Corvo startles back when the whale surfaces, grabbing Emily by the collar and yanking her from the edge of the boat as he jerks away.
Samuel chuckles, easing the boat to a stop and letting the engine hum idly. "They won't hurt you none, Corvo," he says, "long as you stay out of their way. Real gentle creatures, when they're not fighting the harpoons. It's a rare treat to see them so close to land, though."
Eyes gleaming with excitement, Emily looks up at Corvo with a pleading expression, and after a moment's hesitation, he slowly releases the back of her shirt. She darts back to the rail, leaning over the deep blue water and stretching her little hand out, as though she might manage to touch the great beast lazily watching them from a safe distance away.
Samuel, seeing Corvo's uneasiness, tuts gently. "Careful, Your Majesty," he says. "You wouldn't want to make one of us poor old men jump in after you if you slip, now, would you?"
She giggles and settles back on her heels, both hands gripping firmly at the wood of the boat, and Corvo relaxes fractionally.
"Are you afraid of them?" Samuel asks once Emily's attention is fully occupied again.
Corvo shakes his head. "No, not afraid," he says quietly. His eyes are locked on the whale, staring into the deep, glittering black of its one exposed eye. "They're so much bigger than we are. Do you think they even notice when men drown underneath them?"
Samuel shrugs, leaning back against the rim of the boat. "A whale sinks a ship now and then, but we hunt whales by the hundreds. I'd wager we think a lot more about them than they ever think of us."
The tension through Corvo's body eases a little more, but he is still frowning, brow furrowed in thought, when he mumbles, "Maybe so…"
It's then that the whale seems to grow bored of them, and with a low, echoing moan, it closes its great, black eye and dips its head back into the sea. The dive ends with a flick of the tail against the surface of the water, sending a small wave over to rock Samuel's little boat and soak the Empress with a spray of salt and damp. She shrieks in surprise and, laughing, runs immediately for Corvo, seeking shelter under his coat.
Samuel chuckles and turns to start the motor again. "All right, Your Majesty," he says, "let's get you home before you catch cold."
The whale's song follows them back to shore.