Chapter 9 – The Initiation Ceremony
Author's Notes – Glad you liked the previous chapter. It will be a while before Gill gets to meet Nemo, as there is still a lot about his past that has yet to be revealed, including this initiation ceremony. Enjoy!
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…"
Gill looked up from where he had been trying to explain to Jacques, with his decidedly limited French, what exactly the little gang were intending to do. Fortunately, Jacques appeared to be one of the saner of these young newcomers, and, although he was apparently not entirely sure of the exact reason for this whole ceremony, he seemed amiable enough to go along with more or less anything if it meant that the little gang were having fun.
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…" the rest of them were close to the volcano, either by the summit, or on either side of the artificial lava path leading up to it. Gill had insisted upon that; he remembered that many of the initiation ceremonies that he had heard about while living in the tank in Mr. Elias' home had involved ascending to some higher place, to be able to look down from some great height, as the initiate was being metaphorically raised up to be a full-fledged member of a tribe or a group.
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…" they were pretty good at it, Gill had to admit. They had only spent a little while rehearsing, and now they seemed able to chant in union, never missing a beat…
"Oh, will you not do that, you are disgusting!" that came from the gramma, complaining at the pufferfish.
Gill sighed; it had been going so well up to that point…
"What?" the pufferfish asked, "It's better out than in, you must admit."
"There's a time and a place for that sort of thing, and this is neither," the gramma replied, sounding irritated.
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…"
"Oh, I'm so excited!" that was Deb, "Aren't you excited Flo? This is the first time either of us have ever taken part in an initiation ceremony." Deb grinned at her reflection, still seemingly convinced that it was her sister. Why? Gill wondered – what could have possibly convinced her that her reflection was another fish? And what would happen if she were ever to find out the truth?
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…"
"And where's that idol, anyway?" that was the goldfish, "He was the one who wanted to have this ceremony, hadn't he better get it started soon?"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Gill muttered, swimming up the imitation lava path of the volcano towards the group of chanting – and complaining – fish. "I was just trying to explain to Jacques what we are doing and why."
"And why are we doing this, exactly?" the goldfish asked.
"It will make it easier for everyone if we all have names, and it will be easier to remember those names if they are given in a welcoming ceremony," Gill explained.
"Not good enough," the goldfish replied, "that might be part of it, but it's more than that, and you know it."
Gill gave him a long, critical look. Clearly the goldfish was one of the brighter and more aware of the young newcomers, and could see further than most. Gill grinned to himself. "You're right," he said quietly, as the chanting continued around him, "do you know the meaning of the word 'kin'?"
"Scottish isn't it?" the goldfish asked, "Means family, if I remember correctly".
"Yes, that's how it's been translated sometimes," Gill replied, "but it means more than that. It's about the ties that someone has to a group, bonds of family, yes, but it's all about loyalty and the importance of being part of the group and everything that it means to be a part of that group. That's what this ceremony is all about, to tie the whole lot of us together in a bond of kinship, and everything that that means, as members of the Tank Gang."
"That's pretty smart," the goldfish admitted.
"Can we get on with this now?" the gramma complained, glaring at the pufferfish, "I'm not sure how long I can stand being next to this disgusting puffer."
"Good idea," Gill replied, ignoring the way that the pufferfish and the royal gramma were glaring at each other, "who would like to go ascend towards the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie first?"
"I will," said the pufferfish, still glaring at the gramma, "if just to get away from this fish," he added.
"Ties of kin, eh?" asked the goldfish playfully, "Starting well, isn't it?"
"Have you got a better idea?" Gill hissed in response.
The goldfish merely chuckled, picked up a leaf, and swam down to where Peach and Deb (and, Gill supposed, Flo too, technically) were waiting on the route up to the top of the volcano. The goldfish grinned up at him, "I'd better take my place in this ceremony, oh fearless leader," he said, in a way that might or might not have been sarcastic, "just as you'd better take yours. Time for this ceremony of kinship to begin, don't you think?"
"Fine, fine," Gill muttered, then turned his attention to where the pufferfish had swam down to the base of Mount Wannahawkaloogie, and was looking around himself curiously. "Now what?" he asked.
"It's really quite simple," Gill replied, as the chanting continued all around him, "You make your way up the path of lava to the top of this volcano. When you reach the top, we will start the ring of fire," he turned to Jacques momentarily, who saluted him, and then started stepping on the knob at the base of the volcano. This started the ring of fire – in actual fact nothing more dangerous than a lot of bubbles being shot out from the top of the volcano.
"Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!" said the yellow tang excitedly, and probably would have rushed forward to try to obtain his precious bubbles, had not the gramma grabbed him by the tailfin, preventing him from swimming into them.
Gill sighed and turned his attention back to the pufferfish once more, "Then you swim through this ring of fire," he gave Jacques another quick look, and the cleaner shrimp dismounted from the knob, stopping the bubbles from rising out of the top of the volcano. Jacques grinned up at Gill, obviously pleased that he had been able to understand what Gill had wanted, and to have been able to successfully help Gill with his task. Gill returned his smile, then turned his attention back to the pufferfish again, "and that's when you will be welcomed into the Tank Gang, and given your Tank Name," he finished.
"Hmm, seems easy enough," muttered the pufferfish, examining the path of lava.
"Can we get on with this now?" the gramma complained.
The pufferfish glared at him once more, and the goldfish chuckled quietly to himself. Gill wondered briefly how he had managed to get himself into this strange predicament, when all he had ever really wanted was to live out all of his life in the ocean, but quickly turned his attention back to where the pufferfish was slowly making his way up the path of imitation lava, towards the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie. Gill stifled a sigh, and swam up behind the volcano, so that he would be able to meet the pufferfish when he had reached the summit. In the meantime, the goldfish, Peach and Deb (and Flo?) had been fanning the pufferfish with the imitation leafs that they had decided to use for this very purpose.
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…"
The chanting continued on all around the pufferfish, as he slowly swam up. The gramma and the yellow tang were waiting at the top of the volcano, and a moment later were joined by Deb (and Flo?). When the pufferfish finally reached the summit, he looked around momentarily, as though wondering what he was supposed to do next.
Slowly, Gill emerged from behind the volcano, and nodded once to the pufferfish. Then, a moment later, he reached out with his fins, and the chanting suddenly stopped.
"Quite impressive, oh fearless one," said the goldfish, grinning up at him, "so what is he supposed to do now?"
"You'll see," Gill replied, then turned his attention back to the pufferfish once more, "Oh pufferfish, newcomer of brown spikes," Gill began, secretly relishing in a chance to show off to these young newcomers, "you have been called forth to the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie to join with us in the fraternal bonds of Tankhood!"
"I thought he was being called first, not fourth!" quipped the goldfish, swimming up behind Gill and brandishing a rather large green leaf, and chuckling quietly to himself.
"Oh very funny," muttered Gill, then turned his attention back to the pufferfish again, "That is," he added, in a much louder voice, "if you can swim through," he paused for dramatic effect, "The ring of fire!"
Nothing happened. Gill sighed. He looked down at where Jacques was staring up at him, "Ahem," he said, staring at Jacques, "the ring of fire, please Jacques, can you start it now?"
Jacques merely stared up at him, blinking in good-natured incomprehension. "I'll go and help him," the gramma sighed, and swam down towards the cleaner shrimp. There was a brief whispered conversation that Gill didn't hear clearly, and then the cleaner shrimp got back on the knob and started the bubbles ascending from the volcano once more.
"Finally," muttered Gill, and then turned back to where the pufferfish was watching him with a slightly bemused expression. "Right, now you swim through the ring of fire," he said.
"You mean all of these bubbles?" the pufferfish asked.
"Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!" the yellow tang said excitedly, and would have swam into the middle of the bubbles coming out of the volcano, if Deb had not held him back, preventing him from doing so.
"I wish you hadn't said that word," muttered Gill to the pufferfish, then added, in a much louder voice, "Yes, you swim through all of this, to the other side of the volcano, where I will give you your Tank Name."
"Sounds easy enough," said the pufferfish. Then he swam through the bubbles, and bumped into Gill on the other side.
Gill turned to where the whole gang were now watching them, "From this day forward," he proclaimed, indicating the pufferfish, "you are now a member of the Tank Gang. Now is the time for you to be given your Tank Name. Do you have a Tank Name prepared, or would you like me to give you your Tank Name now, in front of all of your kin?"
The pufferfish looked around briefly. With a bit of nudging from the gramma, the cleaner shrimp had dismounted from the knob at the base of the volcano, Deb was chatting to her reflection, and the goldfish was watching Gill intently. The pufferfish seemed at a loss for inspiration concerning what sort of Tank Name he should choose, and so turned his attention back to Gill once more, and gave the fish equivalent of a shrug. "You choose," he said.
