Elspeth moved closer, prised the wound`s sides apart, peered inside.  "It`s pretty dark," she said.

"He`s in there, up the gullet and in the mouth last I felt him."

"Hello," said Elspeth, calling through the thin gut gap.  "Any folk home?"

"See anything?"

"Nothing.  Are you sure?"

"I landed on him coming in.  He wriggled about some and yelped something."

"Alright," said Elspeth, and pushed her head and shoulders into and through the wound.  Jayne heard her muted voice calling through the whale`s skin.

She popped out with a wet sucking sound. 

"There`s an echo in there," she said.  "Mayhap you just heard yourself?"

"And landed on myself, too?"

"Ptarmigan`s got a big tongue.  Could be you 'fused the tongue with a bloke."

Jayne shook his head slow.  "Don`t sound straight.  Tongues and blokes ain`t a bit similar."

"Maybe was some whale food in there then, what slipped out as you bashed yourself free? Half-shark or some such, might`ve felt like a man.  Might even o`been a twinge yellow."

"Weren`t a twinge," said Jayne.  "Ain`t much light in a whale but for a pinhole through the spout, and this was bright yellow like gold.  There`s no half-shark color of gold."

"So what do we do?"

"Hold up while I catch breath, and keep them cauldron hops at bay round the other flank o`the whale.  I`ll go in myself."

Elspeth looked at the gully crew jogging along the beach, cauldrons in tow.  "They`ll want to be celebratin'," she said.  "What do I tell 'em?"

"Tell them a live shark`s inside the whale, and the captain`s gonna hammer it himself.  Just keep 'em clear `til we`re sure."

"Ayup Jayne.  Just, if it is a shark, be careful."

"It ain't a shark," said Jayne, and made for the slit in the whale.

      *