The Magic Minute

 By Harriet May Savitz                         

                                       8^th Happening

             “Would you care to conduct a roll call?” asked General Moray Eel of the Whale Shark.

            “Who else would be more qualified?” returned the Whale Shark who did not lack confidence.  “We sharks dominate the depths, do we not?”

            No one chose to argue the fact.

            Because there were 30,000 kinds of fish, not all could attend, and certainly not all who were there could be announced.  And yet the Moray Eel realized a certain respect had to be given to the more prominent in the group in order to have their full cooperation.  He asked the Fish to create an informal reception line, as if they were being introduced at a great banquet hall.

            “I shall begin with my own family,” said the Whale Shark.  “I welcome the Whale Shark (Rhinocodon Typus), the Basking Shark (Cetorhinus Maximus), the Great White Shark (Charcharodon Carcharias), and the Cigar Shark (Squaliulus Laticaludus).”

            “Attending,” called out the Sharks as they swirled in a circle about the Moray Eel.  It was obvious by the power they displayed that they would play an important part in any plan to rid the earth of the Tenants.

  The Whale Shark took his time to bring to everyone’s attention information about the other fish present so that their attendance would be appreciated.  “We have 400 species of Eels, mostly marine snakelike fishes.  They are from the order Anguilliformes.  From the suborder Anguilloidei, we have the Conger and Moray Eel, the snake, worm and freshwater Eel.  The other suborder (saccopharyngoidei) includes deep-sea forms.  Also attending are the Spiny Eel and Electric Eel.

The Moray Eel, representing the other Eels, replied, “Attending.”  The other Eels circled him in a respectful promenade.

“The Angler Fish,” announced the Whale Shark, “from the family Lophiidai.”            “Attending,” replied the Angler Fish in unison.

            Soon all the attending tropical fish and fresh water fish were acknowledged.

                        Then all attention finally turned toward the Moray Eel.  He had never felt such power.  He felt larger.  Wider.  He looked out at the crowd.  They were waiting for him to tell them what must be done.  And then he remembered his idea.  And words came into his head, words like, “action,” “anger,” “hate,” “revenge.”    Those words had to be delivered.  He was a leader now.  And his followers were waiting to follow.

            “We must remember who we are,” shouted the Moray Eel.  “We are the first animals with backbones.”

            “Yes we are,” shouted the Fish.

            “We have many assets.  We breathe through our gills.  We have fins to move us.  We have hard scales that protect us.”  The Moray Eel’s words tore through the deep waters.

            “Yes we do,” shouted the Fish.

            “We are the backbone animals who are able to live in the water throughout our lives,” shouted the Moray Eel.   His voice sounded like thunder roaring in a storm.  “This is our home.  In the water.  Fossil Fish were found in rock layers formed millions of years before the first land animals with backbones appeared.”

            “We were here first,” shouted the Fish.

            “Before the Tenants,” shouted the Fish.

            “They brought the BAD NEWS,” shouted the Fish.

            “We must get rid of the TENANTS,” the Moray Eel responded, sensing the rage exploding throughout the gathering of Fish.  “I have an idea,” he confided.  “A great idea.“

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