of this is huge."

"It would mean canceling or postponing the event in Christchurch," Mercedes said.

"Japan is a much larger market," I countered. Diving and wetsuits weren't as prevalent, but the potential market for sportswear and dresses was huge. "Compromise."

"What do you mean," Mercedes asked.

"Amy and the twins do the event with you in Christchurch, since it is a Bodyglove event. I travel with Fiona and Linda to Japan, leaving Carly to film things here. Hire another local photographer if you need it. We still meet the schedule, and we get the conservation appeal and the exposure in Japan."

I could tell Amy was disappointed, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Mercedes did too. "I agree," she said. "I will get you a swag bag to bring as a gift for the Princess. I can't have her diving with you in Rip Curl gear," she said with a grin.

"I'll get her sizes," I said.

I got all the arrangements made by the time we got to New Caledonia and had the honor of speaking with the Princess twice. The Japanese press was waiting when I arrived at the Tokyo Airport, which led to an impromptu press conference.

"Miss Lawrence, you are a college freshman with no credentials or experience in the area of fisheries management," the first reporter asked. "Why should anyone give your testimony any credibility?"

I resisted the urge to use the THESE TITS line, thankfully. "I've been fascinated by sharks for fourteen years. In that time, over a billion sharks have died, many of them discarded alive, their fins cut from their bodies. In fourteen years, twenty-eight shark species gained Endangered or Threatened status, and twelve are feared to be extinct. Population surveys show shark numbers down ninety percent from the turn of the century." I let the numbers sink in. "Sharks don't vote, they don't donate to candidates, and they can't testify in person. Concerned people like me have to do that for them. I don't want to look in my children's faces and tell them about the sharks lost in the next few decades if we can't fight for them now."

I wiped a tear away. "In the United States, we nearly hunted wolves to extinction. It took decades to bring these magnificent creatures back, and only then did we realize how important they were to the ecosystem."

"Surely you're not advocating a ban on shark fin trade," another reporter asked.

"I wish I could convince people of the truth of the damage their bowl of shark-fin soup causes," I replied. "I could tell them how the cartilage they think helps them isn't even digested. I could show them the studies proving shark fins do nothing to prevent cancer; in fact, the toxins and heavy metals that build up in those fins are putting them at a GREATER risk of cancer. I wish I could change the traditions and folk tales that push shark fin prices up," I said. "When people stop paying for it, fishermen will stop harvesting them. That change takes time, and an outright ban would lead to the trade going underground on the black market. What I can advocate for is RESPONSIBLE management of our resources. The proposed law will reduce the kills of threatened species by making it possible for law enforcement to identify them. It also makes sense. If you are going to harvest a shark for food, utilize all of it. Respect the resource and allow populations to recover and stabilize."

Having made my point, I answered a few more questions, including one about my dating life. Fiona linked that security was ready, and my car was waiting, so I thanked the reporters and was escorted out the back of the room. "That went well," Fiona said.

"I dare them to dismiss me," I said. Linda asked for and received permission to film the meetings, but any footage would have to be approved or deleted. It was better than nothing and would be dynamite for the show.

I met briefly with the Prime Minister and a few of the lawmakers pushing the conservation bill, posing for photographs and signing autographs for them and their families. Instead of heading to the hotel, I traveled with the Prime Minister to the Imperial Palace. "Wow," I said as I stepped out.

Aides took me to where the Emperor, his wife, and Princess Aiko were about to dine with a dozen other guests. "Ah, the guest of honor," Aiko said as she came over to me. I bowed to the Emperor, the Empress, and then to the Princess. "Welcome to our home," she said as I straightened up.

"Thank you for inviting me," I said.

I learned over tea and sushi that everyone present knew me not just for my conservation and modeling work, but as the person who returned the Lost Samurai Sword of Power. "Our scientists and historians have verified the sword and its maker," the Prime Minister said. "You asked for anonymity, but if you want your testimony to work, I think we should use this."

"How?" I'd used the sword to kill Master Alexander and never considered keeping it once I found out what it was.

"By accepting a sword from me, along with the thanks of the Japanese people," the Emperor said. "There is a press conference scheduled in thirty minutes. The Prime Minister will make a statement, and the Curator of the Tokyo National Museum will show the sword before it goes on permanent display. The Emperor will present you with a sword and the gratitude of a nation."