Gill smiled at him, and then turned to face where the rest of them were looking at him, "From this day forward, you will now be known as Bloat. Welcome Brother Bloat!"
"Bloat, boo ha ha!" came the background chanting.
"Heh, that was sort of fun," said the newly christened Bloat, "can I do the next one?"
"I don't see why not," said Gill, but decided he had better stay close, just in case. Gill then turned to the rest of the little gang, "Okay, who wants to go next?" he asked.
"I'll go," said the goldfish, and positioned himself at the base of the volcano, before making his way up the path of imitation lava.
"Ha-who-wah-he-ha-ho-ho-ho…" came the chanting from the gang, as the goldfish slowly made his way up to the summit of Mount Wannahawkaloogie.
When he reached the top, Bloat looked towards Gill, "Can I do it now?" he asked, with barely contained excitement in his voice.
Gill gave the fish equivalent of a nod, "Of course," he said.
Bloat turned back to the goldfish, who was watching him with mild amusement. Bloat took a deep breath, then paused, "What was it again?" he whispered to Gill.
Gill sighed, "Summoned to the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie," he whispered back.
"Oh, yeah, thanks," muttered Bloat, and then turned his attention back to the slightly amused goldfish, "Welcome, little goldfish, newcomer of orange and um…orange!" he said, extending his fins in an exaggerated motion, then added in a much louder voice, "You have been called forth to the summit of Mount Wannahawkaloogie, to join with us in the fraternal bonds…of Tankhood!" Then he gave Gill a sideways look, "How was that?" he whispered, as though desperate for approval."
"Not half bad," said Gill approvingly, "you're a natural at this, Brother Bloat."
Literally swelling with pride upon hearing this, Bloat inflated, and then turned back to the grinning goldfish, "If…" he continued, very loudly, "you can swim through…the ring of fire!"
This time Jacques was ready, and the bubbles from the top of volcano appeared almost instantly. Deb had been ready, this time, to grab the yellow tang's tailfins before he could to swim into the rising bubbles.
The goldfish swam through these bubbles, coming to a stop a mere inch in front of Bloat. Bloat turned to where Gill had been watching him approvingly. "Um…what do I do now?" he whispered.
"I'll take over from here, if you like," Gill whispered back, and then turned his attention to where the goldfish was watching him intently. "From this day forward," he began, "you are now a member of the Tank Gang. Now is the time for you to be given your Tank Name. Have you decided upon a Tank Name, or would you prefer me to give you your Tank Name at this initiation ceremony?" he asked.
"You choose," the goldfish replied, staring intently at Gill.
Gill turned towards the rest of the little gang, "From this day forward," he began, "you will now be known as Chuckles. Welcome Brother Chuckles!"
"Chuckles, boo ha ha!" came the chanting from the assembled creatures.
"Okay, who's next?" asked Gill.
"Oh this is so exciting!" gushed Deb, "Are you excited, Flo?" she asked, staring at her reflection, which, unsurprisingly, did not respond.
"How about you, Deb?" Gill asked her.
"Well, only if Flo can go with me," she began, "and I have to admit, we both kind of like the names we already have. Can we keep them as Tank Names, please?"
"Of course," Gill replied, "the whole purpose of this ceremony is to welcome you as members of our little group. You can keep the name…er, names," he corrected quickly, "that you are used to, if you like."
"Oh that is so kind of you!" Deb gushed, "Flo, thank the nice idol for being so kind to us, why don't you?" Deb turned her attention towards her reflection, and Gill did the same.
Now what am I supposed to do, Gill wondered; it's not as if I can shake fins with a reflection!
Fortunately, Deb came to his rescue, giving Gill a slightly apologetic smile, "Oh don't mind her, she's nuts," she said, laughing, "and she can be really shy around larger fish." Deb turned her attention back to her reflection, raised an admonishing fin, and said, "That was so rude, Flo, you should be more polite to this nice leader fish!"
"Perhaps we should get on with the ceremony now," suggested Gill, quickly, before Deb started to have a row with her own reflection.
"Yes, yes of course," said Deb, giving her reflection a quick, disapproving look, before turning back to Gill and smiling at him, "we just go along this lava path, right, then you welcome us at the top of the volcano with the funny name, is that right."
"It's that simple," Gill replied.
Deb swam to the base of the volcano. The gramma took her place on the route up the volcano's lava path, and joined Peach in fanning her with the broad leaf. Deb could barely contain her excitement as she made her way past them. As she reached the top of the volcano, Bloat turned to Gill, "Can I do another one?" he asked excitedly, "please?"
"Brother Bloat," Gill replied, managing to keep his own enthusiasm in check, "you may now proceed."
Bloat turned back to Deb, "Welcome, sisters of blue and of white!" he said, very loudly, "You have been called forth to join with us in the fraternal bond…" he turned to Gill and gave him a slightly worried look, whispering from the side of his mouth, "wait, should that be sisterly bond?"
"Brotherly bond is fine," Gill whispered back.
It did not seem as if Deb was paying that much attention to what Bloat was saying, anyway. Instead, she had started to discuss with her reflection how very excited she was to be taking part in this ceremony. Bloat stared at her for a moment, until she returned her attention back to him once more. "A-hem!" he began, "As I was saying, you have been called forth to join with us in the fraternal bonds…of Tankhood!" he raised his fin up in an exaggerated gesture.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Deb gushed. She turned to her reflection, "Oh, Flo, isn't this exciting," she said.
"As I was saying," Bloat continued, "that is if you can swim through…the ring of fire!"
A dramatic pause, and then Jacques worked the knob on the volcano, leading to bubbles ascending from the summit of the volcano once more.
"Bubbles! Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!" the yellow tang said excitedly. And this time, without Deb or the gramma to hold him back, he rushed into the stream of bubbles, reaching Bloat and Gill on the other side of the volcano, before Deb had a chance to swim through the bubbles herself. Bloat and Gill exchanged looks with each other; Deb went back to discussing how exciting this was with her reflection. Gill stifled a sigh with some difficultly, gave the fish equivalent of a shrug, and turned to the yellow tang, "Stranger, newcomer of bright yellow," he began, as Bloat held the tang back from swimming through the bubbles once more, "you have been called forth to the summit of Mount Wannahawkaloogie to join with us in the fraternal bonds, of Tankhood. Having swum through the ring of fire, now you will be given your Tank Name. Have you chosen a Tank Name for yourself, or would you prefer me to give you your Tank Name now, at this initiation ceremony?"
"Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles bubbles!" the yellow tang gushed, reaching out towards the top of the volcano, where bubbles were still ascending out of the summit of Mount Wannahawkaloogie.
Gill stifled another sigh; well, why not? He turned back to the rest of the creatures within the tank, who were watching him curiously, many of them trying to stifle laughter behind their fins. Gill pointed with his own fin towards the yellow tang, "From this moment onwards, you will now be known as…Bubbles!" he said.
"Bubbles, boo ha ha!" came the sound of chanting once more.
"Oh, is that my name now?" asked the yellow tang, looking around himself with some confusion.
"Would you like it to be?" Gill asked, "Would you like Bubbles to be your Tank Name?"
"Yes, I would," said the yellow tang decisively, "I love the bubbles!" he added again.
"I thought you might," Gill muttered.
"Can I swim through the bubbles yet?" Deb asked, "Only Flo is getting rather impatient."
Gill turned his attention back to where Deb was waiting at the summit of Mount Wannahawkaloogie. He smiled at her, "Of course," he began, "and thank you for your patience." He turned to where Bloat was still trying to hold onto the newly christened Bubbles, preventing him from swimming back through his precious bubbles once more. "Brother Bloat," said Gill, trying to ignore the yellow tang's feeble protests to let him go back into the bubbles, "you may now proceed with the initiation ceremony."
"Right, yeah, um, where were we?" he asked. "Oh yeah, that's it," he said quietly, then in a much louder voice, "If you can swim through…the ring of fire!"
"Oh, I am so looking forward to this. Here I go!" Deb swam through the bubbles, bumping into Gill on the other side, "Oh I am so sorry," she said, then turned to her reflection, "Oh that was so embarrassing!" she said quietly.
"State your name," Gill said, in a low and ever so slightly menacing tone of voice.
Deb turned her attention away from her reflection suddenly upon hearing his tone, "Oh, um yes. Deb. And this is Flo," she said, pointing towards her reflection, "and we'd both like to keep our own names as Tank Names, if you don't mind, Mr. Initiation Ceremony Fish."