It was genius, and I'd get a sword out of it. "It would be an honor," I said. I didn't mind the truth coming out now; everyone knew about the antiquities I'd inherited from Alexander, and this was just one more. The ceremony in the Palace was well-attended, and the sword's return was big news. The Emperor presented me with a sword set from Master Swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo.

I stayed overnight in a guest room just down the hall from Princess Aiko, after staying up watching movies and eating ice cream with her. She loved the clothes, and we talked excitedly about our diving experiences. Late the next morning, I testified with three other conservationists in favor of the bill. I took some hard questions but held my own.

A helicopter took us south to the port in Chiba, where we boarded a dive boat. As soon as the Princess and her guests arrived, we got underway. Eight of us dove the reef, surrounded by dozens of Banded Houndsharks in the three-to-six foot range. We also saw a few Japanese Horn Sharks moving slowly along the reef. The highlight of the dive was finding a Blotchy Swell Shark. This rare species was under a coral overhang, hiding from bigger predators by inflating its body with water to wedge itself in place. I dove with the Princess, with her security and our cameras following us as we explored the reef three times. I was disappointed when darkness forced our return.

While we'd been diving, the Palace staff had reviewed the video we'd taken, and removed nothing of consequence. It was going to be a hell of a show when it got done, and I couldn't wait to see the daily.

We flew directly to Brisbane, Australia, for the next stop on our tour.

Ch. 84

The airliner crew and some passengers recognized me from the news coverage, and I took some photos and signed some autographs before settled into our first-class seats. Social media was king, as Mercedes said, but it was also tiring. Linda could fly in a tracksuit and tennis shoes, and no one cared. Me? I had to wear a Bodyglove-designed dress, makeup, and heels. I found myself looking enviously at girls wearing jeans, t-shirts, and a hoodie.

The flight was half full, giving me time to catch up on some homework I was taking Chemistry, English Literature, and American History, and spending ten to twenty hours a week on it. I'd only had enough time for it because Lynette had the Sea Scout overhaul under control. I read over her latest report; the engine overhauls would finish in a week, and the living quarter refurbishment was starting with fresh paint and fixtures. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and we were on track to finish by mid-December.

The three of us arrived after lunch, just an hour after the rest of our crew arrived in Brisbane from New Zealand. Mercedes said a limo would be waiting to bring us to the hotel, so we rolled our carryon bags through the second floor of the international terminal, passed through Customs, and went down to the passenger arrival area outside.

"Over here," Linda said as she spotted our ride, the driver holding a sign with her name on it, and Carly waiting by the rear door. I saw Linda pulling her camera out, but figured she was getting transition shots for the show, a few seconds to show as "Brisbane Airport, Queensland, Australia" appeared in subtitles on the screen. I smiled at Carly as she opened the door for me. I was bending down when the smell hit me.

No.

It couldn't be!

"Susan?" I stepped into the car and squealed; she was sitting on one of the benches with Hammer on one side, and Amy and Luke on the other. "What are you DOING here?" I hugged her before sitting down across from them as the rest of my team got in.

"A few things have changed since we last talked," she said.

I looked down at where she held Hammer's hand, catching the glint of a big diamond. "He finally asked you to marry him?" She nodded, holding it out. The ring had a larger round diamond, with deep red rubies surrounding it and tapering to the plain white gold band. "Congratulations!" I gave her another hug, then hugged Hammer before returning to my seat as the driver pulled away from the curb. "I thought you were spending a week in Minnesota!"

"Plans changed," Hammer said.

Susan nodded. "We got a last-minute deal on the airline tickets and decided to come down here and spend some time together. We missed you guys." I missed them too. "We didn't want you guys worried about us since you have so much of your own going on. The Pack was shocked to see you on the news with the Emperor, and Amy says your show taping is going well."

"Almost too well," I said. "We're getting so much material that cutting it down to one season, even with an hour per, is going to be tough." The rough cuts of the dailies were usually over an hour, and we only had 43 minutes of broadcast time for an hour episode.

"And we have hours of film from Japan and New Zealand to work with now. I'm never getting a day off," Linda complained.

Luke was excited. "You got to dine with the Emperor, and he gave you a SWORD! How cool is that?"

"It's pretty nice," I said. I'd shipped the sword to Uncle Leo; he could display it in his home, and it would be away from the salt air on my boat until I had a permanent home for it. "The diving was cool, too. There were so many sharks on that reef! It was a tribute to the marine preserve's effectiveness."