"As requested, Deb and Flo will from this day forward be known by those names, as members of the Tank Gang," said Gill turning around and addressing all of the inhabitants of the tank, "as the rivers ebb and flow, so Deb and Flo shall now be welcomed in the fraternal bonds of Tankhood, by all gathered here."
"Deb and Flo, boo ha ha!" came the response.
"Um, Mr. Gill," said the gramma uncertainly, "can Jacques and I also go together, please? I'm not sure that he understands enough of what is going on to be able to go up by himself."
"That's very thoughtful of you," said Gill approvingly, "you two can go next."
With that, the gramma swam down to the base of the volcano. Chuckles the goldfish took over Jacques' role of turning the knob, thereby releasing bubbles from the top of the volcano, and Jacques and the gramma then made their way up the lava path towards the summit. As they reached the top, Gill indicated for Bloat to take on his role as Brother Bloat once more.
"Newcomer of red and white," Bloat said, indicating the cleaner shrimp, "you have been called forth to the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie, to join with us in the fraternal bonds, of Tankhood." He paused for dramatic effect, "If you can swim through…" another dramatic pause, "the ring of fire!"
Chuckles started the bubbles again. The gramma indicated for the cleaner shrimp to swim through them, which he did, nearly bumping into Gill as he reached the other side. "Indiques vous nom, mon ami1" Gill said carefully, not at all sure that that was grammatically correct French.
After a moment, Jacques replied "Je m'appelle Jacques"2
"Jacques, from this day forward, that will be your Tank Name," said Gill, turning around and addressing the rest of the inhabitants of the tank, "and we all welcome you in the fraternal bonds of Tankhood."
"Jacques boo ha ha!" was chanted from the rest of the little gang.
"Now me, right?" the gramma asked uncertainly, "are you sure that this is safe and free of germs?"
"It is perfectly safe," Gill replied calmly, "see all of your friends who have already swum through these bubbles."
"Can I do the ceremony bit now?" Bloat asked excitedly. It seemed to Gill that the pufferfish would never tire of his role as Brother Bloat.
"Please proceed once more," Gill said, giving him the fish equivalent of a nod.
Bloat turned to where the gramma was watching the bubbles somewhat warily, as though expecting them to burst forth with germs at any moment. But Bloat was clearly enjoying his role within this initiation ceremony too much to worry about the gramma's uncertainty. "Newcomer of purple and yellow," he began, clearly relishing every moment of what he was doing, "you have been summoned forth to the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie, to join with us in the fraternal bonds," he paused for dramatic effect at this point, "of Tankhood."
"You really do like over-acting, don't you 'Brother Bloat'" muttered the gramma.
Bloat merely grinned at him in response, "If you can swim through," he paused, and raised his fin in a dramatic gesture, "the ring of fire!"
"Yes, yes, just like everyone else in this tank," muttered the gramma, swimming through the bubbles and stopping just before he bumped into Gill.
"From this day forward, you will now be a member of the Tank Gang. At this initiation ceremony, you will be given your Tank Name, for you to have and to use all of the days that you remain within this tank," Gill said to the gramma, "have you decided on a Tank Name for yourself, or would you prefer me to give you your Tank Name?"
"I'll stick with Gurgle, if it's all the same to you," the gramma replied, "I can't seem to think of anything else, and Gurgle will do."
Gill turned to the assembled creatures within the tank, and indicated the gramma, "From this day forward, you will now be known as Gurgle!" he said, "Welcome Brother Gurgle!"
"Gurgle, boo ha ha!" came the chant from the rest of the inhabitants of the tank.
"Right, who's left?" Gill asked, looking around.
"Just me, I guess," said Peach, "can you help me up the volcano?"
Gill swam down to the base of the volcano, followed by Jacques, who took up his role on the knob at the base of the volcano once more. Chuckles the goldfish swam up to the top of the volcano, joining Bloat, Deb, and Bubbles.
Gill helped Peach to ascend to the top of the volcano, where Bloat was waiting for them at the summit. Gill gave him a small smile, an indication for him to proceed. "Newcomer…just a moment, she isn't really a newcomer, is she?" he said, "I mean, she's been here the longest of all of us."
"Would you like me to take over for a bit?" Gill asked.
Bloat gave him a grateful smile, as Gill swam over to him, taking up his role as leader of the initiation ceremony once more. He reached out a fin towards Peach, "Peach," he said, very quietly, "my dearest friend…"
There was a general sniggering from the rest of the newly christened Tank Gang. Gill rolled his eyes at that, then turned his attention back to Peach once more. In a much louder, clearer voice, he said, "You have been called forth the top of Mount Wannahawkaloogie to join with us in the fraternal bonds of Tankhood."
"Can I do the next bit?" Bloat asked excitedly, "I really like doing the next bit."
Gill chuckled quietly to himself, amused by Bloat's youthful exuberance, "Brother Bloat," he said, turning his attention to the pufferfish with an exaggerated gesture, "please proceed."
"Ooh good!" grinned Bloat, then focused his attention on Peach. He took a deep breath, "If you can swim through," a dramatic pause; he was really very good at those, "the ring…of fire!"
Jacques started up the bubbles once more. Gill helped Peach across. "State your name," he said.
Peach laughed quietly to herself, "I will keep Peach, if that is okay with you," she replied.
Gill then held her up like a trophy on his left fin, and turned to the rest of the little gang, "As the world turns, as night fades to day, you are most welcome to join with us in the fraternal bonds of Tankhood!" he said.
"I wanted to do that part," Bloat muttered quietly to himself.
"Peach, boo ha ha!" came the chanting from the Tank Gang.
"Oh, that was fun," said Bloat, "I like being master of ceremonies."
"Glad you enjoyed yourself," Gill said to him, and then turned his attention back to the rest of the Tank Gang, "That goes for all of you, but all good things must come to an end…"
"Oh, it's not over yet, oh fearless leader," said the recently christened Chuckles, coming up behind him, "there's still you to do.
Gill rolled his eyes, "Well, if you insist," he said, and began to swim down to the base of the volcano, only to be stopped by Gurgle.
"We've made something for you," the gramma said, sounding rather nervous.
Gill gave him a long look, and felt just a tiny amount of trepidation; these young newcomers were not exactly the sanest of creatures, and he was not sure that he really wanted to receive gifts from them. "Um…you have?" he asked cautiously.
Gurgle smiled at Chuckles, and the gold fish reached behind the volcano. He picked something up in his fins, and then swum towards Gill, "We made this for you," he said.
Gill took it, and examined it carefully. It seemed to be some kind of headdress, a crown woven from the plastic plants within the tank, and with three small yellow flowers on it. "Um…thank you," said Gill uncertainly.
"I remember what you told us about humans," said Peach, taking the crown from Gill's unresisting fins for just a moment, "how they have leaders, kings and chieftains, people chosen to lead and guide other people, to help and aid them to become all that they are capable of becoming. We," she indicated all of the Tank Gang, who were now gathered around them, "all of us, have decided that you should be our leader," she gave Gill a small, enigmatic smile, "we all decided that there could be no-one better for this task. And leaders so often have some form of dress or headdress to mark their position. So we made this crown for you, so that, at this welcoming ceremony, you can be crowned leader of the Tank Gang." With that, she placed the crown on top of Gill.
"Gill, boo ha ha!" came the response from the rest of the Tank Gang.
Gill smiled at Peach, slowly removed the crown, and looked down at it, examining it carefully. Although it was not particularly well-made, it was clear that a lot of time and effort had been put into weaving it. Gill suddenly felt a huge amount of affection towards all of the Tank Gang. He looked up and smiled at them, for once unsure of what to say.
"Well, say something," Chuckles prompted, grinning at him.
"Thank you," said Gill quietly, sincerely. He looked up at where they were all gathered around him, clearly expecting more of a speech. "This is an unexpected honour. I humbly accept this honour, and hope that I can prove myself to be worthy of it."
There was general cheering and merriment at that. The newcomers, the younger ones, started playing games and enjoying calling each other by their Tank Names. Gill watched them for a while, and then, seeing that he did not appear to be needed for the moment, took the crown back to his plastic skull. It was only when he had placed it carefully inside that he noticed that Peach had been following him. He looked out of the eye-socket of the skull, at where an impromptu party was taking place. I'm part of them, he thought to himself, but I think I'll also always in a sense be apart from them. They've lived in captivity all of their lives, have never felt the ocean currents lift their fins. But someday I'll show them all the wonders that the ocean has to offer.
Peach smiled as she peered into the skull, "They all worked on the crown," she said, "took them ages, but they all want you to be their leader."
"I just hope that I'm able to live up to their expectations," Gill replied.
1 State you name, my friend
2 My name is Jacques